Is the project entirely self-funded? ;-) I only ask because, as I understand it, most lending institutions may not grant you a loan for "already started" homes. (You can be GC and have a loan, which is why I needed clarification.)

Aside from that aspect, my folks were considering doing the same thing, except it was for a mobile home... Not sure if the rough plumbing sticking out of a slab would be problematic for a stick built?

Which brings me to... Is this a slab foundation? Basement?

I would hesitate to let a foundation sit for more than a few months, but I have absolutely no scientific reasons for it, lol. In my area, the clay soil can really do serious damage to a slab, but that is irrespective of whether there's a house on top of it.

Thank you for your response. Self-funded and self-built. I work for a builder currently and have access to all tools and machinery. Funds are constant but not a lot. I'm planning a full house for a sloped lot. Hoping to get the basement/garage walls poured and then the floor framing above it done and then try to continue a year later with the framing of the rest of the house. I will be constructing something to keep rain out between phases. I guess my question is, if I pour the foundation, how far to I have to bring the build to allow it to sit for awhile?

Also, it will be a poured foundation

Why would you pour the foundation and wait a year? Why wouldn't you wait until you have the resources to frame it to pour the foundation?

Mainly RV storage/living. There will be no flat area to keep the RV we will be living in during the build. I'm curious to know where I can actually start and stop and different points in the project.

The foundation will have to be braced all around to prevent collapse. Putting on the first floor deck will serve the same purpose. But then, the exposed wood will be subject to mould and rot. As well, in a cold climate the footings will have to be protected from freezing. Furthermore, depending on the conditions, drainage around the footings and in the interior will have to be provided for.

As a child in rural Ohio in the '50s, it wasn't uncommon to see people living in their "basements", a tarred over flat roof on the first floor while they saved funds to build "up top." But vacant, not a good idea.

Not a good idea. Time for Plan B! :-)

I don't know about the effects of nature on an unfinished foundation, but I suspect the answer is some variation on "not good".

An equally important consideration is the very real possibility that you might pour the foundation ... and then change your mind on exactly what you want.

Do I understand correctly that the main limitation is money? If so, I'd say save, save, save ... and then start working when you have the funds in place.

Have you checked as to whether your local building authority would be OK with it? Around here, you have to have an inspection every 6 months, and show some kind of progress. I imagine liability insurance would be hard/impossible to come by on that time frame. Generally, you don't backfill a foundation until the floor deck is built for proper support, so you're going to have a huge, muddy, dangerous ditch open for a long time.

I'm not sure if the elements would actually harm a concrete foundation, but I strongly recommend saving up enough money to complete a weather-proof shell in a timely manner.

there is nothing that is more of a PITA than an "open" site. Mud, deterioration, unstable dirt, erosion, etc. This is one of those things that sounds good on paper and in actuality is a messy disaster. We've essentially been working on our site for 2 years. It's dreadful.

When volunteering with Habitat, we often poured foundations, installed the deck(subfloor) and never got the house dried in(sheathed walls/roof/windows/doors) for up to 6 months.

I never saw any impact on the concrete, but huge complications with everything else.

An example of that is a local house being built as money is available. So far, the house has not been finished for over 9 years. Exterior is done and has been for 8 years, I see the interior has been demoed and is being redone. Buildings with sheet rock/etc. do not last unoccupied(heated/cooled).

So far, the house has not been finished for over 9 years

Not in a cold zone for sure!

One house I did, the foundation was poured in Nov., then protected with hay through the spring. But I overlooked the post piers. When we defrosted the frozen basement soil with a week of salamanders at full blast to pour the floor, the four posts were hanging two inches in the air. Imagine that damage to a foundation!

Sounds like it will never get done. A bad idea.

Ridiculous waste of time and money.

If frost is ever able to get under the footing, you could (will) have problems

If I were you, I'd do just a bit more research. Sure- It takes a couple of decades for concrete to completely cure. BUT- if you're going to have vehicles etc on it, just don't expect a "forever" polished concrete floor. You can always tarp it, but that won't last in weather.

No matter what you do, understand- concrete cracks. That's a fact. So- if you wait a few years, expect a bit of "fix" for those cracks, within leveling, before you start putting sub flooring down. Frankly, not expensive, and if you don't care about looks, it won't kill you.

I see this thread is a few years old. Hope someone is still reading or monitoring.

I picked up a lot in a mountain development here in CO. The foundation is rock solid. 16 years old. No cracks. Foundation bolts were wire brushed and sprayed with paint every beginning and end of season. I can hand tighten the nuts halfway down the bolt, then use a crescent the rest of the way with no issues. Obviously we had make a cash offer (the singular advantage of COVID) and got a decent deal. No house has ever been built on this foundation.

Foundation is a 3 foot stem wall.

Bought it from the fella who inspected it 16 years ago from the original builder. Thin mountain soil, zero movement/, rocks a few inches down. I had an independent inspector come in and he said it was super solid. No issues. We have the water tap in, water meter, 220/110 to the foundation, blue water line under the foundation that was inspected and blown out.. We are getting a six foot frost free hydrant some time soon. As far as it goes, we can start putting up walls soon.

The former owner has the building permits still in place and valid with no expiration dates per the county website., We received the plans approved by the county and the HOA. After talking to both, I was told they (the original plans) are still good to go including emails from current County officials. . (the former owner was on the County building committee for 2 decades and bought the lot with the finished foundation from the builder. When inspecting the original foundation he requested every conceivable contingency/ building code change when the foundation was being poured. 16 years later it still exceeds every code)

The lot is under six feet' of snow for four to six mos of the year. We used a laser level and it will need very few shims for the floor joists. A surveyor will be out next year to verify.

So. after all the backstory, do you guys think the foundation is still feasible.? I did a ton of homework in every conceivable direction, many hours of research and calls to make sure.

However, I'm not a builder. I'm an ICU RN. Big difference. I can build a shed, deck and shop. But a house is beyond me.

Any feedback is truly appreciated.

One Hu to another, seems pretty good from what you say.

I see where you posted this a good while back, and I have the same question. First, let me say that I hope you made it through 2020 COVID alright. Second, what did you do and how did it work out for you?

A stem wall anchored to bedrock is completely different from a foundation resting on soil in a cold climate where just one freeze/thaw cycle is enough to destroy its viability. When we were offered such "deals," we inevitably turned them down.

My Dad was a builder. My parents lived in the basement for 2 years while the rest of the house was being built. There were no issues and at that time it was cinder block not poured. I am looking into this myself. I need a place to live until the market pricing comes down. I don’t want to be upside down on my mortgage for the modular home.