Photos: Hillary Clinton's life in the spotlight. Clinton waves to the media in January 1996 as she arrives for an appearance before a grand jury in Washington. The first lady was subpoenaed to testify as a witness in the investigation of the Whitewater land deal in Arkansas.
1 Adding a basement to an existing house can cost $30,000-$70,000 or more, depending on the size of the existing crawlspace or half-basement or if the house is on a slab foundation, and how much of the work is do-it-yourself and how much is done by contractors.
1 Build Your Own House explains the pros and cons of a crawl space foundation. 2  A full basement foundation for an average home can cost $13,000-$30,000 or more, depending on the width and height of the walls, and whether utilities, windows or other features are included. And an Illinois log cabin owner-builder estimates about $17,000 in costs for a 24'x36' basement foundation with 8' walls with the concrete poured professionally but the rest done as a serious DIY project..