What are y’all’s thoughts on building on a slab vs. crawl space? My thoughts on the slab:

Pros
Cheaper than a crawlspace
No chance for mold/mildew due to dampness that could be in a crawlspace

Cons
Can’t get to plumbing to repair if needed

What are y’all’s thoughts? Any reason to not build in a slab that I’m missing?

I like my crawl space for getting to plumbing and in the country I was able to run a lot of my gray water out in the woods and not the septic. I have had some mildew issues here lately that I need to address. Also I can store stuff under there

You on a hill-side or on a flat piece of land? That kind of makes the difference.

Most of the New Subdivisions don't allow houses on a Crawl Space due to lack of Air Circulation....what with too many houses in an area that are quite likely close together. No Air flow....Dampness....Mold Growth. If the house is being built on a slope they lay foundation block up to finish floor level and fill/tamp the interior with fill sand or crushed stone.

I have a crawl space . When I built house 25 years ago I had issue with gutters draining an seeping under house an causing moisture an little mold . An i live on hillside . Got that fixed an put moisture barrier under house . Spread plastic sheet everywhere. Only problem ever with my crawl space . All duct work under house an all plumbing. When cold turn on gas unit an keeps under house warm. No froze pipes . Have friends this weekend with frozen pipes under a new construction house with a slab. If I ever build again for sure with a crawl space .

I did new construction that finished over the summer on a crawlspace.

It’s encapsulated and sprayfoamed. Haven’t had any issues yet. Mentioned it on the other thread, but the way they did it, they actually have hvac running to it. Theres a supply and return down there so it’s always close to the same temp as the house itself.

Ive heard too many horror stories about slabs to want to deal with one of those.

I built mine with crawl space 15 years ago. Mold, mildew, and susceptibility to settlement are more prevalent with crawl space in this area. Would prob go with slab with modifications for plumbing if I have to do again.

I would go with a crawl space. Much better for your back and joints as you get older too.

If I ever build another house with crawlspace, it’s gonna be a 6 ft stand up straight space fully encapsulated and conditioned. Screw crawling around hands and knees or for sure not belly

Slab

Will never own another house with a crawl space

My first thought also was elevation and layout. If im on a slab i want its elevation at least 12" higher than rest of the yard.
2nd thought is age of occupants.. slab= no stairs into house in older age.
For me slab also means radiant floor heating. A plus for me.
3rd is concrete slab can be stamped to look like wood, tile, or stone.

Try getting rid of termite's on a slab. Its extremely hard to do. We had used all the termite companies with no luck. Sold that house because of it. I'm talking about name brand companies telling us that its impossible to treat on a slab. They drilled holes every where and we still could not kill them out completely. They thrived in the soil off Todd Mill Rd in Huntsville. Everyone on our street had issues with termites. We fought them for 15yrs and gave up and left.

I had both slab and crawlspace. I will take a crawlspace if I built my own for sure. Access to water lines, sewer lines and every fixture is nice. HVAC too.

Just make sure you encapsulate good.

I'm currently encapsulating mine. Its nasty and needs attention from never getting the love it needed.

Slabs are better but are hell trying to fix something. My buddy down the street just had his fixed. He had a water leak in the front yard. They had to pull the flooring up, saw cut a square hole of the slab out. Replace water line and pour slab back. Then flooring, base boards, paint. Its a big deal.

I've had both and prefer the slab but it was new and only lived in it 5 years so not much went wrong...have a crawl space now and I'd suggest putting a dehumidifier in if u go that route

Crawl spaces are very handy but if I were building new I’d go slab and run water lines inside pvc.
Our crawl space stays wet

Something to think about......a Commercial Building is RARELY ever built on anything but a slab.....there's a reason for that.

Slab. The only plumbing that should be ran through the slab are your sewer connections. The rest can be ran through the walls (not the attic). Unless you are building in a area known for high concentrations of radon gas. Then I might consider a crawl space with adequate ventilation.

Slab
Slab
Slab
Slab

I have never owned a home on a slab, but I am living in the last house I'll ever own with a crawl space. Never had an issue until this house, but our house is a 2400 sq ft single story. It's long, and cut up. It has horrible airflow under the floor. I've had to replace some floor joists already because I didn't realize water was condensing on everything under there in the summer until one summer too late. Even with fans under the house, it's still a slight issue. I'll wind up having to replace all the floor joists and floor in my kitchen in the not so distant future.

Built mine on a crawl space 29 years ago. Most folks back then spent the money for fancy vents that opened and closed according to the temperature, but I just turned a few blocks sideways to provide a limited amount of continuous ventilation. I also went a block higher than most did to give me plenty of room to get around under it. We put down a moisture barrier that didn't hold up too well, so I put another one on top of it using thicker plastic about 15 years ago.

I've never had a frozen pipe and have never had a single issue because it was on a crawl space. The wood is as solid as ever and it will belong to somebody else long after I am gone. I would build it the same way if I had it to do over and wouldn't spend a second wondering about it.

Yes.

Cost.