I urgently need your advice.

Hello first of all. I am new here since today.

The following situation:
We want to build a bungalow house this year and it is important to me that I have no steps anywhere in or around the house.
How deep can the foundation slab be compared to the garden?

A few small pieces of information so you can better imagine it:
My plot has about 60 cm slope from the highest point to the front door or about 60 cm from the highest point to the terrace, and then it slopes down further, so I already have to add a lot of soil at the terrace and the entrance. That is why I want to keep it as low as possible.

Unfortunately, the builder says "you don't lay a foundation slab in the dirt," so he wants the top edge of the lawn at the highest point in the garden to be level with the bottom edge of the foundation slab.

What do you think about that?

It is urgent. On 16.01.2015 the excavator is coming.

That must already be recorded in the building permit, how high the base slab is? Whether something could still be changed now? Our architect has strongly advised to set the top edge of the base slab at least 15cm above the top edge of the ground.

What is meant by top edge of the lawn equal to bottom edge of the base slab? At least the topsoil is always removed. Is it supposed to be completely refilled and the base slab laid on that?

My plot has about 60 cm slope from the highest point to the front door or about 60 cm from the highest point to the terrace

Can you make a sketch (cross-section)? I understand it as either one end of the house is 60 cm below the surface or the front door is hovering 60 cm above the ground. Your builder prefers the latter.

Spontaneously, I see the following options:

1.) Let them do it. Afterwards, when the house is finished, the plot will be adjusted. Possibly ramps will be built.

2.) Let the excavator come earlier and level the plot. At the end/beginning you place a wall. Whether this is even possible depends on ...

Hello,
Do you want to save money on the earthworks or is there a reason why you do not want steps?
For me, it is first important that my house stays dry and that water cannot penetrate during heavy rain. Are you building a basement? Our soil expert recommended building the top edge of the concrete slab at least 10 cm above the top edge of the rainwater drains of the adjacent street. On top of that, there are about 15 cm of flooring. Do you have a soil report? Does it say anything about groundwater or rainwater?
Are earthworks included in the scope of services? In the offers I have received, at least the removal and storage of the top 20 cm of topsoil was always included, as well as the laying of 30 cm of gravel in the area of the concrete slab.

That must already be specified in the building permit how high the floor slab is? Is it still possible to change something there?

No, with us it was also discussed on site at short notice. Maybe it’s possible if you are below the max. height?!

Can you make a sketch (cross-section)?

I don’t understand it either - please a sketch

Do you want to save money on the earthworks or is there a reason why you don’t want any steps?

There is the issue of accessibility

Regards Yvonne

Hello,

This year we want to build a bungalow house and it is important to me that there are no steps anywhere in or around the house. How deep can the base slab be made in comparison to the garden?

I don't really want to believe that...

There is the specification of a ridge or eaves height for your building project, right? This must be strictly adhered to in the building application! One possible alternative would be that you bought a plot in an older existing area and there is no valid development plan anymore. But even then, it must be noted (and by the way approved) in the building application at which height – depending on the existing street level – the bungalow may be founded?

Unfortunately, the builder says "you don't lay a base slab in the dirt," so he wants the top edge of the lawn at the highest point in the garden to be level with the bottom edge of the base slab.

He is right about that!

Just imagine it rains heavily for a while and a lot of water hits ground that can no longer absorb any water. Then the water would run – in your desired scenario – into the house; I don't believe you have really thought that through. Make sure the base slab is at least one step higher than the adjacent street level so that runoff water flows "around" the base slab and not into the bungalow.

By the way, you don't really have to build a step, but you can have the access to the house designed sloping (wheelchair accessible). Then there’s no tripping step and still the bungalow is protected in case of rain. Similarly, you can have the terrace laid out.

Rhenish regards