My wife and I have always wanted a basement. We are going to add a new Kitchen and Den area in the back and basement below if possible. We live in Canton which is 50 mls east of Dallas, Texas. We live on a lake and the soil is red clay. Is it possible to construct a waterproof basement? Is the lake going to be a problem? The property is about 10ft higher than the lake and 200ft back from the water.
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Basements in Texas (at least here in Austin) are tough because the bedrock starts shallow.
Apart from bedrock problems, of course you can construct a waterproof basement: you can construct a pool that is waterproof and does not let water out: why not a basement that does not let water in?
In construction, the question is almost NEVER "can we" but "how much would it cost?" You can do almost anything with an unlimited budget: you can erect a giant, up-side down pyramid if you want to.
The cost will depend quite a bit upon the depth of the water table at your location. If you live on a 300-foot bluff overlooking the lake, you probably will not have problems because the water table is well below you. If your land is entirely along the shoreline with no grade, it will probably cost more.
