Basement Exposures in New Construction
Do you want your home to have a basement? What kind of windows do you picture? Perhaps a walk-out and patio from the basement?
When looking for land or preparing to build a new home, it’s important to consider the different types of basement exposures are possible, the limitations of the land, and the impact on budget.
The most common types of basement exposures.
So, what exactly is a walk-out basement? Imagine your typical basement but with a twist. Instead of being fully submerged underground, a walk-out basement emerges partially or entirely above ground level on one side of the house. This means it has direct access to the outdoors, often through a set of doors or large windows or both!
A daylight basement typically features full-sized windows designed to allow natural light to illuminate the space, thus brightening up the basement area. However, unlike other basement types, it usually lacks an exterior door at ground level.
In a standard-grade home, you’ll typically find that the basement is positioned about 8 feet below the floor level. a standard grade often involves a flat lot, meaning the land where your house will be built is relatively level. Additionally, standard-grade basements typically don’t feature large windows or doors. This design choice is made for both practical and safety reasons.
The area where the basement exposure is commonly referenced:
- Rear – a walkout or daylight in the back of the home.
- Right Side – a side walkout or side daylight.
- Left Side – a side walkout or side daylight.
Exposure Examples
This basement features large windows in the back of the home to let in natural light.
This home features large windows in both the back and side of the basement.
This is less commonly seen in building but is an option for the lot where the grades dictate a side-walk out.
Grading
When designing a home, the builder will take into consideration how the house is positioned on the land, and what type of basement style you will have.
The grade of land will affect your exposure and exposure options for a new construction home.
Exposures in the context of new construction homes have a lot to do with the natural topography of the land.
Each Homesite or Vacant lot is different some lots have a Master Grading Plan in place and these typically can not be changed, The Master Grading plan will show what the final grade will be on the lot.
Master Grading Plans
Some subdivisions implement what is known as a Master Grading Plan. When a subdivision or lot has such a plan in place, there are fewer options available, and one must adhere to the recommended exposures set by the engineers.
No Grading plan
If your lot does not have a Master Grading plan in place you will work with your builder and they will give you recommendations and options. Your builder will work with a survey company to set the grades of your property.
Visiting your county’s GIS website is how you can gather this information if you don’t have a real estate agent or if you already own land. For example, the Racine County GIS Website has an interactive map and uses the Contour layer to show grading.
The builder may even suggest a survey company to have a topol map completed by a survey company or might do one for you.
Your builder may request the Tax key number for the property to find maps that show the approximate topography of the land and use tools provided by the county to help get a first look at your property.
If you are getting started in your building process and are looking for an agent who specializes in New Construction and Vacant land be sure to check out my services and about pages.
