Building a new home in the South Burnett starts long before the slab. The site work in the first few weeks sets up everything that follows, and small misses here cost real money later. Use this checklist to get your block ready before your builder starts.
The short version: get your soil tested, get the site set out, check for buried services, sort access and a driveway, plan power and water early, clear only what you’re allowed to, and book the pad for when your builder actually needs it.
1. Get a soil test and site classification
Your slab engineer needs to know what the ground is like before they can design your footings. A geotechnical engineer drills the site and classifies it under AS 2870, the Australian Standard for residential slabs and footings.
| Site class | What it means |
|---|---|
| A | Stable sand or rock, little ground movement |
| S | Slightly reactive clay |
| M | Moderately reactive clay or silt |
| H1 and H2 | Highly and very highly reactive clay |
| E | Extremely reactive |
| P | Problem site, such as soft soils, uncontrolled fill or slope issues |
The more reactive the class, the stronger the slab and the more your engineer may ask of the pad, such as specific fill material or compaction testing. Knowing this before you get earthworks quotes means every quote covers the same scope.
2. Get the site set out
Your surveyor or builder marks where the house sits and what level the pad needs to finish at. Ask for the finished floor level and pad dimensions in writing. Levels are the one thing you want right first time, because a pad cut too low costs money to fix and a pad left too high means the slab sits out of the ground.
3. Check for buried services
Lodge a free enquiry with Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) for the whole site, and keep the plans handy for the earthmover. Remember that private services, like an old pump cable or irrigation line, usually won’t show on BYDA plans.
4. Sort out access and the driveway
Concrete trucks, frame deliveries and trades all need to get in, often in wet weather. Building the driveway before the slab saves a lot of bogged trucks and churned-up ground. If your access comes off a council road, South Burnett Regional Council requires approval for works on roads and crossovers, so apply early. Our rural driveway guide covers how to build one that lasts.
5. Plan power early
A new connection with Ergon Energy has paperwork and lead times, so start early. Your electrical contractor can apply on your behalf, and your builder will usually want temporary power on site during construction. If power has to run underground from the boundary to the house site, it’s cheapest to trench while the machines are already there for the pad. Read how running power to a site works.
6. Think about water, wastewater and stormwater
- Tanks: tank pads need to be level and compacted, and they’re easy to do at the same time as the house pad
- Wastewater: if you’re not on town sewer, your on-site system is designed by a qualified designer and approved through council, and its location affects where the pad and driveway can go
- Stormwater: plan where roof water and overflow will go so it runs away from the house and doesn’t wash out the driveway
7. Clear only what you’re allowed to
Queensland allows clearing for necessary buildings and structures up to 2 hectares in some vegetation categories, and Category X is exempt on freehold land. Check your vegetation category on a free property report before any trees come down. Our guide to what you can clear without a permit walks through it.
8. Keep your soil on site
Once the ground is opened up, rain can wash sediment off the site and into drains and waterways. Simple sediment fencing and keeping stockpiles tidy go a long way, and your builder’s approval may require erosion and sediment controls.
9. Book the pad at the right time
Book the house pad for when your builder is ready to form up. A pad cut months early can soften and wash out in the wet, and may need rework. Tell your earthmover the target date and keep them in the loop if the build program moves.
Save money by bundling. Clearing, the house pad, shed pad, tank pad, driveway and power trenching can often be done in one booking. One crew on site for a few days costs less than three separate call-outs.
Your site prep checklist
- Soil test and site classification done
- Finished floor level and pad size confirmed in writing
- BYDA plans lodged and printed
- Driveway route planned, and council approval sought if needed
- Ergon connection application started
- Tank, wastewater and stormwater locations agreed with your builder
- Vegetation category checked before any clearing
- Pad booked to suit your builder’s start date
Next step: read what a house pad costs in the South Burnett, see our house and shed pads service, or send us your plans for a fixed written quote. We reply within 2 business hours.
Want real numbers for your job?
Grab the free South Burnett price guide, or send us a few photos and get a fixed written quote. We reply within 2 business hours.
