Chicago Basement Dig Out Concerns

[Miguel Gonzalez]

I'm thinking about purchasing my first legal 2-flat in Chicago from someone I used to work with. He personally walked me through the property and mentioned that about 20 years ago, he dug out the basement—originally a dirt floor—by about 10 inches to reach a ceiling height of 7.5 feet. Before pouring a 4-inch concrete slab, he had the space piped for a bathroom and kitchen, just in case. Currently, the basement is not a legal unit nor is it being used as such.

I haven’t submitted an offer yet. If I move forward, I plan to hire a top-tier inspector and specifically flag the basement work as a concern. I’m unsure if this is even worth pursuing, but maybe at the right price. What would be some things that scream red flag?

[Aaron Zimmerman]

@Tom Shallcross@Jonathan Klemm would be two excellent people to comment on this matter. Tom has done many dig outs and Jonathan is a general contractor