June 26th, 2010
Steps To Building Your Own Home
Lot prior to construction
Choosing your lot to build on is a crutial part of this process as crutial as getting the foundation in straight. This part of your journey is very important so take your time.
Despite what everyone will say check out as many new lot developments as possible. Get acquainted with the sun orientation onto your land and the effect it will have on the house. You will want as much southern exposure as possible, but this can also become a personal opinion as well. We have always opted for crescents where children are safe from traffic, and there is less noise. Better for resale !
Compare prices, and services available. In our area, some lots have sewage and water & are smaller in size, some have only water, where a septic system is required, others no water no sewage were you are required to supply both ( drill for water, and get a septic approved and installed).
We found a great lot that was a crescent in a quiet development had 31,000 square feet of land plenty to put a house on you would think but no sewage. We pulled the trigger and purchased it. Now typically I recommend that you do a perk test first.
What is a perk test you say? Well you hire a professional who does tests by sampling around your lot the consistency or type of land you have and its permeability for septic use. In other words how permeable and wet the land is. This will determine the type of septic you will require.
Now generally they go around your lot and screw in a 5 ” tube and look for the water table. Since ours was at 3.75 feet it was considered high which is what we did not want. Now usually you would do this test before purchasing, we secured this lot quickly for various different reasons that forced us to do so. Anyways no real issue, as the dry lots get purchased first, the demand supply dictates what is available.
Anyways new stricter environmental laws will be dictating more effiecient septic systems, which is what we had to install, costlier as well but at least we feel better about the efficientcy of the system and its good use towards the ecology and the water table below.
If you are strapped for time and need to do a quick and durty perk test to at least see for water just dig a small whole to 4 feet or more and measure with a tape the depth at which you see water. No water at 4 feet plus, standard septic system( your municipality will dictate this and have a law in place with its minimum practices so go and see them to get the details, be informed ), you will know right there and then if the land is up to your standard, avoiding the $800 to $ 1000 test that is required before purchasing.
photo credit: Sunburned Surveyor
Now dont get me wrong here, you will need the test done anyways once the land is purchased. The proffesional who does the test does the septic design and recommends the type of system to be used that then has to be provided to the surveyor who then applies for your building permit with a basic plan outline of your house and the septic and the various boundaries that are applicable by law in your municipality or Province or State.
Once that done you are off to get your permit to build your new home!
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it laid out exactly the formula in an easy and concise manner on how to estimate the number of yards of concrete that I was going to have to order. With this I had a good feel for the cost of my foundation and footings without labor, providing me with additional information needed to evaluate foundation contractors.
