Why does nobody talk about the choice between a full basement dig and a crawl space for a small addition?

Had to pick for a 10x12 add-on in my own house. Full dig meant a concrete crew, maybe $15k, and a month of mess. Crawl space was way cheaper, maybe $5k, and done in a week. Went with the crawl space to save cash and time. Big mistake. Now I'm dealing with a vapor barrier that won't stay put and zero room to run new plumbing lines. My contractor just shrugged and said 'you picked it.' Should have spent the extra for the full basement. Anyone else get stuck with a crawl space they regret? What did you do to fix the access issues?

2 comments

2 Comments

charlesb4213d agoTop Commenter

Wait, your contractor just shrugged and said "you picked it"? That's honestly wild to me. They should have warned you about the downsides before you even decided. A good contractor explains the real problems you might face, like the plumbing access issue you have now. That shrug is basically them admitting they didn't do their job. I'd be furious. It's not like you're a pro who knows this stuff.

cooper.taylor12d ago

Eh, I don't know. Sometimes you just pick a finish because you like how it looks. The contractor isn't your mom, they're there to install the thing. If every single possible future problem had to be explained, you'd never get started. It's a backsplash, not a foundation.