Tips to reduce Site Works, Demolitions and Retaining Wall costs in Building a New Home in Perth
The following is the tips to gain control of this situation and keep your new home build in budget from the start.
- Have a future feature contour survey done, make sure it’s a very good one that show all levels including your next door neighbour's home heights. Most important also check the services are labelled correctly on the plan and heights for sewers have been confirmed from water corp.
- Place your concept plan on the survey and have the levels for approval correct by an independent designer who knows the shire well.
- Then have all relevant retaining walls drawing, understand which types of walls you require before you have them drawn (they can cost different amounts).
- Send out retaining wall cost to 3 contractors who do this work regularly, and also the same to demolition companies in Perth. They should be consistent.
- Send out for earth works quotes for the cut and fill to 3 companies, be clear on sand removal. If you require additional sand or if the sand left on site is contaminated due to asbestos after demolition, it may cost more.
- Make allowances for the custom home builders and also the Perth project home builders trades for site access and also additional concrete pumps.
- Confirm all storm water costs; some shires require these very silly engineers details, for the good old fashion soak wells!
- Allow for the full fence replacement, odds are your new neighbour's will like to get out of paying for any new fence, so if you have changes the level to the block then you are required to pick up the tab!
- Confirm with the builder the service runs required for power sewer and water including the use of tiger tails to cover any over head power lines. Always allow for the new NBN service run in.
- If you are putting any of these above items in the contract with the home builder, always ask to see the formal quotes they have got, and check the margin they have charged. Do not pay any more than 20% margin with a home builder.
Most of the big-ticket items you can do yourself, that said, anything that has a lot of risk attached to it, leave it in the builders contract. If you have any questions or like to know how we save our clients time and money on site works cost in Perth, contact the team today.
About the Author
Michael Clarke | Executive Consultant
Michael has been with NHBB from its inception; he has experience in both residential and commercial, in all types of materials on both sides of the country. Thirty years executive management experience for some of Australia's leading organisations has given him a depth of knowlege and experience in all markets, in particular class 2 developments. A regular Judge in the housing industry awards, many of the testimonials on the website are a result of Michael outstanding efforts in delivering on client expectations.