Basement Foundation

Any chance it will ever have a house on it? Full 8' basement?

I'd poke some big holes in it. You don't want a watertight hole that could be a problem years later and create a swampy mess. Is there a floor? If so, I'd open part of that too.

I don't know if it can be converted to anything useful like a septic tank or swimming pool.

Would you possibly want to convert all or part of it to an old fashioned root cellar?

What are the walls made of? Does it have a floor? Details matter.

I would put some holes in the floor for drainage before getting suitable fill material. If the new house will have a basement, the earth from there would be perfect. Other than that, there might be some local ordinance covering this, but if there is, I've never heard of it here. And I don't think I would go looking either. After it's filled, will have to top it off later again as it settles.

Or a fallout shelter :-)

Or a trench, for shooting at your neighbor.

There is no floor right now in the basement. The walls are concrete. I'm not sure if we can just fill the basement or if we just just fill it in.

No floor is good so it won't become a soggy mess. Do the walls come above the normal ground line?

It might be useful to first check with the local building authority to get their advice (particularly with respect to the legal liabilty issues). Then check with a local contractor to remedy the situation.

You haven’t done a very good job of describing the situation.

When you say “just fill the basement or if we just fill it in” what is the “it” that you are talking about?

Would you want to plant an oak tree in that area someday? I have no idea how much difference that would make as far as filling the hole. I've always heard that there is as much tree below the surface as there is above.

Seems to me that you ought to call whatever agency issues the building permits/does the inspections in your jurisdiction-- rather than standing here on the street corner shouting out your question to passers-by hoping to get anything approaching the right answer ;-)

I'd fill it halfway, pour a floor, and have a swimming pool.