Part III - Different Types of Home Foundations and When to Use Each

 Changing the Type of Foundation on your home:

Almost any house plan can have its foundation changed. It's
common for people to design a different foundation if the
available foundations do not suit their needs. If you are
currently working with a builder you may want to ask them if
they will take care of making the foundation changes for you.
Sometimes with foundation design it may be helpful for somebody
who is near you to do those changes because they will have more
knowledge about your local soil conditions and the slope of your
lot. 

When changing foundation types, pay attention to where you will
put the furnace, water heater, and stairs. If you need to add
basement stairs, the basement stairs can usually be put under
other stairways or you may be able to replace a closet or small
room with basement stairs. Another common place to put basement
stairs is to replace a mechanical room with stairs and move the
mechanical items (such as the furnace and water heater) to the
basement. Sometimes space near the laundry room, or space near
the garage can be used for a basement stairs. Larger walk-in
closets are sometimes reduced in size to allow space for
basement stairs. You can often add a basement stairs to a plan
without increasing the size of the plan. However, sometimes
space may need to be added to a plan to provide room for a
basement stairs. 

It should be noted that it is the owner's full responsibility to
check with his/her local and state building authorities, his/her
builder, and the designer of the house plan to ensure that the
home meets all applicable building codes and requirements. 

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