FAQs

A Development Application (DA) is a merit-based assessment conducted directly through the local council. The council will have a set of guidelines and parameters that will be used to assess your application. In some circumstances your application may fall outside those guidelines, but Council still has the option of approving your DA. A DA is a two-stage process that includes the assessment and then once the DA is completed a construction certificate must be submitted & approved.

A Construction Certificate considers the planning aspects of the build. Some of the elements required include site plans, architectural plans, engineering plans, building specifications, fire safety and sustainability statements.

Complying Development Checklist (CDC) is a combined planning and construction approval process. It is designed to enable straightforward development applications to be fast-tracked. It can be conducted by either your local council or a private certifier. As a result, the process is faster than a DA.

These are the two major indicators of how much should be allowed for in ‘site costs.’ This is why we arrange for these reports immediately. Other builders often arrange these reports later in the tender process, creating those nasty surprises that no one wants!

A soil test is necessary to thoroughly understand your site’s composition and determine what lies beneath the surface. Once a soil test has been completed, foundations can be designed and priced accurately.

A site survey identifies the fall of your block, which may affect your slab design or highlight the need for retaining walls. All of which are costly items which need to be identified early. Ashmont Homes arrange for these tests to be completed on your behalf as part of the tender process. If you prefer, you can organise these reports yourself. If you choose to go this way, speak with us first and we’ll guide you on who to use and what you need to ask for.

Site Costs typically relate to the early stages of construction that occur before the preparation of the concrete slab, such as:

• Adding soil or removing it to level your block
• Preparing the land for your slab
• Removal of rocks so the builders have a workable platform to build your home
• Site safety stuff like temporary fencing, local council requirements and Occupational Health & Safety

In the absence of building experience and the necessary site reports, site costs are often under-estimated by new home builders, that can be end up being very costly.

Your structural guarantee is your peace of mind in the unlikely event that anything should occur to the structural integrity of your home. Ashmont Homes and its Insurer will honour this guarantee in the event that there is a failure of any structural components of your home.

This guarantee is provided by Ashmont Homes and backed by our insurance company for a six year period.

All of our homes must comply with 6-star energy efficiency rating, which is commonly referred to as BASIX. Prior to your building permit being issued, your home will need to be certified that it meets the minimum BASIX requirements.

Fibre optic cables provide the new communication infrastructure in your home. Depending on your estate requirements, they may or may not be required. This will be discussed during your selections appointment with our team.

Recycled water is mostly used for watering the garden and flushing toilets. It may be available if you, depending on the location of your block of land.

Colorbond roofing is versatile, lightweight and durable, plus it comes in many different colours to give you the ability to create the ideal look and feel of your home. Ashmont offer Colorbond roofing as standard when it is usually an upgrade with other builders.

There are lots of profile and material variations in tile roofing, depending on the look you are trying to achieve. They are available in terracotta, colour-through and colour-on tiles, different profiles (flat or curved) and have better acoustic performance.

Our preferred driveway is 1:5 or 1:6 which means for every 5 to 6 metres there is 1m of vertical fall.

Developer Design Covenants are guidelines set by the developer of an estate to ensure every home built within the estate has a consistent look and feel. These guidelines can affect your façade colour selections and material selection, and ultimately may impact the price of your home. We always suggest that you enquire specifically about Developer Design Covenants when purchasing land.

BAL refers to the Bushfire Attack Level and has been devised to improve the ability of a building to withstand a bushfire attack. Bushfire levels of BAL 12.5 and BAL 19 are quite common and the additional costs are relatively affordable. As the BAL rating increases to BAL 29 or BAL 40, we suggest you get in contact with us for more information on the building requirements (and associated costs) which will be dependent on your specific design.

If your property is located in a bushfire prone area, we will include an item in your tender to accommodate the bushfire rating of the home. This BAL may change once an on-site assessment is completed. The types of products you choose for your home including the front door, garage door or tiled roof may assist with meeting BAL requirements.

This is a report that is usually associated with town planning applications and involves an assessment completed by an arborist (or tree specialist) that outlines potential hazards. For example, trees that are likely to cause damage to structures of a home and impact upon the landscape and character of the site.

We can arrange an Arborist Report for you if it is a requirement of your permit, or you can arrange one yourself.

An easement is a section of land that has been selected to give right of use (to that section of land) for a specific purpose, such as council access to sewage and storm water pipes. You are not allowed to build any permanent structures on an easement, including sheds. Another thing to be mindful of is building near an easement may affect your slab design.

It means ‘instead of’. As an example – ‘timber floors in lieu of tiled floors.’

Double-glazing consists of two glass panels approximately 3-4mm thick with a 10mm gap between them. This is generally used for energy efficiency and noise reduction. This is a good option if you are building on a busy street, especially on the front windows.

Yes, we can certainly install a TV antenna for you.

A niche is an alcove or indent in the wall. Niches are often used in hallways to present artwork or in a lounge area for the TV and built-in joinery. They are also used in bathrooms and showers in place of soap dishes and shelves.

A ‘site scrape’ is to simply remove the very top layer of the block free of debris & vegetation, making it ready for building.

Excavation is needed when the site is required to be at a certain level and usually consists of a cut and fill method.

A ‘cut and fill’ refers to the process of cutting into the hillside or slope of your site. The material removed from area is then used to ‘fill’ the site to achieve the desired level.

A retaining wall can be made of different materials, such as timber sleepers, blocks or bricks, but it’s essentially a wall built to retain fill. A retaining wall ensures soil doesn’t move from the allocated area.

This is a foundation method underneath your slab and is part of the engineering design. The pier holes are drilled until they reach a certain depth as specified by the engineer. They are then filled with concrete, with the slab placed on top.

Before a house can be built, we need to make sure we know what type of ground it’s being built on. There are various soil classifications which are an indicator of site conditions. This information is discovered through borehole testing.

When a builder refers to an M class site or slab, this is usually the typical ‘entry level’ allowance for your slab design. Let’s say it assumes the best case scenario and there may be additional site costs that may be charged if the soil classification is greater than M class (i.e. H1, H2, E or P classifications)

Temporary fencing is required under council regulations and helps secure the site so that it complies with OH&S requirements.

The material used to make stone benchtops only comes in three metre sheets. Hence, any bench that exceeds three metres in size will contain a join.

Brick veneer is a single brick wall with timber frame and plaster walls. This is the normal construction method.

Fixed site costs are exactly that, meaning they cannot vary throughout construction. Cost allowances will be added to the variable site costs.

As the land owner, you may need to get an asset protection permit from your local council before commencing works. Asset protection provides you with cover for any damage done to council assets that may occur during demolition or construction.