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Get These Three Reports Before Signing A Contract - G.J. Gardner Homes
Get These Three Reports Before Signing A Contract - G.J. Gardner Homes
Get These Three Reports Before Signing A Contract - G.J. Gardner Homes
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There are three key reports that every new home builder should order before committing to a builder’s
contract.
1. Soil test
2. Site survey and levels
3. Detailed property report
It’s so important to know what you’re getting into before you start building, and these reports will give you
incredible detail about the characteristics of your block. Most importantly, the information from these reports
can help you work towards getting a fixed quote, avoiding costly surprises and headaches down the road.
Your builder can arrange these tests and reports on your behalf, and it may cost less than you think.
1. Soil Testing
Your building certifier, structural engineer and council will require a soil test to be completed to ensure
foundations are adequate to support the new home. However, many people don’t realise that this test can also
help you financially.
Search a new home is what’s under the ground. As a result, this is often where
By far the biggest unknown in building
the biggest cost overruns come from. Getting a soil test before paying your deposit could possibly eliminate
this risk, as you will be able to get more accurate quotes. This could potentially save thousands of dollars in
Home
increased site costs later Designs
in the (https://www.gjgardner.com.au/home-designs/)
process.
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Bearing capacity
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The first thing a soil test provides data on is the bearing capacity of the ground. From the data obtained by soil
testing, it is possibleFind a Builder
to know (https://www.gjgardner.com.au/home-builders/)
the weight the soil can support per unit area.
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This data helps determine the foundation the engineer will need to design for your house. There are
established guidelines for foundations and footings, and more unstable land may require deeper footing/slab.
Often builders will quote a standard foundation/slab, so a soil test will help them quote more accurately. As
footing issues can be costly, getting a soil test before paying your deposit could remove any potential surprises
down the track.
Reactiveness
Bearing capacity is important for determining foundations sizing, and also the soil’s reactiveness. Soil testing is
necessary to get an idea of soil reactivity i.e. the likelihood of the soil moving, contracting or expanding.
Additionally, soil testing allows professionals to check for any physical or chemical abnormalities on site that
may pose a risk to your house in the future.
Each site is tested individually as you can’t rely on what’s been built on neighbouring properties as a guide or
what’s happened during pre-development of the site. Depending on the field test some building blocks may
require soil samples to be taken for further laboratory testing.
Although soil tests don’t guarantee certainty, they do allow foundations to be designed and priced more
accurately.
Wind rating
A wind rating assessment will give the designer the expected loadings which need to be designed for in the
structure to suit wind gusts and speeds relative to your block.
Retaining walls
Existing retaining walls on your lot or neighbouring lots can have quite an effect on your foundation design
and cost. They can create different loads/stresses in the ground which need to be allowed for.
Slope of block
Building the floor level or levelling the platform on a sloping block is expensive. Having accurate levels done
enables this work to be priced more accurately.
In addition to these important elements, a property report can also provide information about:
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