The Critical Role of Soil Testing in Building a Strong, Long-Lasting Home

Getting the soil test done is best to get that done as soon as possible. As soon as you have your block of land, that's going to enable us to read that report, have a further discussion with the engineers. Depending on the classification that saw test is, it's going to then dictate the perimeters the engineers have to go to will then affect the overall cost. Hey, guys, welcome to the Builder's Edge. I'm Norm Wales from Norm Wales Constructions. Now, for me, the whole purpose of this podcast here is to bring a little bit more awareness around the construction industry. I've been feeling for many, many years that there's not enough helpful information out there to support you guys to make the right choice. Now, we are a smaller family independent building company, and we're not here to build everybody's home. But we would definitely love to be able to work with you to facilitate your dream home. But if we don't build your new home, we want you to be able to make the right decision in choosing the right builder for you. So hopefully the information that I'm able to provide through this podcast can be informative and helpful that you can now create your dream home. So I hope you enjoy and thanks for watching.

Okay, Norm, we're going to talk about soil testing. Why? Why is soil testing important and how soon should people consider getting a soil test done?

Yeah, look, a soil test is a very key ingredient to tying together all your plans and specifications. And it getting the soil test done, it's best to get that done as soon as possible. If you are requiring a septic tank and you don't have sewer facilities there, when you get your soil test done, you're best getting a percolation test done there as well. So tying all those things together can help save you a few dollars. But the key thing is getting the saw test done. As soon as you have your block of land, that's going to enable us to read that report, have a further discussion with the engineers, and depending on the classification that soil test is, is going to then dictate the perimeters the engineers have to go to. Now, that's also then to the extent that they go to, will then affect the overall cost as well. So you generally have your S sites, you know, they're more sandy loam, like an M sites, more of a. The ideal perfect sweet spot, if you want to call it there, with, you know, not as much movement in the ground, and you start getting into your H1s and 2s, they're a little bit more reactive and Then you get into your P sites there that are a little bit more problematic. I guess they're like a poor site, you know, like an old dumping ground and things like that. But as you go down, you know, from your M sites, you know, into your H's and directivity and into your poor sites, at times that you may have to remove some of that poor material and bring adequate material in there and compact that in there. So then it's done in layers that the actual foundations aren't as reactive so that you'll design that to more of a H site. When it comes down to like your H sites and P sites and things there, because they're more reactive, they might require peer holing and that as well. So that's going to require more steel and concrete and that sort of stuff also. So getting a soil test done as early on as possible, the benefit you're going to gain by doing that is you can start having very early conversations around, okay, well, this is the outcome. And let's say it was a P site. Ideally you always want to aim for an mite in a perfect world with no rock preferably. But if it was a peace site, you can still build on that there, but it's going to be a little bit more of an outlay through the foundations and the actual main setup there. So if it's going to cost you another 8,000, 15,000, you know, more because of that soil classification there, that may then limit you picking that stone bench top or going floor to ceiling tiles or something like that as an example. Now if that is actually then set out from the get go, at least you can make a proper informed decision on the path you'd like to travel.

Yeah, yeah. Geez. There's so much to, to unpack within that. For those who perhaps have never done a soil test before, what exactly happens in the process? How long does it take? Who does it?

So we handle that ourselves there by engaged in a independent contractor. They'll go out there and actually take different depth samples of the actual material and do their testing in house and then they do up a detailed report and it'll explain their activity and the movement in that ground there. It also give you a good indication if you have rock on your site and at what depths and that as well. So that can also help you then in trying to plan ahead during that construction there if you, you may encounter rock or not, you know. So if you are on a site there and you've got early signs of a rock shelf very shallow, and you Happen to put septic tanks in, they're going to dig three meters into the ground. It might be a bit of an early conversation that you sort of have, you know, with the customers that, you know, you could come across this. But then, you know, rock is a, a very funny one. It is very unknown. They might do multiple sample holes and test holes there and not come across rock. But then just specifically where you decide to, you know, maybe want to dig a trench or, you know, put a pit hole in or a septic tank as an example, you could come across that, you know, so it's always good to be up aware of these sorts of things and a good builder should be trying to explain that to you, but you have to also be a little bit of aware that yourself that things, you know, can come into play.

I mean, it makes sense when you, when you explain it like that, I suppose. On a previous episode we spoke about acquiring, you know, the question of do you need a block of land before engaging with your builder? Is, is something where you're looking to acquire a block of land, can you conduct a soil test on that before buying a block of land?

Yeah, most definitely. So you can put that in your conditions and most of your developers and that are, you know, really good to work with there. Like if, you know, you're not quite sure about the area, you know, first of all, talk to your builder about there. They should be able to give you a fairly good indication. But for the minimal outlay of getting a soil test done, it far outweighs, you know, the price of what it could cost you if it was a problematic site. And just because the neighbors had one done and the one next to you might have one done or behind you, doesn't mean your block is, you know, so good indication that it could be similar. But we have had in the past that we've built a house here and the one next door has been a completely different classification.

I mean, how, how, how much can a, the condition of a site actually affect the build?

Look, it can have a, a major effect to build there. You know, it does vary to the method of the, the construction. You know, is it on stumps, is it a slab? On ground, is a double story home. So the, the knock on effect can be greater than others. But yeah, it definitely can start putting a bit of a hole in the budget if it wasn't actually really allowed for from the, you know, the very beginning.

Yeah. Have you ever encountered anybody who's, I mean, would you, you guys wouldn't proceed without doing A soil test?

No, no, for ourselves that's pretty much the number one thing we get done. As soon as we can get that soil test done, we get that done. So we can inform the customer on what we believe is, you know, going to be the outsets and you know, potential issues if we believe there's something there.

I mean do you, do you face many objections when it comes to people doing soil tests? Is it a, is it a financial thing or is it most, nine times out of 10 it's a no brainer for people to get.

Oh look, I do believe most times it is a no brainer there for people. Sometimes it can be a timing aspect that we, I said like to do a sore test there as soon as we possibly can and book them in and get that process into play. So then we can give you more helpful information to make the right decisions moving forward as we keep layering up the concepts and the plans. But sometimes there is a little bit of pushback. I guess they're from people that maybe ain't quite right to take that process. That could be, you know, funds, it could be timing, could be many things from their sides there. But you know, if you're seriously going to be building, starting with at least a basic concept and a soil test there is the, the first foot in the door.

Yeah, yeah, love that. Well there's not much else really. I mean it's such a no brainer thing, right. If you're going to be building your forever home, everything starts at the foundations, right. So this is an absolute, perhaps non negotiable.

You'd say, oh look, look, definitely it's something that you have to get done either way. You know, unfortunately we do see in here of other people and what, I mean other building companies there not getting soil tests done until after they've got contracts signed. So they've just sign a contract on a specific classification and then they'll get a soil test done and it's completely opposite to what it was and then that becomes then quite a large mistake.

You know what happens at that point?

Well look, you know the cost of the actual project in itself is going to go up there. Yeah, I mean so if you have to, you know, put peer holes in or you come across a really problematic site, you know, we've had, you know, customers in the past there have bought cheap sites and without getting soil tests and that done and when we got the soil test done, you know, it'd been a bit of a problematic site there. You know, then the outcome of what it cost them to get that to the level it needed to be. They would have been best investing that little bit more money in buying another site.

Yeah. Wow. So best practices, get it in nice and early. Don't muck around.

No, definitely.

Yeah. Love that. All right, well, on that note, we're going to jump into our get to know your Norm jar and get you the question of the day and wrap up this episode. Thanking you. All right, here we go. Okay, Norm, what's a skill you wish was taught in schools but isn't?

I actually, I'll work with Australia also, because I believe they might do it in the state, but I'll go around the concept of, I guess, like, driving.

As in driving vehicles.

Like driving vehicles, like cars and things, but more on the aspect that I believe, like, we all get our learners and have to, you know, go for your peas and your license and that there. I think a good skill set would be actually to learn how to change a car tire.

There you go.

So, you know, it's a very simple thing, but not everybody knows how to do that. And I understand we have that roadside assistant, all those sorts of things there, but I think some of just the basic fundamentals of how to, you know, top your water fluid bottle up, you know, how to put air in your tires, like, those sorts of things don't seem to be tested at the actual exam times there. So. But I think where I'd like to sort of see is that. And I believe the states do it like how they. Those driver defensive courses and that. Yeah, I think that'd be a great thing to have in the local schools and they could maybe integrate those little skill sets into that there. I think it's just, you know, knowledge is power.

So. Love that. So practical. Love it. Well, as always, Norm, thank you so much.

No worries, mate. Pleasure. Cheer.