Questions on peg out for new house build

[Arron]

Hi. We are building a new home, and have just had the old one demolished and the plot levelled.

I asked the surveyor to return to ‘peg out the house’.

I was expecting they would put in a few pegs, one at the exact location of each corner of the house.

Instead they have put in a few pegs on the boundary of the plot, appearing to conform to a grid of some sort. The pegs appear to mention their distance from the boundary of the house.

I think there are 5 or 6 pegs in total.

I guess the pegs provide enough information for the builder to find the exact corner points himself, but it seems odd that he should have to do this (risking the mistakes of a 2 step process). I thought the entire purpose of using a surveyor was to get some unequivocal marks from an acknowledged authority.

Have I got my money’s worth ? Is this how a peg out should be done ?

The builder will return in a week and will no doubt know what is going on. I ask because I would like to independently understand the process and get any shortcomings rectified before then.

Cheers
Arron


Ps. Also, under the builders instruction I asked them to indicate the rl level. I can’t see where they have done this, but don’t really know what to look for. What is the usual convention here?

[Beardy]

Arron your surveyor has done exactly what is required, they do not mark the corners because as soon as you start excavation for your piers they are lost so they do offsets that can be referenced throughout the slab process.
There will also be a height reference most likely on the kerb but it will be noted on their survey plan.
When your slab is formed they will need to do a check survey to confirm it is in the correct position before the concrete pour.

[Arron]

Ok, thanks for the reply.

I didn’t know about the check survey. More cost. Well no-one said the process was cheap.

Cheers
Arron

[Beardy]

Check your CC documentation or with your Certifier as it will be a condition or a requirement of them if it is required
Wont your builder be sorting all of this?

[Arron]

Check your CC documentation or with your Certifier as it will be a condition or a requirement of them if it is required
Wont your builder be sorting all of this?

Yes, the builder will be sorting this out. However I have found by experience that it’s good to have some independent knowledge of the process.

I’m reminded of a neighbour at a previous property who built a 5 bedroom seaside house. Midway through the process, just as the bricklayers were at about chest-height, council learned that the location of the house was 1m from where it should be. They were required to tear it all down. Even the slab had to be removed and rebuilt. Council has a zero tolerance policy in this case because it was a waterside property and the encroachment was towards the water. I was renovating our house across the road while this all happened and watched it unfold. Everyone blamed everyone else - or that’s how it seemed to me although I guess no-one really felt compelled to tell an interested stranger the real truth. The owner told me they were the innocent party and that it cost them $250k and nearly a year of delay (maybe true, maybe not). I resolved that if I ever built I would make sure I was across what was going on - even if it meant asking stupid questions and making a bit of a nuisance of myself. My main aim is to check the location of the house myself, as this is hugely contentious with our neighbours who went legal on us and will jump on any infringement.

Cheers
And thanks again

[Fuzzie]

We are starting a new build at the moment as well. The final site survey was done last Monday and like you I was expecting to see more marks on the ground. They have just pegged the corners on the block. With all the technology these days I don't think they use timber 'hurdles' and string lines any more to locate the corners and piers etc. They must just fire up a laser guided box that has the site plan or engineering plan fed into it.

A couple of years ago we put a new kitchen in the current house and when it came to do the bench tops the maker came in and set up a tripod in the center of the kitchen that had a 'pen' on a string that pulled out from the tripod. He just touched the pen to all the corners of where bench tops would go. A few days later they returned with the fabricated stone benches that all fitted perfectly!

Taking it to the next level there are already experimental '3D printed' houses around.

[Arron]

Just thinking.

As always, this forum delivers the answers.

This forum really is the best place possible for timely expert answers on anything practical - from people with no axe to grind and no product to sell.

[clear out]

Good luck with the build.
Our neighbours put a complaint into council when we put a second story on and complained continually about our trees.
Years later they waited until we were in Canada to chop down all their trees, put in a pool and granny flat and conc what was left.
H.

[rustynail]

How come the inspector didn't pick up on the incorrect location at first inspection ie footings?

[Fuzzie]

Aaron, I drove past our site this morning and another team have now been there and pegged out for the slab. Apparently different class of surveyors for different tasks.

[Beardy]

Yes, the builder will be sorting this out. However I have found by experience that it’s good to have some independent knowledge of the process.

I’m reminded of a neighbour at a previous property who built a 5 bedroom seaside house. Midway through the process, just as the bricklayers were at about chest-height, council learned that the location of the house was 1m from where it should be. They were required to tear it all down. Even the slab had to be removed and rebuilt. Council has a zero tolerance policy in this case because it was a waterside property and the encroachment was towards the water. I was renovating our house across the road while this all happened and watched it unfold. Everyone blamed everyone else - or that’s how it seemed to me although I guess no-one really felt compelled to tell an interested stranger the real truth. The owner told me they were the innocent party and that it cost them $250k and nearly a year of delay (maybe true, maybe not). I resolved that if I ever built I would make sure I was across what was going on - even if it meant asking stupid questions and making a bit of a nuisance of myself. My main aim is to check the location of the house myself, as this is hugely contentious with our neighbours who went legal on us and will jump on any infringement.

Cheers
And thanks again

aarrrh so your going to be one of those clients......builders love them. Every second day you would hear
“ how come you are doing that? I read on the internet that you should be doing it this way” lol. And then you would have to give them a quick lesson and justify your actions, it must be far worse for doctors and self Google diagnosis.
Just joking, nothing wrong with knowing what is happening.

Good luck with the build, my best advice is to maintain a good relationship with your builder to get the best end result.

[Arron]

How come the inspector didn't pick up on the incorrect location at first inspection ie footings?

I assumed it wasn’t picked up because the private certifier is concerned with the conformance to building codes, not with the accuracy of the peg out. Put another way, if the building is initially pegged out wrong, how would the certifier know it was wrong ? Does the certifier carry survey equipment and do a survey themselves to check the original survey.

Anyway, it’s a question that could be asked of anyone involved in the build. It’s a big house on a small block - didn’t the builder notice that the house wasn’t sitting right. Didn’t anyone notice that it wasn’t lined up with the setback of the other houses on the water side. Take a metre off a tiny back yard, isn’t it noticeable to anyone with the plans in their hand. Nonetheless it got through multiple inspections.

[Arron]

Aaron, I drove past our site this morning and another team have now been there and pegged out for the slab. Apparently different class of surveyors for different tasks.

Was it another team of surveyors, or was it the builder ?

[Fuzzie]

Was it another team of surveyors, or was it the builder ?

Project Home builder. The client is pretty much in the dark about the process and not allowed on site unless accompanied by the job supervisor who I haven't even met yet! All the details down to the last tile and light fitting have had to be signed off prior to the build commencing. I gather each step of the build will be on a project plan held by the supervisor and subbed out appropriately as needed in sequence. The site relocation survey was a separate step and I guess done by a different group to pegging out the slab. I've been told the drainers will be on site Monday, they will need to know exactly where to run the plumbing as will the crew doing the screw piles. I don't know how they measured up for the slab peg out, it would have been interesting to see how they referenced off the site pegs.

[rwbuild]

Ok everyone, pay attention, there will be an exam at the end of this lesson.
After contracts are signed, the builder organises surveyor to do pegout and as has been noted above OFFSET pegs are placed usually 4 depending on complexity of design and site topography. Typically on lots up to 1000 sq m the pegs are placed on the boundary line OR offset either 1m or 2 m relative to LH and RH side of building but IN LINE WITH front and rear of building.
Next step, the concreter is given a copy of the surveyors pegout WITH THE OFFSET measurements, he then does 1 of 2 steps, either places a peg with a clout indicating every corner of the building OR sets up perimeter formwork boards to the shape of the building.
Next the plumber/drainer installs the drainage referencing off the pegs or formwork with top edge at finished slab heaight (assuming its a waffle pod slab). If its a traditional slab on ground, the concreter will dig all the beams, prepare the infill ground between beams to height of underside of slab prior to drainer, then after drainer place blinding sand, plastic, etc. In some cases it may even be required for the electrician to install conduits and draw wires.
Once the concreter has the slab ready to pour, a check survey is done IF IT IS A CONDITION OF THE BUILDING APPROVAL (a prudent builder would have this done regardless especially on today's handkerchief sized blocks), it is then inspected by the engineer and certifier.
All the above steps WILL BE INCLUDED in your contract price with exception of matters arising from contingency clauses.