It can get a bit painful when your chosen builder hits you for all the unknowns, often amounting to many thousands of dollars and making the whole experience a stressful rather than rewarding experience. Ask for one of our site cost check sheets. It can look a bit scary but we can give you the real cost and the real solution. Maybe it’s not slab on ground that is the answer. Maybe you should be using framed on poles. How do you get the home to orientate correctly and fit the building envelope? How do you make an application to move the building envelope? How do you ensure the right type of engineered footing is used on your clay site to stop the slab cracking? We pride ourselves on our professionalism. When you talk to us it may look as though we could be giving you the negative scenario but in the end it will be a much better outcome than the glib “She’ll be right” sales pitch.

A Feasibility

This is a study that examines the siting of your home relevant to the topography and soil conditions. It enables us to give you true estimates on what it will cost to build your home on your chosen site. In most cases we will need the knowledge of your site and your soil conditions to ensure that your chosen home takes these elements into consideration to enable the best possible outcomes from a cost, construction and sustainability view point

To carry out a Feasibility, there are some important requirements

• The position of your home needs to have been pegged out on your block.
• A contour and feature survey in a computer CAD format needs to be obtained. This will help us with your preferred siting of the home on your block and meet all site requirements for topography, construction, design and all the elements.
• Engineers Site Inspection Report. This provides us with your site’s soil conditions, footing details, sand pad requirements so we can determine a suitable finished floor level for your house and obtain earthworks quotes for site costs. This is a study that examines the siting of your home relevant to the topography and soil conditions. It enables us to give you true estimates on what it will cost to build your home on your chosen site. In most cases we will need the knowledge of your site and your soil conditions to ensure that your chosen home takes these elements into consideration to enable the best possible outcomes from a cost, construction and sustainability view point.

Documentation created through a Feasibility process

• House siting.
• Site-plan delineating setbacks, building envelopes, cut and fill and sand pad where needed. Any retaining, where needed, will be calculated. Septic disposal to be located and types to be identified, for example: septic treatment systems, standard leach drains or deep sewer.
• Copies of the Engineers report and survey.
• Site estimates to establish the true cost of building

Your own Rural Building Company original

So, you’ve seen our homes and like them but you have some very definite ideas about what you want in your home. Perhaps you want to incorporate the core ideas of one of our homes or maybe you want to start from scratch and use our construction ability and design knowledge to achieve your own Rural Building Company Original.

Plans and documentation created through a custom design process

• Floor plan and a minimum of four elevations. The type and complexity of the building will determine further elevations.
• Site cross-section for complex designs and sites.
• Minimum of one perspective. The type and complexity of residence will determine further perspectives.
• Site-plan as in the feasibility process.
• A finished floor level will be determined based on sand pad and sewer/septic information.

Will your chosen home or design meet the building code of Australia and what is the star rating?

• Requirements such as energy efficiency, natural light and ventilation are becoming stricter with changing legislation.
• We design in accordance with the Building Code of Australia and Australian Standards. We also use best practice as a preferred outcome such as the Australian Greenhouse Home Technical manual.
• We also consider Health, amenity, fire, safety, movement and access. Does your design meet all the residential design code requirements?
• We take into consideration the variances in the codes between local government authorities.
• Housing density, open space, overlooking, privacy and streetscapes.
• Boundary, setbacks, access and car parking.
• Building siting and design including building heights.

Specialised CAD presentations and Energy ratings.

• Have you ever had trouble visualising your house design? We can provide rendered perspectives, 3D visualisations and walk-throughs.
• Your own home star rating can be provided so that you have a full assessment of the fabric of your house and how it relates to orientation.
• We can give you an estimate of costs for these options.

Site Considerations

From our experience, the cost to establish your home on your chosen block of land is the area of greatest worry. This is where our vast experience in building on rural blocks comes to the fore. We do our utmost to ensure there are no hidden extras. It can be a bit painful when your chosen builder hits you all for all the unknowns, often amounting to many many thousands of dollars. To ensure we get it right, we consider all of these items in the assessment of the possible costs that you may incur building on your chosen site. We want to make the building of your new home a rewarding experience rather than a stressful one, hence our processes.

Will your site and house design be affected by the following legislative or local government authority requirements?

• Local Government Authorities sustainability objectives.
• Does your house design require planning approval in addition to building approval?
• Boundary setbacks or building envelope requirements.
• Stormwater disposal and water tank requirements.
• Effluent disposal systems including deep sewer, septic tanks and leach drains or alternative treatment units.
• Site levels and building finished floor levels.
• Retaining wall and/or stone pitching requirements.
• Land developer’s requirements such as Covenants.
• Special Local Government policies in addition to standard requirements for certain areas.
• Flood plain issues.
• Bush fire prone considerations.
• Is the site in a seismic area requiring specialised engineering requirements.
• Coastal Zones requiring specialised construction materials
• Wind ratings requiring other construction considerations.
• Is the site subject to local authority easements for power, water, gas or drainage.
• Natural gas requirements or bottled gas alternatives.

Other Earthwork considerations are

• Removal of surface vegetation.
• Remove trees within 1.5m of building area/from site.
• Provide additional sandfill to obtain FFL.
• Removal of rubble/rock from building area/from site.
• Any additional charges through rock removal or hard digging rock breaking.
• Sub-soil drainage.
• Access track for construction use.
• Service trench including backfill.
• Concrete pump to footings & slab.
• Removal of existing fences and making good landscaping on Zero Lot Boundaries or tight site issues.
• Costs above standard detail “A”due to engineer’s specification such as B1 S S1 S2 S3 S4 M1 Ma Seismic detail.
• Additional works to meet engineer’s and seismic requirements.
• Retaining walls/brick build-ups, local govt authority requirements.
• Stormwater connection fees.
• LGA Building Application fees in addition to Standard Charges.
• Building code of Australia coastal provisions such as windows and steel work, roof frame & roof cover.
• Building code of Australia energy provisions to conform with zones: 3, 4, 5 & 6.
• BCA wind loadings: N1, N2, N3 & N4.
• Stormwater disposal as required by Local Government Authorities.
• Special Planning Applications and fees.
• Single Phase & three phase power and any additional run and allowance for voltage drop.
• The requirement for consumer pole with lockable and viewable meter box.
• Power run from dwelling to water pump including 15 amp weatherproof GPO.
• Underground, Western Power dome.
• Septic tank and leach drains including health test and connections to house drains.
• Sewer run, piling to sewer or extra depth to sewer junction allowance.
• Waste water management with above ground irrigation.
• Provide sand fill and packing to leach drain.
• Bottled gas regulator and hood.
• Gas run-in.