Why You Shouldn’t Wait to Do Soil Testing While Building a New Home

When you’re building a new home, you are probably most concerned with things like how many bathrooms you can comfortably fit within the square footage or what flooring materials will best complement your design style. Though you might not think of it, something else you should investigate is the soil your home will rest on.

Keep reading to see why you should sign up for soil testing in Highlands Ranch, CO as early as possible in the homebuilding process:

• It’s required: You are required to have a soil report in place before you finalize building plans. Because of this requirement, if you put off getting the actual sample tested, then you delay the home build and push back your move-in date. Your builder might take care of this for you, but it’s up to you to check on that as you start the building process.
• Money, money, money: The type of soil your home rests on can have a large impact on the overall cost of your home. What a soil test looks at is how “reactive” the soil is, or how much the soil is likely to move or expand and contract throughout the year. If you’re building on a site with very reactive soil with lots of movement, your home will need different supports to ensure it will be safe and stable over time. This can cost a lot of money, and it’s good to know this early on in the design process so you can make adjustments to your design or your finances.
• Finding the best solutions: If you find out your home will be resting on less stable or weaker soil, you’ll want to make sure that you work with your builder on the best solutions. All of these come with different price tags, so make sure to talk them through with your builder. Some will use steel-reinforced concrete footings, and others will use piers, which are columns that go deep into the soil and hit the actual bedrock beneath the soil.

There’s a lot more behind soil samples, but these three points should show you just why it’s so important to seek out soil testing in Highlands Ranch, CO as soon as possible when you’re building a new home. Because this work is so technical and specific, you’ll want to rely on an exceptional team of experts to get the job done right, and High Plains Engineering & Design, LLC fits the bill. Our staff are experts in the varied design resources available for your needs, and we’ll make sure your job is done quickly and at the lowest possible cost.

Since 2006, High Plains Engineering & Design, LLC has provided a range of excellent solutions to any type of challenges in the geotechnical, structural, environmental and civil engineering realms. On top of soil sampling and testing, we also offer percolation testing, and can design foundations and septic systems for new builds. Call our team today to receive more information and get a free estimate!

Categorised in: House Building