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Find Shelter or outbuilding builders in Washington

Avatar for Adam Contracting
Adam Contracting
4.5(
171
)

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2008

Emergency services offered

Warranties offered

"We are a repeat customer of Adam Contracting and will continue to use the company. They have done an excellent job on everything we've hired them to do; this project was no exception. The room looks great! For this project, Adam Contracting redid wainscotting in the room and added a shelf, did wall repair, installed crown molding, painted the walls and trim, and installed a light fixture."
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+32

3 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by93%of homeowners
Avatar for Manny's Painting Services, LLC
Manny's Painting Services, LLC
4.9(
56
)

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2015

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Great job by Manny’s! This 1 bedroom condo had dirty walls, holes and hadn’t been painted in a decade. Manny gave a reasonable estimate for the job and when it took a little longer and required more paint, he didn’t charge more. Now the condo looks like a modern beauty! Manny communicated by text and email, and he was flexible and accommodated my client’s needs who is out of state. I am a real estate agent and I will recommend Manny’s to all my clients!"
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+102

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

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2010

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"I have worked with Mason and his excellent crew on several projects…a basement dig-out renovation, a kitchen renovation, brick repointing, four bathroom gut/renos, and a living room/dining room gut and renovation. Obviously, I value his thoughtful cogent input, his excellent crew of various superb artisans, and his "brace and suspenders” thoroughness, or I would not have come back to work with him so many times! He is instantly available and totally reliable. The results of the work speak for themselves… these rooms are perfect and perfectly put together. I would not consider working with any other company. His excellence has spoiled me:)"
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+3

Recommended by98%of homeowners
Avatar for Rent-A-Pro Handyman Services LLC
Rent-A-Pro Handyman Services LLC
4.6(
418
)

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2010

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Rent-a-Pro team member Miguel arrived promptly both days and did a very thorough job. He explained what he discovered while working, including some unexpected rotted wood which will need future replacement. He also very fortunately discovered a previously unrecognized section of rake board on the opposite side of the house that needed sand-seal-paint like the areas that were already planned. The painting work was crisp and appears very clean and uniform. Cleanup could have been slightly better, with a few small amounts of chipped off paint/wood that had to be picked up off the driveway, but not very much or very visible."
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
)

Serving Washington, DC and surrounding areas

In business since 2003

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Ronnie and his crew did a great job from start to finish. Stallings was recommended to us by the tree removal company to do the emergency repairs on the house. They arrived the next day to put on a temporary roof and walls to make the house weather tight. The quality of the work led us to hire them to do the full repairs. They worked directly with the insurance company and bank which made everything much easier for us. The crews and staff were always very friendly and professional. Ronnie and his crew worked with us on changes and improvements we wanted to make. The work was high quality and completed in a timely manner and we are extremely pleased with the finished product. We highly recommend Stallings National Enterprises Inc. for all aspects of home repair and renovation."
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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.

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