This is a question in fact the top number one question people ask all the time.

For a 500 square-foot structure liking the Hobbit Tunnel original on our website generally speaking if you’re hiring a contractor to build this you should expect to pay anywhere from $250-$300 per square foot that will get you covered in with all of the amenities interior such as heating air conditioning, plumbing, and a fully covered structure with engineered drawings and procedures included in that number.

The bigger you build the less it will cost you per square foot. When moving into 1000 square-foot structure, for example you’re gonna be probably in the $200 to 250 a square foot a square foot.

One way to reduce the cost is to purchase our do it yourself videos and our consultation program where you are your own contractor and we at master Enterprises oversee the project with you.

In this case, you can pretty much cut those numbers almost in half. But you will need to have the ability to be involved in the project. Mostly in the coordination and overseeing of the job itself.

Special attention please be aware that this number is basically creating you a shell. All covered in with an entry door and all your ventilation installed, etc. and from the interior point of view that will be left up to you and your contractor to finish the interior.

We will have videos on how we recommend finishing the interior And it could be very affordable.

If you do it yourself it will be relatively easy with our guidance.

As far as utilities, go such as bringing in water, lines and plumbing installed in your floor slab system will be just like any other home that has a concrete floor. Before you pour the concrete, all your pipes will be laid in order to plan for sink, hook up, showers, toilets, etc. Normally. Your drain system for your black water and gray water will also operate normally and go out of the structure and hit a septic system. If you’re lucky enough and you’re in the right height, you can run it right into your own existing septic system. If not, you will have to create a functioning Septic system with a drain field.

Some people opt to just do something very basic because in some cases, you will not be using the structure at all. And it’s only for emergencies so you can put a small simple septic tank in the ground surrounded by 4 feet of gravel on our four sides and then Gravity feed a pipe around the tank and let the liquids drain around a perforated pipe into that grave gravel. this is not something you’re going to do with a permit. But if you want to permit all of this, you will have to do it according to an engineer, specs and drawings, etc..

Also, if you’d like you can put a Well head right inside your entry tunnel with a hand pump on it so you can pump the water up and use it if you get into a situation where you do not want to leave the structure. If you’ll notice on Kirsten Dirksen‘s channel , there will be a video that I explain all of this. Please look at this link and have a view of this video.

Proper ventilation is important and what we do as we put a 12 inch vent in the inside at the high point and we bring in 2x6 inch vents on the low points on each side of the door.

We install a knife gate that looks kind of like a guillotine and we adjust our airflow coming in and convection takes it out the top vent. There is constant air flowing in the structure. It happens naturally.

If you put some plastic strips in front of the Incoming vents by the front door, you will see there is a lot of air that flows right through the structure and out the top vent.

If you want air filtration, you can buy equipment to do that and they can hook right up to the Incoming vents.

On bigger structures, we will run 12 inch plastic culverts on each side of the tunnel coming in such as 2x60 foot plastic pipes culverts that run all along the entry tunnel and enter into each side of the door entry into the actual structure. Those pipes are placed on a slight decline so any moisture that is accumulated in those plastic pipes will essentially turn to liquid and gravity flow out of the pipe to the outside.

It also helps to load up the Incoming pipe air with some 1 inch x10 ft steel pipes . As the air flows past and through these pipes, it will take a lot of the moisture out of the air and condense it on the pipes and the moisture will turn into liquid and gravity feedback out to the opening. Remember the 12 inch culvert is tilted on a decline so that gravity works properly and gets rid of the moisture

You can add mechanical vents if you’d like fans, etc. I highly recommend installing a Mini Splitt air conditioner heating system that has a dry mode that will operate a dehumidifier and keep your humidity levels at proper living standards .

The only time we have a bit of problem with high humidity, believe it or not is in the summer. And we have found that if you shut the vents down to minimal, the humidity will not rise as much. Now this is in the Pacific Northwest so you will have to put a Humidity gauge inside your structure as well as one outside and you can see what the difference is and how it fluctuates according to your vents, closing and opening .

This question is entirely up to you. And how many people and the budget you have to build the structure. It’s a very vague question and it is very individual case by case basis.

But generally, I would recommend building one for 2 to 4 people basically one family. And unless you have an unlimited budget, I would just build something about the size of the one I built on the side of my hill, only 12 feet wide by 40 feet long.

You can put all of the amenities you need in there including a couple beds and kitchen and bathroom as well as a small living room in the front and room for storage for goods, etc. you can view some of these structures on YouTube on our channel.

To be added

To be added

If you want to build with a shipping container underground, you will need to seek advice elsewhere. We do not want to even discuss this topic at all..

I do not feel very cost-effective and you end up with a very small space and you still have to do as much engineering to make them able to be buried.

I recommend you use one of our Viking shelter, designs, or a Quonset Hut Style Designs

Always remember that this structure is just a form for the Shotcrete and Rebar Replacement that is not a fiber, it is 100% a replace for rebar for 2 dozen years.. That’ll create all the strength that you need to meet the engineered specifications

To be added

To be added

To be added

To be added

To be added

www.Youtube.com/VikingShelters