Browse Forums Building A New House 1 Sep 25, 2020 10:27 pm Hello, newbie here. Really need some advice. I am planning for knockdown rebuild and has visited two project home builder for design. The subject property is on low side of the street and land slopes to rear. Land size roughly 500m2. When I first approached builder M, first thing he asked was whether I have obtained consent from my rear neighbor for stormwater easement to go through their land. I said no and unlikely they will consent. So he said then with Council’s stormwater guidelines, hard surface area cannot exceed 35% of site and therefore they have no home designs that can fit on the subject land. So I went to see another builder F, and they never raise any stormwater issue. Even when I express my concern, they just said not to worry about Council’s req as it will be thru CDC. Now they offer me a design of main dwelling plus granny flat which total hard surface area covers 50% of the site. With project home builder, they don’t finalize hydraulic plan or design until I sign the contract. Is Builder F trying to scam me? They have nothing to lose if approval can’t be granted as they will just charge me for redesign and application fee again?! Is this normal practice or are they being unprofessional? Can they just ignore the Council’s stormwater management plan because we are going through CDC? Re: Stormwater Management issue 2Sep 26, 2020 8:50 am Pypang Is Builder F trying to scam me? They have nothing to lose if approval can’t be granted as they will just charge me for redesign and application fee again?! Is this normal practice or are they being unprofessional? Scam might be a harsh word.. since you haven't paid any money for professional advice. lol, You basically get what is free ie. "Sales talk" Agreed it is normal practice and unprofessional and unless battlers break the cycle Salesman/Builders will continue doing it Pypang Can they just ignore the Council’s stormwater management plan because we are going through CDC? No they can't ignore the councils Stormwater management plan which is separate to the NCC compliance. Even thought you may have stamped CDC, the Council has the final say as they issue the Building permit The moral is don't believe what the salesperson is telling you, get independent professional advice on your design, engineering and compliance matters before you engage with salesman/Builders. Forewarned is Forearmed Cheers Chris Designer,Engineer (Civil,Const & Envir),Builder,Concrete & Masonry Contract.Struct Repairs Re: Stormwater Management issue 3Sep 28, 2020 11:06 pm Thank you for the advice. May be I am being a bit harsh. But I am just confused on what my next step should be. Find a stormwater engineer for opinion and design advice? Or call the Council's Town Planner but they will just probably refer me to the Council's Control Plan? Or should I just continue accepting the project home builder's final tender and let them continue with the design and approval on the basis if they won't charge me any design or admin fees if it got rejected from Council?! Re: Stormwater Management issue 4Sep 29, 2020 7:36 am I'd definitely go and see the council. Most of the front desk guys are pretty helpful and they may grab one of their engineers who deal with this sort of thing to give you some advice. If it was me I'd prefer to be fore-armed with knowledge before I engage a builder. Stewie Thank you so much everyone. This all makes a lot of sense. I guess when you talk to a builder who butters up everything to look very polished, you get to start believing… 7 17609 Plumbers 'can be' plumbers, made all the worse by self certification which the building surveyor invariably accepts as proof of compliance! The good thing is that you know know. 3 4869 Grab a hose, insert it at the top of the inlet/down pipe and turn the water on and see where the water is escaping from. Then you'll know. 3 8467 |