Site Costs
What Are Site Costs?
Before a granny flat project can be designed and priced, let alone built, a calculation of costs – known as ‘site costs’ – needs to be established. Site costs can relate to the setup of service connections, such as drainage and electricity, or they could be related to structural factors, such as soil types or land topography.
All too often site costs lurk, unmentioned, in the fine print of building companies’ contracts. Part-way through a project, thousands of unexpected and un-planned-for dollars can suddenly appear on your bill, and many people have no other choice but to pay costs that significantly exceed their budget.
That’s why the team at All Custom Granny Flats feel it is important to air and investigate all site costs before a project begins. We want you to feel financially secure and prevent potential budget blow-outs by allowing for site costs and expenses in our quotations, and by disclosing these during our consultation with you. We do this with the utmost care and consideration, and to the very best of our knowledge at the time.
Site costs based on ‘generic probability’ (i.e. assumed costs, rather than factually-established costs) can vary, starting anywhere from a reasonable $5000 to a heart-stopping $30,000! Adding such costs onto your budget is simply unfathomable for most people, especially considering these costings don’t even take into consideration problematic site constraints like unsupported drainage slopes or excessive excavation and associated earthworks.
Even more concerning is that too often the team at All Custom Granny Flats will hear of other businesses advertising a package price that does not even include site costs, or that are missing certain elements which inevitably you pay for when they arise. This is known as one of the many “smoke screen and mirrors” effects that companies use to make the granny flat initially appear much cheaper than its true project costs.
Here at All Custom Granny Flats, we believe it is imperative that you know what the full cost of your investment is, in its entirety, before you sign any contracts. We believe that you have the right to know exactly what you will receive for the advertised package, and we will quote you accordingly.
At All Custom Granny Flats, we put the time and effort in from day one. We will:
- conduct a full assessment of your project,
- ensure that in the first consultation a licensed builder or designer meets with you to determine the extent of preliminary site work required,
- recommend alternative concepts (where necessary) to achieve your desired result *, and;
- talk you through and explain each detail of your costings.
You can remain confident that as a team of licensed builders of over 30 years, the up-front advice given by All Custom Granny Flats will be professional and accurate. Together we will plan and custom design your project in accordance with site constraints and budget requirements.
