Starting from the ground up on a home or commercial building means starting with your foundation. As you learn more about services and options, you may come across the terms concrete slab and foundations—two terms that can be confusing to new builders and hard to tell apart. Keep reading to learn the differences between concrete slabs and foundations to identify which is best for your next build.

What Is a Concrete Slab?

Before we begin dissecting the differences between slabs and foundations, it’s helpful to understand the definition and specifics of each. A concrete slab is a level concrete pour that maintains its thickness across the entire slab. Concrete slabs are common bases for recreational courts like basketball, tennis, and other sports settings. You may already have a concrete slab at home for your backyard patio or driveway, which are two more common applications for slabs.

What Is a Foundation?

Foundations are almost exclusively used for building homes and commercial buildings. Builders commonly utilize concrete for foundations as well, so it makes sense that consumers could confuse concrete slabs and foundations. However, there are several types of foundation styles that can impact the structure and layout of the home. For example, foundations have the potential to form a crawl space, which creates an accessible space below the house for storage and other purposes. There are also multiple types of commercial foundations, including piles, spot footing, mat, and more.

Differences Between Concrete Slabs and Foundation

Now that you know the basics of concrete slabs and foundations, you can better understand their differences. First, concrete slabs feature the same thickness throughout the surface. The edges of a concrete slab do not typically feature extensions to provide more structural support as a foundation does. The applications of the two are also very distinct. Builders use concrete slabs for everything from basketball courts to patios and driveways; however, they don’t provide the same structural support as a foundation that a home needs.

If you’re interested in learning more about the differences between concrete slabs and foundations, browse our website at Green Coast Construction today. We offer concrete construction in Montgomery County, TX, and many other services for home and commercial construction.