this post was submitted on 19 Feb 2026
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Kind of an odd question to ask here I guess but are pier and beam style homes common in northern climes in the US and elsewhere?

I'm a few miles north of the southernmost part of Texas/mexico so it freezes for a day here. Plumbing is exposed, underside of flooring is exposed, etc. is this common elsewhere or just a southern/hot weather thing?

I'm rerouting plumbing under here today. Made me curious if this happens elsewhere...

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[–] dadarobot@lemmy.sdf.org 4 points 4 days ago (2 children)

i think it depends on soil types and maybe house age more than anything. when i lived in dallas most homes were concrete slabs and new builds, but i did live in a pier and beam home that was fairly old. here in arkansas seems like most homes are p&b. but some newer builds are slabs.

i dont know anything about homebuilding, this is anecdotal

[–] microfiche@hexbear.net 1 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Is there a frost line there in Arkansas?

With there not being one here, water lines are only 12" deep, and the service enters the home by turning up vertical about 24" high then turning sideways and entering the wall. Fully uninsulated and unprotected.

[–] dadarobot@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 4 days ago

yeah we get a couple good freezes a year. my house had all of the kitchen plumbing replaced with pex at some point. so it still freezes, but doesnt burst.

[–] GladimirLenin@hexbear.net 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

Usually depends on the age of the building. Older houses were generally built using timber bearers and joists on piers. New builds are mostly concrete slab and footings. Typically here you only really see bearers and joists when there's a bit of fall across the site, because suspended slabs are pretty expensive

[–] microfiche@hexbear.net 2 points 4 days ago

That's entirely regional. New builds here still get the pier and beam treatment, with perimeter slab and without. I usually do four or five pier and beam roughs a year and knock those out in half a day because I don't have to get my shovels out.

[–] JustSo@hexbear.net 1 points 4 days ago

In QLD Australia its very common. The stumps can be full on stilts or low like that. Especially popular in areas that flood.