If you’re thinking of building on engineered fill and need to keep the material on site, as the team who wrote the Engineered Fill chapter of the NHBC Standards, our experts are best placed to help you get it right.
No, we don’t. Our Land Quality Service offers technical risk management for clients who want to evaluate and remediate their sites for future residential development or who need assurance that proposed foundation or remedial solutions for their development objectives, comply with the NHBC Standards (Chapter 4.1 Land Quality: Managing Ground Conditions), supporting their future application for warranty and insurance cover.
For maximum benefit, we would always recommend that you engage the team as early as possible in the pre-development stages. At the very least, a minimum of three months in advance of work starting.
This is a bespoke service and the price for each project will be determined by a number of factors such as the complexity and size of the site, the duration of our engagement and the level of service required.
Consultants are usually experts in one specific area. Our team includes both geotechnical and geo-environmental specialists who work together to ensure that solutions are well-matched across both areas and practical for construction. Only NHBC has the authority to determine whether proposals (or works) can meet the requirements of the NHBC Standards.
Our team has often supported housebuilders in gaining acceptance for innovative methods, such as ground improvement solutions on peaty ground or sites with high-ground gas risks.
Planning often ignores whether a site is practical for residential development. Instead, it focuses on regulations like contamination, noise, wildlife and water. Our Land Quality Service is fully focused on whether the site is right for future home building and will meet the land quality requirements of NHBC Standards.
Previously developed land that may require ground remediation before construction.
Previously developed land, or derelict sites that offer limited value in restricting urban sprawl, maintaining settlement within the greenbelt that may have redevelopment potential with appropriate land quality assessment.
On sites with challenging ground conditions, it’s unlikely to be in your best interests to wait until the point of registration to find out if your detailed designs are going to meet the NHBC Standards. By engaging our Land Quality Service early, you can simplify the warranty acceptance process. Our team can review your proposals and work with you to achieve solutions that mean you can achieve your goals without the risk of abortive costs. This is particularly useful where innovative or unique approaches, are being considered.