Many Australian designers, builders, and homeowners are attracted to building a hillside house. Living on a sloping block means enjoying picturesque views of lush greenery and Mother Nature. Embarking on a long, tiring journey to the countryside is no longer an option—you can savour the scenic views on your doorstep.
Constructing a house on a Gold Coast sloping block presents a unique challenge to new and experienced contractors. Builders and architects can roll up their sleeves and let their creative juices flow, conceptualising and constructing an eye-catching residence that defies the norm. Overcoming these hurdles brings a sense of accomplishment to everyone involved in the project.
Conversely, homeowners can customise their hillside houses following their unique preferences and personalities. The freedom to build a home that stands out in an attractive, postcard-worthy setting is an exciting possibility.
As a team of experienced Brisbane sloping block builders, we know this kind of house is more complicated than its standard version. This blog will thoroughly explain the pros and cons with sloping blocks to ensure interested homeowners are informed and prepared.
How Do Builders Construct A House On A Sloped Section?
Australian builders use several construction techniques for houses on sloped sections, including the following:
- Cut and fill: Construction experts level out the section before building the structure in this scenario. They cut some soil from the high side and fill up the high side to flatten the house’s surface.
- Pole houses: Many contractors design and build homes that minimally affect the surrounding landscape. A pole house follows that orientation, using long poles or stilts to support the main structure atop the slope. Hence, the house’s flat surface doesn’t conform to the slope.
- Slope burial: This strategy involves burying a part of the house under the slope, resulting in a rooftop that’s parallel to the higher area. Consequently, the visually striking structure meshes seamlessly with the surrounding natural environment.
- Split-level homes: As the term implies, these houses feature multiple interior levels to accommodate the sloping block. Short flights of stairs or transitional spaces neutralise the slope’s natural effect and maximise stunning views.
- Cantilevered: In this setup, the house’s front portion juts above the sloping block. This creative technique enhances aesthetics and leaves the slope unscathed.
Benefits Of Building On A Sloping Block
Constructing houses on a sloping block results in state-of-the-art residences in unique settings. Designers and builders ensure that each house meshes perfectly with the surrounding landscape. This section will explain the advantages of building a house on a slope.
- Stunning, picturesque views: Whether your house is on a lush, grassy slope overlooking clear, blue skies, the majestic mountains, or the crystal-clear ocean, it’s a setting that allows you to enjoy stunning scenery, de-stress, and recalibrate. This attribute is one of the best features of a house on a sloped block.
- Beautiful aesthetics: Australian designers and builders must improvise and work around the sloping block’s orientation. These houses feature higher ceilings across multiple spacious living areas that welcome visitors and enhance homeowners’ privacy. The result is a visually appealing residence that’s easy on the eyes.
Landscaping: Houses on sloping blocks use natural drainage, which allows unique landscaping possibilities, including terraced gardens and retaining walls. - Natural light: Residences built on slopes have windows and openings that maximise natural sunlight, significantly reducing reliance on artificial light. Consequently, homeowners drastically lower their monthly electricity bills.
- Passive cooling: Hillside houses’ windows and various openings take advantage of natural ventilation from the surrounding cool breeze. Hence, reliance on air conditioning will diminish considerably during the harsh Australian summer months from December to February. You will pay lower energy bills and save money for necessities like food and clothing.
What Are The Issues Of Constructing A Hillside House?
There are two types of houses on sloping blocks:
- Upslope: In this scenario, the house follows the slope upward away from the road.
- Downslope: The structure follows the slope downward away from the road.
Both types offer unique challenges to designers and builders. However, the slope gradient remains the primary consideration in both instances.
Australian contractors consider houses built on slopes with an incline of 10% or less the easiest to build. They consider those built on a slope with an incline between 10% and 20% as steep. Please remember that higher gradients translate to steeper costs.
Here are the challenges of constructing a hillside home:
Long timelines and steep costs
Houses on sloping blocks’ intricate foundation systems have a hefty price tag—more expensive than the price of an entire home built on a flat surface.
Structures built on moderate inclines already require deeper excavation using specialised equipment, retaining walls, and unique drainage and septic systems. These additional tasks require extra labour and expenses which contribute to the final costs.
More work also means lengthier timelines for hillside houses, which usually require nine to twelve months to complete. Structures built on steeper gradients may take between twelve to eighteen months to finish.
Complex drainage and sewage systems
Constructing hillside houses requires careful planning and consideration for surface and subsurface drainage. These systems must efficiently collect rainwater runoff to prevent it from overflowing into neighbouring houses.
Retaining walls also require proper drainage to preserve structural integrity and prevent water pooling. Depending on the site’s restrictions, contractors must decide whether to pump sewage upward or restrict its downward flow, which makes the project more complex and expensive.
Restricted site access
Sloping blocks present challenging conditions that restrict site access. For instance, builders may experience difficulties bringing equipment, manpower, and materials to the site when muddy conditions prevail. Even in pleasant weather, steeper gradients are challenging to access.
Worse, your contractor may propose additional labour to facilitate access to heavy equipment, including cranes, concrete trucks, and excavators.
Ground formation concerns
Soil type is a primary consideration for hillside house builders. They must determine the location of rocks because rock excavation takes time and ramps up costs.
The best-case scenario involves excavating less challenging materials such as loess, windblown sediment composed of clay and sand. However, many sites with sloping blocks have shallow or exposed rocks that require additional excavation costs.
Landscaping challenges
Although landscaping your hillside house seems enjoyable, it will cost more and take time. Homeowners must consider the types of plants and make the surrounding landscape feasible for this task.
Plants with deep roots, such as English Ivy and Euonymus vines, are ideal for landscaping on steep gradients. They also help prevent erosion and weeding.
What Are The Extra Costs Involved?
Constructing a house on a sloping block is more expensive than building one on a flat surface. Determining how your contractor assembles your hillside house will give you an idea of the total costs. We recommend hiring an experienced quantity surveyor who will consider site access, slope steepness, and foundation work in providing an accurate estimate.
7 Recommendations For Constructing A House On A Sloping Block
Don’t let the steeper costs and lengthy timelines of hillside houses deter you from building one. Stunning, picturesque views, more privacy, natural light, passive cooling, and reduced energy costs will give you a solid return on your investment. Determined homeowners can overcome the initial challenges and enjoy their customised houses on sloping blocks over time.
If you’re ready to embark on this exciting journey, please follow these recommendations:
- Hire a quantity surveyor: A highly experienced quantity surveyor will consider factors such as site access, slope gradient, and foundation work before offering a precise, upfront quotation.
- Ensure full collaboration among involved parties: Designing and constructing a hillside home requires the cooperation of the homeowner, designer, builder, quantity surveyor, architect, engineers, and suppliers. Sharing ideas and perspectives will produce optimum results.
- Establish a contingency plan: You must have a Plan B in case plans go off track. Ensure you set up a contingency plan in your contract with your builder. The company can discuss the specific measures before the actual work begins.
Allocate more time: Builders can complete standard houses on flat surfaces within six to nine months. Conversely, houses on sloping blocks with steeper gradients and complex requirements may take twelve to eighteen months to finish. We recommend working around the wet winter periods to prevent delays and complications. - Allocate more time: Builders can complete standard houses on flat surfaces within six to nine months. Conversely, houses on sloping blocks with steeper gradients and complex requirements may take twelve to eighteen months to finish. We recommend working around the wet winter periods to prevent delays and complications.
- Obtain a geographical report: Before setting up your work site, you and your team must know the ground components. For reference, ask your structural engineer for an accurate geographical report.
- Know local council regulations: Building hillside houses requires resource consent for excavation work, height restrictions, and recession plans from the local council. We recommend thoroughly understanding the local district plan to optimise your new house’s potential.
- Hire the right people: Sloping blocks present unique and daunting challenges to homeowners. Do thorough research and hire highly skilled and qualified designers, builders, engineers, and architects with excellent track records. Hiring the right people will produce the best long-term results.
Contact Us
Building a house on a sloping block entails innovative and customised aesthetics. With some imagination, you can use the steep gradient to your advantage and conceptualise a stunning home you and your family will enjoy.
Please contact us today to discuss your hillside house requirements. We will work with you to turn your dream house on a sloping block into reality.
