I’ll dive into why basements “aren’t a thing” in Vegas. We’ll also take a closer look at the problems with underground construction in southern Nevada.
The constraints to building underground in Las Vegas usually boil down to money, weather, soil type, and tradition.
Caliche is a type of sedimentary rock formed when calcium carbonate leaches up through the ground and binds the sand, clay, gravel, and rocks together, forming a cement-like barrier.
Adding to the ground issues, Las Vegas has a problem with flash flooding between July and September. Vegas may be dry most of the year, but it sometimes has experiences severe thunderstorms that pose a significant threat.
Since the weather fluctuates so often in some areas, so does the ground, and that constant shifting would require a deeper footing.
Houses in Las Vegas don’t have cellars because they aren’t the norm. The ground and monsoon conditions of the city aside, the trend of building basements never took off in the West as it did in other areas of the United States.