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Yes, you require a demolition permit. This should be arranged by your demolition contractor. 

We will support you and provide advice during this part of the process, but as Sienna Homes is not a demolition company we will not knock down your home ourselves. Once we have established that your site is ready and we have everything in place to start building your new home as soon as your existing home is demolished, we can provide you with a list of reputable demolition companies that have been used and recommended by other clients and achieved optimal demolition timeframes. You will be required to contact one of these companies and arrange demolition with them directly. 

A building permit is a permit that is required for all new builds. It is issued by a building surveyor. Sienna Homes will arrange this permit on your behalf. 

A town planning permit is enforced by council and is not always required. If a town planning permit is required it will form part of the building permit application and will need to be obtained and provided to the building surveyor prior to the building permit being issued. A planning permit may be required for things like removing vegetation, building close to a boundary or for the style of home you want to build. We will be able to advise you on whether you will require a town planning permit. 

A building envelope is a design parameter relating to what you can build on your site. Think of it as a set of rules or guidelines on what you can and can’t build. 

A site survey is an inspection of the site to gain information on how your new home will be positioned the block and if there are any site restrictions or obstructions like vegetation that need to be addressed prior to construction.

A soil test is conducted by a Geotechnical Engineer who drills into the ground at your site and takes a soil sample to review the reactiveness of your soil at various depths. Soil reactivity is essentially a measurement of how likely it is that the ground under your home will move. It is important for us to understand how stable the soil is as determines the kind of footings your new home needs in order to ensure it is built on an appropriate foundation making it structurally sound. If your soil is subject to a high level of movement, your new home will require stabilising footings. Usually moisture is the main cause of movement, so sandy rocky soil is usually more stable than clay.

Below is a guide to the different soil classifications:

• Class A – stable, non-reactive: possibility of very little or no ground movement as result of moisture change (often sand and rock sites)
• Class S – slightly reactive: clay sites with a chance of slight ground movement from moisture changes
• Class M – moderately reactive: clay or silt sites with the possibility of moderate ground movement
• Class H1 & H2 – highly reactive: possibility of high to very high ground movement
• Class E – extremely reactive: possibility of extreme ground movement from moisture changes
• Class P – problematic sites that include filled, soft soils, such as soft clay or silt or loose sands; landslip; mine or other abnormal moisture conditions or sites which cannot be classified otherwise.

If rock is encountered, a provisional sum will be estimated for the cost to remove it as it is difficult to determine the extent of rock until construction commences. 

Your New Home Consultant will assess the proximity of power lines to your existing house and discuss any special requirements with you.