Foundation installation in Highland IN - a solid base for your new home
Planning a new home and not sure whether it should sit on a basement or a slab? We help you choose and build it right.
Should your new home in Highland sit on a basement or a slab?
Foundation installation in Highland means building the base your house stands on, either a basement dug into the ground or a slab poured at ground level. At Highland Concrete we build both for homes in Highland and the cities around it, on both sides of the Indiana and Illinois line.
By the time you call, you usually have a lot and a house plan, and the big question is what goes under it. The price moves with the size of the house, basement or slab, how deep we dig and how much work the ground and the water need before we pour. The schedule turns on the weather, how wet the ground is once we open it up and curing, the wait while fresh concrete gains strength before anything gets built on it. I'll walk the lot with you and put your price, and what it includes, in a written estimate.
Why people hire Highland Concrete for foundations
You can count on me walking your lot myself, a straight answer on basement or slab, and the hidden work under your house getting as much care as anything you'll see.
I walk every lot
I look at every job myself and stay on site with our crew through the prep, the pour and the finish.
In business since 2017
I learned the trade under an old-school finisher, and we've run Highland Concrete on those habits for 9 years.
Licensed and insured
We're licensed and insured, and you're welcome to ask about either when I come out to walk the lot.
A straight answer on the plan
If the foundation you have in mind won't hold up on your lot, I'll tell you why before anything gets dug.
The jobs other crews skip
We take on the wet lots and tight sites other crews pass on, because that's where careful base work pays off.
Foundation installation options we build
We talk through basement or slab with you based on your lot and how you want to use the space, because the right foundation starts with the ground, not the floor plan.
What happens when you call about a new foundation?
We plan a foundation around your lot, your house plan and how you'll use the space, so the first thing I do is come see the ground for myself.
You get in touch
Call (219) 533-1721 or send the form with your lot address, and we'll get back to you to set up a time to walk the lot.
I walk the lot
I come out and look at the ground, where the water runs and how you'll use the house, because those decide basement or slab.
Your written estimate
You get a written estimate that spells out what's in the price, so you can compare it line by line and decide on your own time.
Prep, pour and finish
I'm on site with our crew from digging out and packing the base to the final finish, and before we leave I go over caring for the new concrete.
Questions about a step? Call and talk it through.
(219) 533-1721Questions about new foundations
What is the best way to choose between a basement and a slab in Highland?
Start with your lot's slope, your winters and how you want to use the space. Basements can be a good choice where winters are cold and frost goes deep, or where a lot slopes steeply, and the deeper digging adds cost that can pay off in comfortable, livable space. A slab at ground level works in cold climates too, as long as the design adds frost protection.
What is a frost protected shallow foundation?
It's a slab foundation that uses insulation to keep the soil around the house warmer, so the foundation can sit shallower in the ground. It suits slab homes on lots with moderate to low slopes, while steep lots point toward a basement. One builder's guide says it can go in with a single concrete pour, which speeds up construction.
How do I keep a new basement dry?
Have it sealed, insulated and protected from moisture as it's built, because basements are prone to leaks, cold, humidity and mold. A basement done that way is more comfortable, saves on energy costs and holds up better. That's work to settle before the walls go up, not after the first wet spring.
Can concrete be poured in winter in Northwest Indiana?
Yes, concrete poured in cold weather still gets strong and durable when it's properly mixed, placed and protected. Cold-weather precautions apply once the air drops, or is expected to drop, below 40°F while the fresh concrete needs shielding. Ask any crew how they'll protect the pour, and ask us how we'd handle it on your date.
How much does a new foundation cost around Highland?
A new foundation in the Chicago area usually costs about $10,000 to $33,000 per job, and that's the market's range, not our price. Where yours lands depends on the things covered at the top of this page, mostly basement or slab and what your ground needs. I'll put your price and what it includes in writing after I walk the lot.
What type of foundation is most common in Indiana?
Basements are the most common foundation type in the East and the Midwest. That doesn't make one right for every lot, and on wet ground a basement is only as good as the work that keeps it dry.
Foundation installation on Highland's wet ground
Poorly drained soil is the most common kind mapped in Lake County, and only 21.2% of the mapped soil here drains well. Across the county the groundwater typically comes up to about 6 inches below the surface at its highest point in the year. A basement here spends part of the year in wet ground, which is why we plan the drainage and the sealing before we plan the walls.
We see the same soggy ground on jobs in Griffith and Munster, so on every lot I check where the water runs before we set the height of the foundation, and the yard ends up falling away from the house instead of toward it.
Ask Highland Concrete for a foundation estimate
Call (219) 533-1721 before your house plans are final, because basement or slab is easier to settle while the floor plan can still change.