Land with a spring

Hello first of all, I have just registered but already have a question.

We decided to build a house about half a year ago. The search for a suitable plot (size, price, orientation, location, etc.) was more difficult than I thought. Now we have found an ideal plot, which, however, has a small catch that I cannot currently assess. According to the neighbors and also confirmed by the municipality, there is a spring in the rear area. The plot is currently about 1m below street level and needs to be filled. In the area of the future foundation slab, there is about 10cm of standing water that, in my assessment, does not drain because of the clayey soil. We are not planning a basement. We have commissioned a soil survey, which will arrive in the next few weeks. What things must be considered in such a case?

Hello,

What things must be considered in such a case?

This cannot be answered reliably from a distance. Wait for the soil survey, it contains all the measures that need to be taken. When you have this data, one can try to estimate the approximate measures/costs.

Kind regards

So, the geologist was on the property today and drilled his holes. After about 2m of peat up to 4m, fairly even. Now I am curious about the report and the recommendations :-(

We'll first see what the expert thinks about it, but I would also prefer to play it safe. The neighboring plot has not been sold yet, and if a future neighbor decides, despite the effort, to build with a basement, I imagine that would be problematic because then the peat layer would be limited on one side. We haven't bought the plot yet, so we can still reconsider everything and renegotiate the price with the municipality. However, yesterday the plot list of the building area was updated again, and a plot that also fits well into our criteria is no longer reserved. It possibly also has peat but at least no spring, which definitely doesn't make the soil replacement any cheaper.

We have changed the reservation. A plot with a spring, very high groundwater, and two meters of peat is then too many problems at once. Now a new report will be made first to see what awaits us there.
On the subject of soil reports, I spoke with the building authority and if I buy the plot, the costs for the report will be reimbursed. For the second report, they indicated that they will cover this as well. If this is normal, it is still astonishing why there are still people who buy blindly without a report.

Hello,

If this is normal, it's still amazing why there are people who buy blindly without an expert report.

I have been asking myself this question for a long time and unfortunately find only one answer: it costs money!

If, as in your case, the municipality covers the costs, this is by no means standard procedure. On the contrary, it is rather common practice that reputable providers - architects anyway - already offer/recommend a soil survey as part of their standard. However, the home builders who build their house completely by themselves often rely on the results of the municipalities - which create, for example, a soil survey at certain key points in new development areas - or on the statements of the neighborhood. This can work out well, but it does not have to; I have experienced that in the construction of an entire semi-detached house, different soil was found under the two halves.

Kind regards