How to build the foundation for a house:
You have already determined the location for your house but now you have to build a foundation. There are several different types of foundations that you can build, but the two most common are a foundation slab or a full basement. In some areas however you don't really need I either and can just set the house up on concrete peers using sonotubes filled with concrete. Other types of footing for storehouses and other outbuildings can be built using dry stone as drywall construction. The last is the simple as construction form of all.
If you are going to build a slab foundation dig down around the edges for at least 4 feet or below the known depth of the frost line. You don't have to dig out the whole foundation just dig a ditch around where the foundation is to be. You should have enough room inside this ditch so that you can set up some forms to hold the concrete required to make an 8 inch thick wall around the perimeter. This wall will extend about a foot above the ground. Allow the concrete in the wall to set for several days before you remove forms and back fill the wall with soil. On top of the ground inside the wall place a layer of processed gravel about 6 inches thick. This is to accommodate the concrete slab that the House will be built on. After you have removed the forms and back failed the wall you are now ready to pour the slab. You will want to reinforce this slab with concrete reinforcing wire that you can buy in a building supply or Mason's supply yard. Put this down on top of the gravel. Then you pour the concrete on top of that it until it is level with the top of the wall. You will then have to let this concrete slab harden for several be days before you start building the rest of the house.
It is a good idea to have all your utilities installed before you pour this lab, and be sure the ends of them stick up above the slab. You should also install some 1" x 8" in diameter steel bolts into the slab around the edges letting them stick up about 4 inches so that you can attach the frame of the building with nuts solidly on to the foundation.
Building a house with a basement is a bit harder, but not much. The main difference is that the slab is now the bottom of the foundation and the walls are built on top of the slab. Usually the walls are built first and then the slab is poured in afterwards. Reinforcing it the same way you did the other slab with concrete wire laid under the slab.
Don't forget to hang your utilities installed before you pour the slab, and have then jutting up above the slab. This is so you can connect the utilities without any undue work.
