Can you build a new home on top of existing basement?

Yes, on a case by case basis of course, you can in general build a new home on top of an existing basement. You would need it to be inspected and designed by an engineer, and as long as it is in good shape then you should be able to build a new home on an old foundation. Just to be clear, were you looking to match the existing footprint? Some options would be – use the same footprint, you can expand it a bit and have a portion as a slab on grade, you can even fill in the existing foundation and build a slab on top. If that were the case you should see this page abouthow to build a slab on grade on problem soils.

If you are going to be demolishing an old home and building a new one then you might be wise to go right to the exterior base of the foundation and protect it properly against moisture infiltration and heat loss. Whether you want to insulate from the inside or the outside of a foundation you can find the best way here –

Best practices for how to insulate basements properly from the inside or outside

To your other question, that is what is great about metal roofs, they are often reusable and if not then they are 100% recyclable. If the metal is in good shape and you can reuse the screw holes then go for it. If it isn’t in great shape then it probably still has some life in it so you could look into websites aboutbuying and selling used building materials online.

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