Why Don’t Florida Homes Have Basements? (Video)

“Hi, my name is Greg Batista here to answer another question from the internet.

BasementBilly asks: Why don’t homes in Florida have basements like up north?

It’s because of Florida’s high water table. In many areas, if you dig just a few feet, you hit water. FEMA data shows the water table is often less than three feet below ground in coastal Florida. Basements would constantly flood unless equipped with costly pumps. Florida also has porous limestone, which allows water to seep quickly into excavations. For this reason, most homes are built on slabs or raised foundations. While basements are common in colder states, here they’re impractical and expensive.

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Authoritative references: FEMA floodplain management studies; U.S. Geological Survey (USGS groundwater data).

The author, Greg Batista, PE, CGC, SI is owner of G. Batista Engineering & Construction and is a nationally-recognized engineer and contractor with more than 35 years of experience and offices in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.