How to Build an Underground Pump House

This article is about how to build an underground pump house. We really needed a shelter for the water pump so we decided to make one underground and using concrete and rebars. We live in an area with cold winters, so the only option was to build a shelter that is below the frost line so we have running water all time of the year. This is a quick tutorial on how to build the underground concrete shelter, and you can adjust its size to suit your needs.

You can use this underground concrete house for many purposes including a cellar for storing root vegetables. The idea behind this project is really simple: you dig a hole in the ground and then you make a form for the concrete walls. You need to add #6 reinforcing mesh to the concrete walls and ceiling so they are really sturdy. Make sure you set a pipe for natural ventilation, because there will a some humidity inside the shelter. See all my Premium Plans HERE.

Made from this plan

Materials

• concrete
• #6 reinforcing mesh
• lumber
• concrete nails
• nails

Tools

• Measuring tape, carpentry pencil, l-square
• Miter saw / miter box
• Digging Shovel, Square Shovel
• Hammer

Time

• 1 week

How to Build an Underground Pump House

The first step of the project is to layout the location for the underground pump house. Therefore, mark the area with batter boards and string, making sure the corners are square. In my case, we are going to dig next to the well. Out pump house will be 6’x6′ and about 6′ deep.

Prepare yourself with a digging shovel and a square shovel, if you are going to dig the hole manually. Alternatively, you can rent a mini-excavator and save some time and effort with the project. We couldn’t find an excavator locally so we had to get the job done with a shovel.

This is a time consuming project especially if the soil isn’t friendly.

Things get even more complicated once you go deeper into the soil, because taking it out becomes more difficult. You can use a wheelbarrow, if you want to take the soil elsewhere, and don’t do this job afterwards.

The hole is almost done and it only requires some finishing touches. Notice the concrete tube for the well that falls next to the hole.

Use boards to make the formwork inside the hole. Use a spirit level to plumb the walls vertically. In addition, make sure the concrete walls will be at least 4″ thick. Check if the corners are square and make adjustments until the diagonals are even. Use #6 reinforcing mesh to make the walls stronger. The mesh will reinforce the concrete and it will prevent future cracks.

You should also notice the beams that go inside the formwork that will keep everything locked together tightly. You need to place these beams at the bottom and to the top of the formwork.

Mix concrete and pour it into the formwork. Use a hammer to hit the formwork so you remove the air pockets in the concrete. After you fill the formwork let the concrete dry out for a few days.

Remove the formwork board by board. Without the formwork the concrete will cure even faster. Make sure you take out all the residues now, before pouring the concrete ceiling.

Start assembling the formwork for the underground pump house. Therefore, set some boards around the concrete walls, making sure they are perfectly level. Use concrete nails to set the boards into place tightly.

Next, fit the beams, as shown in the picture. Fit two posts under each beam. The concrete is heavy so you need proper support, otherwise the ceiling will collapse.

Frame the opening for the underground pump house. You can adjust the opening to suit your needs. We went for 24″x28″. Make sure you you add #6 reinforcing mesh to the ceiling, as shown in the image. Connect the mesh to the walls.

Mix concrete and then fill the formwork for the ceilings. As you can see in the image, we also fit a pipe for natural ventilation.

Pour the rest of the concrete and then smooth the surface thoroughly. Use a trowel to level the concrete and let it dry out for a few days.

As you can see, building an underground concrete pump house is not difficult, but there are some steps that need to be followed. We also poured concrete to the floor of the shelter so we can have a proper support for the water pump. See all my home improvement projects HERE.

Thank you for reading our article on how to build an underground concrete pump house and we recommend you to check out the rest of our projects. Please share our articles with your friends by using the social media widgets.

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