Pole home construction

[DCI]

Hi interested to here from forumites who have built pole homes or are looking at doing so in the near future. In particular on the side of mountains.
Did you find foundation cost to be a major issue when selecting a hillside site. I understand Geotech reports are needed and wind velocity test and slope stability reports/ fire management etc etc.
I am looking at a few sites in the Gold Coast Hinterland, so would be interested to here of any recommendations people have of pole home builders and perhaps the final build cost,and what the home consited of.
Were you happy with the quality of the work etc.
Thanks in advance

 

[depreciator]

One of our QSs just finished a house (his own) on a very steep hill on the NSW far north coast. And being a QS, he would have been very anAl about everything. Give me a call or send me an email and I'll give you his phone number.
Scott

 

[Rockstar]

One of our QSs just finished a house (his own) on a very steep hill on the NSW far north coast.
Scott

We had a pole home built in same area about 6yrs ago. It use to sway around a bit until we built in underneath. So it probably could have done with some more bracing. Apart from that it has been fine. Mind you, the poles do not come right up into the original house. ie: the bearers are fixed onto the top of the poles and a conventional floor and frame system is built up from there.

 

[depreciator]

This one has steel posts, so I guess it's not a true 'pole home'. There would have been similar site issues, though. It's a great looking house - I'd post some pics bu they're all around 2MB.
Scott

 

[DCI]

We had a pole home built in same area about 6yrs ago. It use to sway around a bit until we built in underneath. So it probably could have done with some more bracing. Apart from that it has been fine. Mind you, the poles do not come right up into the original house. ie: the bearers are fixed onto the top of the poles and a conventional floor and frame system is built up from there.

Hi Rockstar,
Did your home happen to be a kit pole home.
Just as a few builders have said that the kit pole homes are renound for moving a little?
I have noticed quite a few seem to have been built in under,perhaps to reduce this problem with the wind.

 

[DCI]

This one has steel posts, so I guess it's not a true 'pole home'. There would have been similar site issues, though. It's a great looking house - I'd post some pics bu they're all around 2MB.
Scott

Thanks Depreciator,
Would be interested to see if you can upload a couple of pics.
We would probably go the steel post with bearers etc rather than the timber poles through the entire floor and inside.
Cheers

 

[Rockstar]

Hi Rockstar,
Did your home happen to be a kit pole home.
Just as a few builders have said that the kit pole homes are renound for moving a little?
I have noticed quite a few seem to have been built in under,perhaps to reduce this problem with the wind.

No it wasn't a kit home - the home was built by a local builder who preferred using poles to sit his houses on. More to do with speed of construction I would say. You don't need to be as accurate when working with poles.

Any house upon posts will move if they are not braced enough. Ours felt like being in a boat sometimes when the wind was strong.

 

[depreciator]

Thanks Depreciator,
Would be interested to see if you can upload a couple of pics.

The pics are over 2MB, so as I said too big to post. Send me your email address and I'll email them to you.
Scott

 

[MichaelW]

DCI,

My PPOR in North Narrabeen is a pole home on a 20 degree slope. It wasn't nearly as complex as you might think, but getting stuff onto the site was tricky.

The excavation was easy for the pole footings and my builder just arranged a concrete pump to pump the concrete up to the site to set the poles in the footings. The attached image is a shot from the inclinator looking up under the first floor deck.

Feel free to post any specific questions on the process and I'll do my best to respond. We got it professionally built to lock-up then owner built it to completion.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Rockstar]

Hi DCI,

Here are a couple of pics of our home showing the poles extending up to the first floor level.

 

[DCI]

DCI,

My PPOR in North Narrabeen is a pole home on a 20 degree slope. It wasn't nearly as complex as you might think, but getting stuff onto the site was tricky.

The excavation was easy for the pole footings and my builder just arranged a concrete pump to pump the concrete up to the site to set the poles in the footings. The attached image is a shot from the inclinator looking up under the first floor deck.

Feel free to post any specific questions on the process and I'll do my best to respond. We got it professionally built to lock-up then owner built it to completion.

Cheers,
Michael

Hi Michael,
Thanks for the pic,looks like it would be a nice place from above.
Good views I suppose.
How deep did they need to dig your footings?
How many post all up to support the size of home?
Looking back was it worth the extra work/$$ to finish it yourself from lock-up?
I can't quite tell but what did you use for the external cladding of the home?
Thanks

 

[MichaelW]

Thanks for the pic,looks like it would be a nice place from above.

Thanks, it is. Quite a big house with four double bedrooms all with built ins, a large U-shaped kitchen and a separate dining room. Large lounge/rumpus downstairs which was big enough to host 40 people at our Wedding Reception...

Good views I suppose.

Yes, quite nice. We don't have ocean views but we have valley/lake views and ocean glimpses.

How deep did they need to dig your footings? How many post all up to support the size of home?

About 3m deep, and there's about 20 poles all up. I could dig out the engineering drawings if you like and scan and post them, but the footings were all designed by a local geotech. You'll need one for your build if its pole construction.

Looking back was it worth the extra work/$$ to finish it yourself from lock-up?

Yes, we think so. This type of build is a lot more expensive than your usual project home on a flat block. The original quote to completion was $350K and $250K to lock-up. We finished it ourselves and it ended up costing much the same, but the level of finish was much higher as we sourced quality materials like blackbutt flooring instead of pine and did it for the same price or less. Our spa shower alone cost almost $10K but that was my wife's luxury item.

I can't quite tell but what did you use for the external cladding of the home?

Its all finished in Weathertex. The profile is called Braidwood. We painted it inside and out ourselves and saved a fortune by doing that too but it was back breaking work.

We love the place and being up amongst the trees with the possums and bandicoots is just magic. I'm sure you'd love your place just as much if you end up going down that path, but its not your regular suburban McMansion if that's your thing.

Cheers,
Michael

 

[DCI]

Hi DCI,

Here are a couple of pics of our home showing the poles extending up to the first floor level.

Thanks Rockstar
Nice place,
Looks like you are on a pretty steep block.
Did you have those rocks or should I say boulders positioned to create a terrace level down the slope. How have you delt with creating a yard etc?
That is one concern for me having kids and living on a reasonably steep slope.
Building the back up with a retaining wall would appear to be pretty major work, plus more council conundrum.
The alternative is to build a kick *** deck and lock the kids out there.
My wife is concerned also for there safety being a little higher of the ground.
So many things to consider.

 

[Rockstar]

Yeah Mate, A really steep block. I actually make the rocks - it's my trade that I taught myself. Hence Rockstar Though it helped being already a landscaper and horticulturist. Most of the rocks you can see are hollow but I don't always make them like that. It just happened to be the easiest way on such a steep site with poor access.
Basically that is our yard. We do have a very small area up the top with less slope but that is all landscaped as well with boulders and waterfall. So I have a place with no lawns at all. The neighbour does my little patch of nature strip so I don't even own a mower.

Not good for footy or cricket but our kid has grown up and I don't need to play will balls any more.

 

[MichaelW]

So I have a place with no lawns at all. The neighbour does my little patch of nature strip so I don't even own a mower.

Not good for footy or cricket but our kid has grown up and I don't need to play will balls any more.

Snap! No lawn in our place either. 1600m2 of sub-tropical rainforest on a 20degree slope. At the top I've planted a few fruit trees, and have a couple of chooks in a shed, but no lawn at all. I've levelled a section in the yard and installed a swing set, sandpit, slippery dip for my son. He loves running around the yard anyway and rolling down the slope.

Here's a few more pics for context. LOTS of trees/palms etc...

Cheers,
Michael

 

[DCI]

Snap! No lawn in our place either. 1600m2 of sub-tropical rainforest on a 20degree slope. At the top I've planted a few fruit trees, and have a couple of chooks in a shed, but no lawn at all. I've levelled a section in the yard and installed a swing set, sandpit, slippery dip for my son. He loves running around the yard anyway and rolling down the slope.

Here's a few more pics for context. LOTS of trees/palms etc...

Cheers,
Michael

Thanks Michael for the pics,
Looks a really peaceful location.
Do you use septic and water tanks for supply
or are you connected.
Interested to know connection/running costs for septic and any problems associated?
Thanks
Dave

 

[MichaelW]

Dave,

We're on mains water connected up from the street 50m below, but we still have awesome pressure as we went overspec pipe diameter...

But we also have a 4,000ltr water tank connected too which we use to water the garden. Not that it needs it as we are sub-tropical and one of the wettest postcodes in Sydney. I suppose if the world goes to crap we'll still have fresh water! Just buy some purification tabs and we're set...

Cheers,
Michael

 

[Mark C]

DCI,

Just stumbled onto this thread, I'm in the process of appointing a builder for some pole homes on the Gold Coast. I expect to place contract this week for 4 pole homes.

Steep site limited access, 2 - 3 storey houses. I have a web site www.currumbinridge.com.au where I have some completed houses already on site. The photo's of Stage 2 are all pole homes however they don't show foundations very well which are bored piers and steel frame.

I have just over 100 to build over the next 3 - 4 years, access makes construction slow going.

Somethings to note during the construction are:
Scaffold costs are high, limited laydown/storage area's, deliveries restrict local traffic, retaining/landscaping costs. Also generally pole homes are built in more natural settings eg. gum trees/termites are usually everywhere. The buildings should be designed as termite resistant as possible, such as using steel framing and exposed footings for visual inspections of termite tunnels and or treatment of all exposed timbers. Bushfire codes will also be a factor in determining housing materials.

Construction costs are higher than traditional slab on ground and the lack of usable land around the house makes the pole home appeal to a particular type of occupant.

If water and sewer are available at the font of your property then generally you wont have a choice but to pay for connection, most cases you can supply both yourself for much less than council fees.


Mark

 

[DCI]

Hi Mark,
Thanks for the link.
Very nice places indeed.
Any chance you could give me a rough idea as to build cost for a 4Bed pole home with steel post and large deck with open plan living.
I understand site restraints will vary the cost, obviously developer costs would be cheaper so I'll shout you a beer for a one off
Anyway any estimates would be appreciated.
Thanks
Dave

 

[DCI]

But seriously....it would be a cold beer