If you are building a new home in the San Antonio area, you are probably trying to decide whether to use a pier and beam foundation or a concrete slab foundation. Both types of foundations are common in this area, and they both have their advantages and disadvantages. Before you call a contractor in San Antonio and settle on one foundation type over the other, you should carefully consider the pros and cons of each. Here are some of the things you should think about.
Pier and Beam Foundation
As the name of the pier and beam foundation would suggest, it relies upon a pier and beam structure to hold your home up. Piers extend deep down into the earth and rest on top of stones, and they support beams that hold up your home. The big advantage to using this type of foundation is that it will not shift around as a result of the soil underneath of your home. Because the piers are resting on stone, your foundation will be very strong and small adjustments can be made to fix your foundation if you ever need to have general contractors do foundation repair to your pier and beam foundation. With all of that being said, this type of foundation is more expensive than a concrete slab.
Concrete Slab Foundation
While a pier and beam foundation will rest on the stone located deep below your home, a concrete slab will rest directly on the ground. For that reason, concrete slabs are ideal for homes that are being built on flat lots. Concrete slabs can be constructed very easily and are cheaper than pier and beam foundations. However, you should know that repairing and maintaining a concrete slab can be more expensive in the long run than taking care of a pier and beam foundation.
Regardless of which type of foundation you choose, you should make sure that it’s the right one for your specific situation. Pick the one that works best for you and your family and speak with a foundation repair specialist if you have any additional questions.