Exposed Foundation Ideas, Tried on a Photo of Your House

On many houses, especially on sloping lots, a strip of plain grey concrete or block shows between the bottom of the siding and the ground. Upload a photo of that wall and describe the finish you want: stacked stone, a smooth parged coat, paint, or a bed of shrubs in front. AiExterior draws it on your photo and usually keeps your siding, windows and lawn as they are, so you can compare ideas before you buy anything.

Upload a photo of your foundation Restyle the whole exterior instead

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Before and after examples

Example images are AI-generated: both the sample houses and their redesigns. Results change from render to render, so treat them as concepts, not exact product matches.

AI-drawn stand-in of a pale blue two-story house on a sloping lawn, with a tall band of bare grey poured concrete foundation and a basement window showing below the siding — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn stand-in house, not a real photo): the bare concrete on both walls became grey and tan stacked stone from the siding down to the lawn, with the basement window left open. Siding color, trim, windows, downspout, porch and lawn kept. The concrete base under the porch was not in the prompt and stayed bare. Extra changes we did not ask for: a pale stone ledge now runs along the top of the stone where it meets the siding, the siding on the left wall came out with more visible waves, some stones came out a strong yellow rather than tan, and the whole picture shifted and zoomed in very slightly.

The same house with grey and tan stacked stone covering the foundation band from the siding down to the lawn; siding color, windows, basement window, porch and lawn kept — Example 1 (prompt 1 below; the before is an AI-drawn stand-in house, not a real photo): the bare concrete on both walls became grey and tan stacked stone from the siding down to the lawn, with the basement window left open. Siding color, trim, windows, downspout, porch and lawn kept. The concrete base under the porch was not in the prompt and stayed bare. Extra changes we did not ask for: a pale stone ledge now runs along the top of the stone where it meets the siding, the siding on the left wall came out with more visible waves, some stones came out a strong yellow rather than tan, and the whole picture shifted and zoomed in very slightly.

AI-drawn stand-in of a beige single-story ranch house with a band of stained grey cinder block foundation below the siding and bare dirt in front of it — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn stand-in house, not a real photo): the cinder block under the main front wall got a smooth light grey coat with no joints, stains or dirt marks showing, and six round boxwoods now stand in a dark mulch bed in front of it. Siding, trim, windows, door, steps, walkway and roof kept. Not done: the block band to the right of the steps, under the gable, is still bare cinder block. Not as asked: the mulch covers almost all of the bare dirt in the front yard, not just a strip along the wall. Extra change we did not ask for: the whole picture shifted slightly.

The same ranch with a smooth light grey coat over the block band under the main front wall and six round boxwood shrubs in a dark mulch bed; door, steps, windows and siding unchanged — Example 2 (prompt 2 below; the before is an AI-drawn stand-in house, not a real photo): the cinder block under the main front wall got a smooth light grey coat with no joints, stains or dirt marks showing, and six round boxwoods now stand in a dark mulch bed in front of it. Siding, trim, windows, door, steps, walkway and roof kept. Not done: the block band to the right of the steps, under the gable, is still bare cinder block. Not as asked: the mulch covers almost all of the bare dirt in the front yard, not just a strip along the wall. Extra change we did not ask for: the whole picture shifted slightly.

AI-drawn stand-in of a raised white house with black shutters and a small wooden porch, sitting on a tall stained grey concrete foundation with lawn right up to it — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn stand-in house, not a real photo): the bare concrete on the front and right walls, including the base under the porch, was painted dark charcoal grey, and a curved mulch bed with white hydrangeas and tall grasses was added along the wall. Siding, shutters, windows, porch, railing, downspout and lawn kept. The plants are tall enough to hide most of the new paint, and from this angle it is hard to tell how far out from the wall they sit. Not as asked: the short wall left of the porch, around the small basement window, came out a medium blue-grey rather than charcoal. Extra changes we did not ask for: a black edging strip runs around the bed, and the white extension pipe at the foot of the downspout can no longer be seen.

The same house with the front and side foundation and the porch base painted dark charcoal grey and a curved mulch bed of white hydrangeas and ornamental grasses along the wall — Example 3 (prompt 3 below; the before is an AI-drawn stand-in house, not a real photo): the bare concrete on the front and right walls, including the base under the porch, was painted dark charcoal grey, and a curved mulch bed with white hydrangeas and tall grasses was added along the wall. Siding, shutters, windows, porch, railing, downspout and lawn kept. The plants are tall enough to hide most of the new paint, and from this angle it is hard to tell how far out from the wall they sit. Not as asked: the short wall left of the porch, around the small basement window, came out a medium blue-grey rather than charcoal. Extra changes we did not ask for: a black edging strip runs around the bed, and the white extension pipe at the foot of the downspout can no longer be seen.

Why so much foundation shows

A house built into a slope, or set high so the basement gets windows, often ends up with two, three or more feet of bare foundation on one or more sides. The concrete itself is doing its job, but the grey band makes the house look unfinished and taller than it is, and stains and splash marks build up over the years. Covering it is mostly about looks, though a good finish also protects the wall face from weather. The examples on this page show the most common fixes on three different houses.

This page is about the foundation of a site-built house. If you have a manufactured or mobile home with panels around the base, see our mobile home skirting ideas instead.

What the AI can and cannot do

It can change how the bare strip looks in your photo: stone, brick, a smooth coat, a paint color, or plants in front of it. That lets you see whether a dark band, a stone base or a planting bed suits your house before you spend anything.

It cannot see inside your wall, tell whether the concrete is sound or damp, measure the area, or give you a price. It can also leave part of the wall unchanged, as in the second example, or add details you did not ask for. Treat every result as a picture of the look, not a plan, and ask a contractor about the wall itself.

How to try a foundation cover on your house

Keep your house as it is and change only the foundation

The examples on this page used the same idea, one photo plus one written edit, but were run directly on an image model, not through this tool, so your results will look different.

Photograph the wall in daylight from a few steps back, with the whole bare strip, the bottom of the siding and the ground in the frame. A slight angle, as in the examples, shows the height of the band better than a straight-on shot.
Open the photo enhancer, upload your photo, keep Standard Enhancement and click Generate Enhancement. This gives you a sharp copy of your house as it is.
Click Edit (the pencil button above the result) and paste one of the prompts below into Edit Instructions, or write your own. Name each part of the bare wall you want covered, and name what must stay.
Check the whole image. Look along the full length of the foundation and at the siding just above it. If a section was missed or something else changed, run it again with clearer words.

The enhancement and the edit each use credits, so this route uses both free renders.

Or restyle the whole outside first

In the exterior designer, upload your photo, choose Facade under Select Mode, choose House under Building Type, pick a style (Modern, Minimalist, Rustic, Contemporary, Mediterranean or Scandinavian) and click Generate Design. The style redraws the whole outside at once, so expect new colors, trim and details, not just a new foundation finish. Then click Edit to fine-tune one thing. Each render and each edit counts as one render, so your free renders (2 in most countries) cover one style render plus one edit.

The exact prompts behind the examples

These are the edit prompts used for the three examples, word for word. Paste one into Edit Instructions and change the material, color and plants to suit your house.

Prompt 1: stacked stone over poured concrete (sloped lot)

Cover only the bare grey concrete foundation below the siding with grey and tan stacked natural stone veneer, running from the bottom edge of the siding down to the lawn along the whole wall, with the basement window left open in the stone. Do not change anything else: the pale blue siding, white trim, windows, downspout, porch, lawn, sky and camera angle stay exactly the same.

Prompt 2: parged and painted block with boxwoods (ranch)

Change only the cinder block foundation band below the siding: cover it with a smooth parged cement coat so no block joints, stains or dirt marks show, painted a warm light grey. Then plant a neat row of small round green boxwood shrubs in a dark brown mulch bed along the front of the foundation, in place of the bare dirt next to the wall. Keep the beige siding, white trim, windows, brown front door, concrete steps, walkway, roof, sky and camera angle exactly the same.

Prompt 3: charcoal paint with hydrangeas and grasses (raised house)

Paint only the bare grey concrete foundation below the siding, including the concrete base under the porch, a flat dark charcoal grey. Then add a curved bed of dark mulch along the foundation with white hydrangea shrubs and tall ornamental grasses planted a little way out from the wall. Keep the white siding, black shutters, windows, porch, wooden railing, downspout, lawn, sky and camera angle exactly the same.

To write your own, keep the same shape: "Change only the bare concrete foundation below the siding: [finish and color]. [Plants, if any.] Keep the siding, windows, doors, steps, lawn and camera angle exactly the same." If the bare strip wraps around a corner or continues past the steps, say so, because the AI may stop at the first section, as it did in the second example.

Exposed foundation ideas by method

Paint

Paint is the quickest change. A color close to the siding makes the band fade into the house; a darker color, such as charcoal or deep brown, makes it read as a solid base and hides splash marks, as in the third example. Clean the wall thoroughly, let it dry, and use an exterior paint sold for masonry. A wall that stays damp will push water out through the paint, so fix drainage first or ask a supplier which product suits a damp wall.

Parging

A parged coat is cement-based mortar spread thinly over block or concrete with a trowel. It hides the grid of block joints and gives the wall one even face, which can then be painted, as in the second example. It is a common weekend project on a short wall, but it needs a clean, sound surface to bond to. If the wall has old paint on it, ask a masonry supplier how to prepare it first.

Stone, brick or faux-stone panels

A stone or thin brick base is the most permanent look and suits houses that already have stone or brick somewhere on the front, as in the first example. Manufactured stone and thin veneer are set in mortar over the old wall; lighter faux-stone panels are screwed or clipped on and are more of a DIY job. Our stone veneer visualizer guide shows stacked, ledgestone and fieldstone looks on whole walls and bases.

Plants in front of the wall

A planting bed hides the band without touching the wall at all. Pick shrubs and perennials that grow to about the height of the bare strip: low boxwoods for a short band, hydrangeas or grasses for a taller one. Leave enough room between the plants and the wall for them to grow and for you to reach the foundation, and keep the mulch below the siding. A bed also pairs well with paint, as in the second and third examples.

Lattice or skirting panels

Lattice or board panels can screen a high foundation, especially under a porch. They are more common on mobile homes and decks, and our mobile home skirting page covers those materials in detail.

Ideas by house type

Houses on a slope

On a sloped lot the bare band is short at one end and tall at the other, as in the first example. Stone that follows the grade looks deliberate, while paint in a single dark color makes the changing height less obvious.

Ranch and split-level houses

Many ranch houses sit on a short block band. A parged and painted finish with a row of shrubs is a low-cost update, and our ranch house exterior makeover guide covers the rest of the front. On split-level and raised ranch houses, the lower level often has a taller strip of concrete; see our split-level exterior remodel guide.

Raised houses with a porch

When the porch sits on its own concrete base, as in the third example, treat the base and the foundation the same way so they read as one. If the steps up to the porch are bare concrete too, our concrete steps makeover guide shows ways to finish them in the same material.

Before you start

Look at the wall first. Wide or growing cracks, bowing, crumbling concrete or a wall that stays wet are problems a cover would only hide. Ask a foundation contractor about those before any finish goes on.
Think about water. Make sure gutters and downspouts carry water away from the wall and the ground slopes away from the house. A finish lasts longer on a wall that dries out.
Keep soil and mulch off the siding. Beds and stone should stop below the bottom edge of the siding.
Ask about pests. In areas with termites, ask a pest-control company before covering the wall or piling mulch against it, since both can hide signs of insects.
Check local rules. Some towns, historic districts and HOAs have rules about foundation finishes, so check before you order materials.

Sources: the list of options and the plant height advice follow the Today's Homeowner guide to house foundation covering ideas (todayshomeowner.com); the note on damp concrete and peeling paint follows The Money Pit's answer on finishing an exposed foundation (moneypit.com).

Who this is for

Homeowners with a bare concrete or block strip showing below the siding who want to compare finishes before choosing between DIY and a contractor, people getting a house ready to sell, and anyone who needs a picture to show a mason, a landscaper or the rest of the family.

More exterior ideas

For a full list of updates for a dated home, read how to update your house exterior, or compare new wall materials with our siding visualizer guide. To restyle the whole outside at once, use the exterior designer.

You can also read the deck skirting ideas page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest way to cover an exposed foundation?

Paint and a few shrubs in front of the wall are the usual low-cost choices, and both are common DIY jobs. Parging takes more work and materials. Stone veneer, which Today’s Homeowner says gives a high-end look but may cost more than other options, is usually the priciest, especially if a mason does it. Get local quotes before you choose, because prices vary a lot by area and wall size.

Should I paint my exposed foundation?

It is a fair choice if the concrete is sound and dry. Scrub or pressure-wash it, let it dry, and use a paint sold for exterior masonry. Concrete soaks up ground water, and water coming through from behind is a common reason paint on a foundation peels, so ask a paint supplier or contractor if the wall is often damp. (Based on The Money Pit and Today’s Homeowner.)

Can I cover a concrete foundation with stone?

Yes. Thin manufactured stone or real stone veneer can be set in mortar over sound concrete or block, and lighter faux-stone panels are made for the same job. Real stone is heavier and usually a mason’s work. Our stone veneer visualizer page compares the main stone looks.

What is parging?

Parging is a thin coat of cement-based mortar troweled over a concrete or block wall to give it an even, finished face. It hides block joints and stains, can be left plain or painted, and can be smooth or textured; the second example above shows a smooth, painted coat.

What can I plant in front of an exposed foundation?

Shrubs and perennials that grow to about the height of the bare wall, such as boxwoods, hydrangeas or ornamental grasses, set far enough out that they have room to reach full size and you can still get to the wall. Keep soil and mulch below the bottom of the siding. (Plant height advice based on Today’s Homeowner.)

Will the AI change my siding or windows?

Your prompt should say to keep them, and the AI usually keeps them, but small details can still shift. In our examples it redrew some siding with more waves and added a stone ledge nobody asked for. Compare the before and after side by side, and run it again if something you care about changed.

Is it free?

Signing up is free and gives you 5 credits, which is enough for 2 renders in most countries. Free renders carry an AiExterior watermark. If you want more renders or clean images, paid plans are available on the pricing page.

Do I need an account?

Yes. You need to sign in before a render starts, with an email code or your Google account. That is how the free credits are attached to you.

Try it on your own house

Upload a photo of your foundation

Free sign-up with email or Google. You get 2 free renders in most countries; free renders are watermarked.