I am planning to build a 1 1/2 story plus full walkout basement (on a fairly steep hill) and trying to put some numbers together to help determine the square footage I should stay under based on some of the higher quality options we would like. We would be looking at 4-6 corners and 9 ft interior walls and about 1700 square feet in the basement. I would love some rough figures between the two. I am currently figuring about 20K for a regular poured concrete basement (excluding excavation). I have Aldo read some things about putting drywall right against the ICF. Is this the standard? We would plan to finish most of the basement, lesd storage space within 5 years, so I would like to figure in if I am saving on (higher end) insulation and 2*4 framing. I understand all numbers vary, but I am really just trying to narrow down some details so they aren't add-ons later! We would be building just outside of Omaha, but within 40 minutes of Lincoln also.

Well, say you have a 40' X 40' box in the ground which would be 1600 sf. There would be 160 linear feet of wall at 10' high for 1600 sf of ICF. Take away a hundred feet or so for windows and doors on the daylight portion and you've got 1500 sf left. Use a common rule of thumb for ICF which is $13 - $18/sf and that gets you a range of about $20K - $27K for the ICF walls.

BTW, an estimate like this is hardly "narrowing down the details". You'd be better served to get an actual quote on the excavation, footings and basement walls as ICF, then compare it to the standard formed up concrete (adding back in the insulation, of course).

Thanks ICFHybrid. I know I am not getting to Exact figures, but those cab also change drastically over time. I would assume I would get a fair discount for poured concrete as we would also be pouring two other slabs aside from home at same time (barn and garage). I am really just trying to get a real idea of what sacrifices I may have to make throughout the rest of the house if I do ICF. We will already be doing 2*6 construction with better insulation on main floor plus 1/2 story above that. Also planning fiber cement boards and now looking at aluminum shingles which don't look like they will be cheap either! I would like to have a bathroom in the house!!!

Am I right in assuming the 20-27K does not include the 40*40 slab for the basement floor? Also, I understand that you wouldn't meet lumber and insulation inside the walls so that would be a savings. Do you still need footings under the ICF?

Am I right in assuming the 20-27K does not include the 40*40 slab for the basement floor?

That's right. Doesn't include footings, either. You will find that ICF is typically estimated in "square feet of wall" because it is easy to figure a sandwich consisting of 5.33 sf of block and the rebar and concrete needed to fill it.

My rough estimation is farther off the mark than any quotation you will get from a bonafide ICF builder. I'd suggest that you start getting a line on successful ICF contractors and get them involved early on. A good ICF builder will have a better concrete price with his preferred vendor than you can negotiate for 2 or three slabs.

My ICF prices in Kentucky normally run about 13-16/sq ft. Poured concrete walls down here go for about 15/sq. But then you have to frame in the interior walls and insulate it. Any time you have more contractors performing work, you pay for each contractors overhead. But with ICF, you pay for one contractors overhead to do the Structure, Framing, and Insulation. It makes things easier. Where at in Nebraska are you? I have a lot of family in western Nebraska and have a few contacts in that region. Let me know how I can help further.