Browse Forums Landscape & Garden Design 1 Oct 08, 2010 12:59 pm Hi all, Like many others, I've been lurking around these forums for awhile. What a great resource! In any case, I finally have some questions of my own. I've finished building my house and am starting on the landscaping. I've been told by the stormwater engineer that the "finished ground level" must be at least 150mm below the "finished floor level" of the house (to prevent floods of course). However, I'm struggling to get my head around exactly what these definitions are. I'm assuming: - Finished floor level is the top of the slab - NOT the top of our carpets / tiles / timber floors which sit on top of the slab (which in my head is the "finished" level). - Finished ground level is the top of the soil after all retaining walls have been put in - NOT the top of pavers, mulch, pebbles, etc which sit on top of the soil Is this correct? I need to know because I'm ordering some topsoil and need to calculate exactly how much to get. Thanks for your help! Re: Definition of Finished Ground Level and Finished Floor L 2Oct 08, 2010 7:43 pm Yes and please make sure you get the (*shudders*) top soil mixed through your existing soil structure. Don't just slap it on top and think it is all cool. Try and find some certified organic compost waaaay better Re: Definition of Finished Ground Level and Finished Floor L 3Oct 08, 2010 10:45 pm Finished ground level is top of pavers or whatever is outside the door. No use having finished ground level -150mm from FFL, and then paving up to the same level. Storm water run right in door! Check out this website, the best resource on the planet for all things paving. (There is a lot of info on there, you just have to look.) Believe it or not its pommie too. http://www.pavingexpert.com/ Re: Definition of Finished Ground Level and Finished Floor L 5Aug 26, 2020 10:59 am Just in relation to this topic, we are planning a build, and due to the easements (sewer and stormwater) running across the back (and side, but that's less of an issue), we have to have a 1.7M retaining wall 3M out from the rear of the property. Our water board's guidelines say that for the sewer of the size and depth that it is, is only allowed to have a maximum of 1M of soil over the "finished surface level". A. Gravity sewer up to and including 225 mm diameter and depth 3.0 m or less Excavations over a gravity sewer require: - A minimum vertical clearance of 750 mm between the cut surface and top of the sewer. Landfills over a gravity sewer require: - A maximum fill of 1.0 m from the top of the finished surface level. Refer to Figure 20. I Googled what that means exactly, and it looks like Law Insider states "Finished ground level means the ground surface of the site after all construction, leveling, grading, and development has been completed". If the builder fills the ground by 700mm during construction, then does that mean development is completed, and I can then add 1M of soil above that "finished surface level" so that there is not a huge "pit" at the back (which someone could easily fall over into)? They have a diagram for this, but it's labelled Fig 19 (there is no Fig 20): Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ And the diagram says Natural Service Level in the second pic and Surface level in the first! Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ We are open to any good suggestions on what to do here! interesting situation what happened after builder issued final invoice? did you list as defect or not does the building surveyor have any responsibility? ie. issuing… 13 46865 Hi guys, I want to do some floor levelling before laying the planks and am considering doing it with self-levelling or yellow tongue PB board. I am wondering which one… 0 6510 isn't a garage level with the rest of the house a given? pretty sure they 'came around' long time ago. if you have a flat block, the garage is usually level with the rest… 1 17502 |