At first, you might think, “Wait a minute, I thought…” And you’re right! A new custom Florida home from ICI Homes won’t have a basement thanks to the state’s geology and water table.
But that doesn’t preclude having the valuable space and features you’ll find in traditional, dug-out basements in other parts of the United States. There are multiple ways to outfit an ICI Homes floor plan with the same basement-style attributes right here in the Sunshine State.
Key Takeaways
Traditional basements aren’t feasible in most of Florida due to the high water table and underground aquifer system.
A “Florida basement” refers to a climate-controlled interior storage area that offers the same utility as a standard basement.
ICI Homes can customize bonus rooms, attics, or extra bedrooms to serve as smart storage solutions tailored to your needs.
Garage storage systems and thoughtful floor plan adjustments offer flexible, accessible alternatives to traditional basements.
Here’s more about Florida basements.
Why Florida (usually) doesn’t do basements
It’s a geology lesson. Many regions, particularly the state’s gorgeous coastlines, are at sea level, and Florida’s geologic limestone foundation is an underground highway for fresh water supply, known as the Florida Aquifer.
A deep dig doesn’t need long to reach moisture, likely a basement’s biggest enemy. That’s not to say homeowners and builders in certain areas don’t dig basements, particularly on private property, but like most of its Builder 100 compatriots, ICI Homes doesn’t do basements here.
Florida basements explained
A Florida basement is simply an industry term for interior storage space. Like fully finished traditional basements, it’s climate-controlled and completely ready for storage or other uses that come up in the interior of your ICI Homes floor plan.
Donating, discarding or selling unneeded items and belongings before you move to a new custom Florida home is a time-tested strategy for reducing storage needs. But that’s not always possible, and some items such as family heirlooms, holiday decorations and other things we love or use only occasionally, still require storage somewhere.
To eliminate a new clutter situation, and to avoid the hassle and expense of renting portable storage crates or closets elsewhere, opt for a Florida basement.
Have ICI Homes customize your Florida basement
We’ve built new custom Florida homes all over the state for 45 years. Known as Florida’s Custom Home Builder, we can customize one of our award-winning floor plans to produce your Florida basement.
Finished attics, an extra bedroom, or the bonus space or room included in every ICI Homes floor plan are among the possibilities.
Schedule a complimentary meeting with one of our floor plan designers who can tweak a plan to include custom shelving, cabinets and flooring. Bring your list of storage items and approximate number of containers and sizes. Let our pro know if some items are fragile and how much or little you’ll move them around.
Because our designers know every inch of our plans, they can use your information to highlight additional storage space that might not strike you at first, perhaps resulting in not needing a Florida basement at all.
Win-win!
And, if your items don’t require a climate-controlled interior, work with your floor plan designer, builder and sales associate to outfit your new garage with a customized storage system.
You’ll have smart, safe storage with easy access, plus plenty of room for other garage-y things.
Ready for your new Florida home? Talk to ICI Homes here.
But that doesn’t preclude having the valuable space and features you’ll find in traditional, dug-out basements in other parts of the United States. There are multiple ways to outfit an ICI Homes floor plan with the same basement-style attributes right here in the Sunshine State.
