How to Build a Tunnel from House to Garage? Our Investigation

We know some people who can't stop building something new. And some of them ask us whether we know how to build a tunnel that would connect a house with a garage. This is a very popular idea that can give you an additional way to get from your house to your garage. Of course, not all people need it because in many cases, garages are located in the house or right near the house.

But anyway, we are being asked about it now, so we've decided to write an article about how to connect your detached garage with a house by a tunnel. Unfortunately, we aren't experts in building tunnels, so we had to consult with different guys who have experience and knowledge in building tunnels. All of them wanted to stay anonymous.

Here's what we'll be talking about:

1. Building a tunnel - is it a very hard task to complete?
2. What to do before building a tunnel from a house to a garage?
3. Why would you need an underground tunnel?
4. What are the alternatives to building a tunnel?
5. Safety precautions and some instructions.

Let's get started!

Is it hard to build a tunnel from one place to another?

Underground tunnels are actually quite complicated constructions. If you just take your spade and dig a hole, you may end up getting to your neighbor's backyard. Even digging in a certain direction is a big problem and you will need to have some engineering knowledge and instruments to complete all the tasks.

But these are not all problems. You will also have the opportunity to make a lot of technical mistakes and eventually your tunnel will just be destroyed. A lot of things should be considered and a lot of precautions should be taken.

Here are some of the problems:

1. If there is a road over your tunnel, you will have to make sure that the road or a drive will not fail in your tunnel. This will be a complicated and expensive engineering construction.
2. If the tunnel is out of your yard, you will have to get a lot of documents that will allow you to build any underground communications.
3. Digging the tunnel is not a simple task and you aren't likely to get a tunnel machine for this task. So, a lot of work will be done by your hands.
4. Safety measures are extremely important and you should understand that you can bury yourself in the tunnel if you do something wrong. Engineering and planning are absolutely important.
5. The land investigation is needed. For this, you will need to ask professionals to do this job for you. Land investigation shows whether you have any obstacles on the way.
6. You should think about what you will do with all the soil that you are going to take out when digging a hole. A lot of waste materials should be recycled.

These are just some problems that are on the surface. When you start digging that big hole, you will find many more problems. In most cases, the project closes before it actually starts - on the stage of engineering and planning. Because when you understand how much work you need to do, your plans don't seem very bright.

But if you still want to build a tunnel, we'll provide you with some more information so that you could easily deny this idea and think of some alternatives.

Before building a house-garage tunnel - what should you do?

Before you start any kinds of preparation work, you should do a lot of investigation. This is the key to success. Without proper investigation, nothing will work out. But we'll look even deeper than that.

Here are some stages you will need to know about:

1. Idea. You should get plans of your yard and draw some plans for your future tunnel. Where should it go? How deep should it be? How wide should it be? And all other questions like this. Make sure it doesn't invade anyone else's areas.
2. Then, you have to order land investigations. Some guys will come with professional equipment and will check whether you have some obstacles in the land or not. Maybe, some big stones are just lying under your yard and this will not allow you to build a tunnel.
3. After that, you should think of instruments and equipment. It may be a drilling machine, but it will cost you a fortune. So, some small instruments and machines will be helpful.
4. Also, you should prepare the land for work. Make milestones and plan your work in time. Because without that, you may spend years doing this awful job by yourself. Think about whether you can ask someone to help you.
5. Start working. The tunnel should start in your garage because it's easier to take all the waste soil from the garage than from your house.

We warn you that the process of digging the tunnel is extremely complicated and dangerous. You need to plan some holding constructions. The tunnel should be deep enough so that the roof wouldn't fail. You will need to make support constructions along the way when you dig because otherwise, it can be very dangerous to work there.

In some areas, digging a deep tunnel will be impossible because groundwater is too close to the surface. It means that your tunnel will become an underground channel and you will probably need a gondola with a gondolier to commute between your house and garage. Well, it's a joke but the groundwater needs to be reckoned with, anyway.

Alternative ways of digging a tunnel

When we are thinking about the amount of work you will have to do to dig even a 20-feet long tunnel, we feel pity for you. Tons of soil should be removed, and a lot of supporting constructions should be installed. And then, you will have to build some final supporting construction with a roof to avoid failing of the top soil. This will take probably years.

We have at least two wonderful alternatives for those who want to build a tunnel from their house to the garage:

1. Digging an open ditch and constructing a roof after you finish. You will still have the tunnel but it won't be as dangerous and hard to build as a real tunnel. Working in an open ditch is much more comfortable and you will be able to build walls and the roof exactly as you wish. Of course, masking this secret way from your house to the garage is a hard task, but you can come up with some ideas.
2. Building a special on-the-ground construction that will offer you a comfortable way from your house to the garage. It can be anything starting with a simple canopy and finishing with some closed and heated constructions with flowers and winter gardens or benches to have some rest.

We think that these two options are easier and safer to build and use, so we don't recommend choosing a real tunnel that you will need to bore. Let's repeat again: it's very dangerous to construct and use, so you will need to make it professionally with a lot of expensive equipment.

We recommend choosing an alternative way. But, of course, the decision should be made according to your area, your budget, and also some other factors.

Why would you need a tunnel?

People who want to have a tunnel from their house to their garage usually want to move between these two buildings secretly. Also, they want to have an additional way to escape from their house. This tunnel may be a good thing if it rains or if the weather is not good. You can park your car in the garage and then get into your house without going outside.

But most people who we asked about why they want to have a tunnel between a house and a garage told us that they want a secret way out of the house. For example, if somebody breaks into the house, they can quickly use the secret door and go to their garage where they can safely call the police or just escape.

This is a good idea, but building a secret tunnel is not so easy. You should only start doing this if your budget is quite big. Otherwise, you may just give up when the tunnel will be half completed.

Final words

We don't recommend building tunnels between different constructions in your yard. If done incorrectly, it can lead to big problems like soil failing, groundwater problems, and even danger to your health and life. Be careful with any decisions like this because they can make you spend a lot of money. The initial budget that you plan to spend is going to include more and more expenses as you proceed with the task. So, don't forget about planning and talking to specialists.