Building Small First With Plans To Add On Later

"We own acres and have plenty room to work with. Our kids are in their mid 20s and are newly weds. We would like for them to build a house on the family property but they we need to start out small with plans to add on later.

We live in the southeast and will build with post tension slab with future plans to add on outward; not upward. My main concern is the plumbing. What should be considered the most when designing a small house that will be added onto later with regards to its plumbing?
Rainey"


"Post-tensioning is simply a way to reinforce concrete in a more active way than just placing reinforcing steel." The Concrete Network. Image courtesy of The Concrete Network.

Rainey,

Single story houses are generally easy to expand if your property is large enough. However, it is difficult to expand a plumbing system beneath a concrete slab, especially one which is heavily reinforced.

You should consider building on a basement or a crawl space where the plumbing can be easily accessed. If you do, make sure to keep your main waste line as low as possible to allow connecting future lines with the required pitch of 1/4"/foot.

Good luck with your project,
David Moore, AIA
Original Home Plans

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