In Arizona when I am showing homes to potential home buyers, they often ask about a basement home. The common question is are there any for sale and why don't we see them very often?

The answer is quite simple. It is about cost.

I have heard various explanations and if you ask a builder they will consistently tell you it is all about cost. It is cheaper to build a two story home than it is to dig a basement. Digging a basement can increase the cost from $20 to $30 dollars a square foot. I grew up in Nebraska where nearly every home has a basement of some kind. I mentioned this to a builder one day and he said that is because the frost line in the Midwest and other cold states was deeper. They have to dig deeper to bury pipes. Around 4 to 5 feet. In Arizona it is only around 18" from what I understand. Since builders in the cold climates are digging almost half the depth of a basement anyway, the incremental cost to go ahead and fully excavate the basement is much less. Phoenix Arizona does have basement homes. Home buyers are often disappointed at the low number of basement homes. It seems to me that basement homes are more prevalent in Gilbert, Chandler, Scottsdale and East Mesa.

What is the benefit of a Phoenix basement home?

One benefit of a basement home in Phoenix Arizona is the additional square footage on a small lot. Many builders have built homes on very small parcels of land and with a two story you can have the additional space, however, you also have to add an air conditioning unit. With a basement home it tends to stay much cooler and though you still may have an AC on it, you won't run it nearly as often as the basement homes I have shown and spent time in stay on average a whopping 30 to 40 degrees cooler than the outside temperature without the AC running. This also brings us to the fact that with a basement home in Arizona, you will save huge amounts on your Air Conditioning and electric bill.

What about the soil in a Phoenix basement home?

It's simply not true. The soil has nothing to do with why a builder would choose to build a basement home or not build a basement home in Arizona. There are many national and local builders who build and have built basement homes in Arizona cities of Gilbert, Scottsdale, Mesa, Chandler and even Phoenix. The basement home builders include: Beazer Homes, Blandford, Fulton Homes, Hallcraft, Highland Homes,  Meritage Homes, TW Lewis, Toll Brothers, Scott Communities, and VIP Homes.  In Gilbert, Power Ranch has multiple builders that build and sell basement homes. They are Toll Brothers, Highland Homes and T.W.Lewis. Get our up to date, list of basement homes for sale in the Phoenix area including Chandler, Higley, Queen Creek, Gilbert, Scottsdale, Mesa and East Valley cities.