Frequently asked questions

A Land Capability Assessment (LCA) gives results for a comprehensive design of a waste water treatment system, taking into account the soil type, features of the land, and the number of individuals the system will cater for. An LCA is required as part of the permit process to Local Council to install or alter a Septic Tank System.

As part of the building process, the characteristics and strength of the soil supporting foundations need to be determined, so that the best and most appropriate type of footings and slabs can be designed for a building. It is important that this report is carried out by a suitably qualified structural engineer.

A soil report continues to be valid for the site unless there is a change to the site conditions such as:

• planting of trees, either on your site or nearby,
• excavation of soil from your site, or filling put on your site
• the position of the proposed building is moved to another part of the site that hasn’t been tested.

Yes, if your house is outside a sewer area and requires on-site waste water treatment, then you will need an LCA.

No, a soil test is for the foundations of your house, an LCA is for the on-site treatment of your wastewater.

An LCA is a thorough report that takes into consideration: soil category; localised soil data; land fall and features; dwelling bed number. A percolation test puts clean water in bore holes and measures the length of time it takes for water to disperse.

Firstly, one that is designed by an experienced and qualified structural engineer. The type of slab and foundation will be determined by many factors:

• soil type and strength
• slope of the land
• type of construction
• construction budget
• type of floor finishes.

  See our blog on waffle pod slabs and raft slabs here for further information.

Many engineering consultants and other professional such as accountants and lawyers charge clients by multiplying the time spent on your job by a dollar amount known as the hourly rate. Sometimes on unusual jobs it can be the fairest way to have an arrangement when the amount of time it takes to do the job is unknown. At our firm, however, we believe from our experience, that it is far better to charge based on the outcome, not the time. What this means is that most of the work we do for you is a fixed price from the outset. We then take as much time as needed to get the best result for you. For example our soil tests cost $550 ex GST, and different sites take different amounts of time to test the soil and write the report, however in the end they are both the same result: a soil report, and therefore cost the same.