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Find Shelter or outbuilding builders in Washington

Avatar for Adam Contracting
Adam Contracting
4.5(
171
)
Shelter or Outbuilding - Build

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2008

Emergency services offered

Warranties offered

"Justin did an outstanding job on removing the old shower with great care and professionalize. He did an outstanding job on the build out of the new shower. He subcontracted the tile work out to a great tile craftsman but not the cleanest craftsman. They blow tile dust all over our basement but the tile job was good. However, once the dust all over the place was brought to Justin attention, he personally clean and paid for a cleaning service to clean our basement.
















"
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+32

Recommended by93%of homeowners
Avatar for skills in construction llc
skills in construction llc
5.0(
25
)
Shelter or Outbuilding - Build

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2006

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"We hired skills in construction llc to build our shed. The shed was a kit. The assembly of the shed was smooth. Skills in Construction was able to give us accurate estimates of time and additional materials needed. Very helpful and friendly. Would hire again."
Porch
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+67

Recommended by100%of homeowners
Avatar for Manny's Painting Services, LLC
Manny's Painting Services, LLC
4.9(
56
)
Shelter or Outbuilding - Build

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2015

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Jose and his crew did a nice job patching and painting two standard size bedrooms plus some work in the sunroom. In and out in a day and 1/2. Going to have him back to paint kitchen/family room in a couple weeks"
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+102

Recommended by98%of homeowners
Avatar for Sino-American General Contracting
Sino-American General Contracting
4.8(
187
)
Shelter or Outbuilding - Build

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2010

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"We should probably call our house design and remodel by Mason as he has executed so many wonderful projects for us. The latest was a complete remodel of our hall bathroom and the building of a storage closet/ window seat in an upstairs bedroom. As is his style, both projects were executed flawlessly and the results were stunning. He is meticulous about everything and it shows in the results. Along the way, we ask him questions and he solves other problems in our old house. He is just a gem to work with."
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+3

Recommended by98%of homeowners
EA Roofing & Siding LLC
4.9(
36
)
Shelter or Outbuilding - Build

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2004

Free estimates

Warranties offered

"I needed a complete exterior redo (roofing, siding, wood wrap and gutters), the services went very, very well and my home looks Brand New! The company is quality oriented, timely, honest and responsive. I would recommend them to anyone who needs their roofing or siding repaired and/or replaced. TJ, the owner was Johnny on the spot, responded to all my questions, concerns and requests within minutes by phone or text. He went above and beyond customer satisfaction with his personal service. His crew were hard working, precise, respectful and did whatever I asked of them during the repairs. You can't go wrong with this company!!"
Recommended by96%of homeowners
Avatar for Rent-A-Pro Handyman Services LLC
Rent-A-Pro Handyman Services LLC
4.6(
418
)
Shelter or Outbuilding - Build

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2010

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Rent-A-Pro was great. Quick response to my inquiry and asked goof questions to get specifics of the job and provide estimate. Scheduling was actually faster than I needed. Handyman was excellent. Very nice and clearly explained when he ran into unexpected issues and needed more time/parts. Did a great job cleaning up after and of course took full covid precautions. Would definitely use this company again"
Gulliksen
Gulliksen
Bolten
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Bolten

+25

Recommended by91%of homeowners
Avatar for Stallings National Enterprises Inc
Stallings National Enterprises Inc
5.0(
9
)
Shelter or Outbuilding - Build

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2003

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Stallings guided us through a very difficult situation from start to finish when our home was destroyed by a tree. It was a long process but Ronnie was very upfront with us the entire time, always answered every question/concern promptly and everyone in the office was a pleasure to work with. We would not hesitate to use Stallings in the future for any type of work."
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+9

Recommended by100%of homeowners
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FAQs for shelter or outbuilding building service projects in Washington, DC

A bomb shelter is an abode built to withstand disaster. Bomb shelters may refer to a space or bunker that can protect inhabitants through a hypothetical nuclear attack, apocalypse, or any other massive crisis. People usually build bomb shelters underground and stock them to live there a few days to a month at a time. Doomsday bunkers accommodate long-term living rather than just through a short crisis.

Builders construct bomb shelters with reinforced steel, box culvert, concrete, or other durable materials (but many professionals do not recommend shipping containers, as they’re not designed to live underground. If building underground, you’ll first have to excavate land before building the actual structure. You’ll have to implement air and water filtration systems, septic systems, and power supply.

It takes a lot of experience to safely and legally construct a bomb shelter, not to mention make sure it’s fit to live in for extended periods of time. It’s best to talk to a residential structural engineer near you for proper guidance.

The current standard filtration systems require filtering both air and water. For air, you’ll want an NBC filter system, which both domestic and international producers make. NBC stands for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical, which filters out all three. If you’re only building your shelter for natural disasters, chemical attacks, and biological attacks, you may opt for the less expensive HEPA filter system. 

Water filtration requires the same level of care. You’ll likely want to have a large water storage capacity to survive short-term disasters. For long-term living, you’ll want to have a water filtration system.

Rising S bunker prices depend on the size, ranging anywhere from $20,000 to $9 million. Their least expensive model is 96 square feet while their most expensive model has a gym, swimming pool, hot tub, and bowling alley.

  • Mini: $45,500

  • Standard Bomb Shelter: $67,500–$109,500

  • Silver Leaf: $140,000–$182,500

  • Admiral: $180,000–$500,000

  • Xtreme: $450,000–$780,000

  • Xtreme Bunker Complex: $840,000–$1,830,000

  • Luxury Series: $3,800,000–$9,600,000

You almost always need a permit to build a bunker on land with any type of public utilities running through it. You’ll want to check with your local building code enforcement agency to see if this is the case for your area. 

Because you’re building a structural component that often requires electricity, water, and sewage services, you’ll need to apply for permits to attach these utilities to your new property. However, off-grid-only units in rural areas may not need all or any of the permitting you’d normally find in more urban settings.

To survive a nuclear blast, you’ll need to have your bunker at least three feet underground. However, it’s usually advisable to put it further underground. To survive a close strike, you’ll want to have the bunker at least 10 feet down and with five-foot thick reinforced concrete. However, knowing exactly how deep to build depends on the size of the blast you’re trying to avoid. Most bunkers don’t need to be more than 5 feet below the ground. 

The Washington, DC homeowners’ guide to shelter or outbuilding building services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.