Browse Forums Building A New House Re: Sloping Block Questions 21Feb 02, 2013 8:29 am agree with plucka find a builder to suit the block. it is well worth it in the end Re: Sloping Block Questions 22Feb 03, 2013 4:33 pm I agree! You may not be able to get a standard volume builder to build on the block, but that doesn't meant there aren't other options - there are plenty. Of course the reality is you won't get it built as cheap as on a flat block, so you have to decide whether you want to commit to that first. My Hamptons build (completed): viewtopic.php?f=31&t=63370 Moved in Wednesday 11th Dec 2013 Front landscaping completed June 2016 Re: Sloping Block Questions 23Feb 03, 2013 4:47 pm I agree with everyone, use the slope to your advantage. I was thinking the same thing, but chickened out and repositioned the house somewhere on the block which is flatter Talk to builders about strip footings with suspended subfloor (sub floor can be concrete, timber joists, steel frame), a pole home, split level or a combination. A house that's built to suit a sloping block in my opinion has instant charm. I think purely because the thought process and consideration given to it is so visible. Plus I believe they just look unique Good luck. Re: Sloping Block Questions 24Mar 19, 2013 5:27 am Interesting about slope don't you think? In my case, steep is 7-8 m of fall on a building envelope - that is the bit we build on. The rest of the land doesn't matter as much. I have one at the moment where the fall is about 3 m over a building envelope of 8 m. That could be called steep! Re: Sloping Block Questions 25Apr 03, 2013 8:14 pm Hi. I just signed a contract to build a house that spans a fall of 8m +. Reckon that is steep? Honestly, to me, a fall of 1.5 m is not steep. Mind you it is then all about design, and the money follows the design. I agree with Plucka - right builder for right block. cheerios Re: Sloping Block Questions 26Apr 03, 2013 8:17 pm Forgot to say: costs on sloping block 1. Excavation. A lot of people talk about $10,000 plus but I dont think I have ever paid more than $2500. 2. Height of the FFL That is Finished Floor Level. Major builders tend to charge per 300 mm of fall. We go the other way , and do two things: a. design for slope b. excavate and then build on the excavation. In my opinion, design is everything. Design follows data. thanks for listening. Re: Sloping Block Questions 27Apr 03, 2013 9:29 pm We are building a custom design on a sloping block too with a drop of over 3m. I think you have had some good responses here and agree that considering a split level would be a good solution. We did not choose this option as we want to live in our new house when we are old and decrepid and wanted everything on one level but if it was not for all the old "war wounds" I would have chosen a split level. In response to your specific questions - and please excuse if I repeat what others have said. 1. Is it possible to excavate down at the front, say 1.5m, and build up the slab at the back so you drive down the driveway to the house? (1.5m over 5m distance should not be such a steep slope for a driveway?) Yes basically you can do anything - subject to cost. Our current house has a drop of approx 2m from the road over a distance of approx 7m. Issues we found with a steep driveway are flooding of the garage (and once) the family room when the gutter out the front of the garage door got blocked (by leaves and a cane toad - ick!!). Also our current car (an iMax) will not fit in the garage as the driveway angle, garage height and car height do not correlate in a way that allows a fit - but if the driveway had been flatter it would have easily fitted. 2. Can I get another party to come in and do this work before getting the volume builder (Eg. PD) to start? (I am assuming they would be cheaper to perform this work) You should be able to particularly given some developers do exactly this on hilly developments where they build up individual sites with blocks or rocks so they can sell flat land. You just need to be aware of potential council limitations in the form of easments that might exist on the block and might mess up your plan. You can get full easement info from the council. 3. What kind of costs would I be looking at to do this? Can someone give examples if they have done this before, or point me to some excavation companies who may be able to advise? Our block sloped in two directions, across both the width and length of the block. To solve our build we built up the LHS of the front of the block to make a pad at the top supported by a retaining wall, and then levelled up the bottom LHS to make a flat area for the lower slab supported by a batter but we will be putting in a retaining wall. This cost was built into our house price so I couldn't tell you the cost of this component but I can tell you I paid approx $2500 to have the excess dirt removed. Agree with the others in that I also found most volume builders will not take on a sloping block. Other things you might want to consider is a pole or stumped house, particularly if you like the Queenslander style home. Re: Sloping Block Questions 28Jul 24, 2013 2:34 pm Agree with plucka on "find a builder to suit the block, not a block to suit the builder." Blocks with a view used to be the most expensive until the new volume methods of slab foundation came into play. Which means that if you find a builder that works in your area that has good solutions for sloping blocks you can get good value for money. From what I've seen it's a mercy when a volme builder refuses a sloping block, because when they do build on it they do pretty awful things to it and charge a heap in site costs. I came across this ezine article recently on choosing a custom builder, which I thought was pretty lucid. Maybe it will help. http://ezinearticles.com/?5-Tips-to-Hel ... id=7822400 Re: Sloping Block Questions 29Mar 24, 2014 9:59 pm We are also facing similar issue with our block. Land we bought had about 1 meter fall with slope which is hardly noticeable. At the end of first week we went to check the land and saw Porter Davis had done the excavation. I soon noticed the cut of the front is too deep which could result in a slope towards house. Last week they had completed the slab and it became more prominent that slope is inevitable unless some changes are done. We do not want water coming towards house when there is rain. What is the best way to avoid slope? Like ⋅ Add a comment ⋅ Pin to Ideaboard ⋅ You can find more picture in our blog. Give Jonathan a call. Tell him you know me. He is in my opinion the best surveyor I have ever worked with. His number is 0425 285 622 All the best Simeon 3 12288 i did click it, still couldnt make it out rofl. in any case, doesnt look like too extreme a slope, you may be in luck. Just shoot out some emails to volume builders in… 3 18511 Howdy all. I am looking for feedback on what people would do to maximise and make an area as flat as possible. First, out the front of the house is a sloping hill, pretty… 0 20129 |