Site Costs

Site costs can vary from block to block dramatically, and different strategies of building on a subject site can also cost quite different amounts.

At Inspired Homes we focus on creating the best outcome for you – both from a functional and a financial perspective.

Often, we can provide a more economical solution to build on your land, but we like to take a well-considered approach and give you an end result that enhances liveability.

Talk to us today about how we can produce a great solution for you and your property.

Here are some items that can contribute your site costs:

Earthworks – The first thing that needs to be done on a sloping site is to create a level building platform. These works are often “balanced” to avoid the requirement of transporting away excess soil or importing fill, however this is not always possible due to site levels. If there is room on site, it is feasible to batter site cuts and site fills at an angle of 45 degrees in clay soils to avoid retaining walls.

Slab Upgrade – This will be determined by an engineer, based on assessment of the soil type and characteristics. The slab may be thicker and may have heavier / stronger reinforcement in it.

Bored Piers – Again, the engineer will decide what support is required below the slab to ensure it is well-founded on suitable sub-soils or rock. Bored piers are holes drilled into the ground which are then filled with concrete for the slab to rest on.

Screw Piles – These are similar to bored piers except they are steel poles which are screwed into the ground using a hydraulic attachment attached to an excavator. The operator screws the piles into the ground until the required “bearing capacity” is achieved – in other words the soil is strong enough.

Deepened Rebates – These are created around the edge of the concrete slab as a means of avoiding retaining walls, and can result in a better / less problematic outcome on site. The rebate is the edge of the slab that the bricks are laid on, and it is set at its normal height close to natural ground level. The slab height is raised however by containing fill material within the confines of the slab, and thus creating a higher slab on the outside – one with a “deepened rebate” which requires additional courses of bricks to be laid to reach slab level.

Agricultural Drains – These are commonly referred to as A.G. drains or “aggi” drains and are used to drain away surface waters that would otherwise pond around the home. They comprise of a slotted PVC pipe in a trench back-filled with crushed rock or scoria and connected to the dwelling’s stormwater system.

Silt Pits – These are installed in conjunction with agricultural drains and as their name suggest they collect silty material that is washed through the slotted pipe. These pits need to be inspected regularly to check for blockage.

Retaining Walls – There are different types of retaining walls. Some are integrated into the construction of the dwelling and/or garage by reinforcing and waterproofing exterior wall area up to natural ground level, and often will require upgrading of the foundations below. Other retaining walls are constructed to retain site cuts and fill areas which are located away from the dwelling/garage. These are typically constructed out of timber sleepers with timber or steel uprights to engineer details. Other options include brick retaining walls or interlocking block systems.

Angle Of Repose – This is a special requirement when building close to an easement, whereby the engineer must check that the foundations of the dwelling/garage will not be affected by loosely back-filled easements or access is required to pipes in the future. The depth of the foundations must be installed to a depth that is below the “angle of repose”.

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