# slight grade on land. Pole Barn house, or piers, or crawlspace.



## Mcompton1973 (Mar 17, 2013)

I want to build either a 30x40 or 30x50 rectangle house.
I will have a simple gable roof, and fairly large covered porch off each end.

I am in Oklahoma. I have rock a couple of feet down.

My plan is to get a big empty shell made with cash...and then over time convert that into a house.

Currently we live in a used singlewide we moved out here to save money so we can build.

Here is the question: We have from the east to the west...the 40-50' side of the building...an elevation drop of about 18". If I go with a pole barn and 6x6 posts...I would need to take down and level the land there. The problem is that it goes up from where the house is another couple of feet in elevation and I would need some kind of retaining wall perhaps? and would water be an issue? I could also bring in some crush to raise the land around that foot and a half...which I like that idea, so the covered porch would be more like a covered deck...but...how do you build the land up, and have it solid enough to not settle etc for when you pour the floor?

Other option would be to build 2x6 normal construction on piers...taller piers and shorter piers to give a level floor. Ive seen it done a lot in narrower buildings and cabins...but can not find much about 30'wide. I like this idea because I can add rough in plumbing and electric after since I will not be going into any cement. I would still need to enclose the bottom of the house somehow also...so does that mean a tradidtional crawlspace would make more since? Can a crawlspace be build on not level land?

I am 9 months from doing this...but starting to plan. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks.


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## melli (May 7, 2016)

Mcompton1973 said:


> I want to build either a 30x40 or 30x50 rectangle house.
> I will have a simple gable roof, and fairly large covered porch off each end.
> 
> I am in Oklahoma. I have rock a couple of feet down.
> ...


Is traditional build too much? I mean, spread footing, with knee wall (which can be level, so slope it taken out of play). Here, we just need 18" from bottom of footings to grade to negate frost heaving. 
Once you've built your level rectangle, fill it in, compact and pour a slab. 
Now you have the perfect platform to build on...better yet, can put in a storm shelter inside rectangle under slab. 

One thing I hate I about pier footings is it isn't all quick, easy and cheap. You have to install beams from pier to pier to support floor. Although, you get access underneath, so do the rodents, which means skirting it...more money. Plus, I've crawled under so many cottages on pier footings, I swear I have the HantaVirus. It is a petri dish under there....


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## Bearfootfarm (Jul 13, 2006)

I'd not do a slab at all.

Just do a standard foundation and piers and utilize the crawl space to run your utilities.

Make sure it's tall enough to give you room to work underneath.

A plumbing leak in a slab is a nightmare.
One in a crawl space is a minor repair.


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