Call (02) 9133 1329Request a quoteGeotechnical resources
Useful, plain-English guidance for homeowners, builders, architects, structural engineers and developers across Sydney and New South Wales. These guides explain common questions while recognising that reliable advice must respond to the individual site and project.
Need a report rather than general advice? Explore our AS 2870 site classification reports or geotechnical investigation and soil testing services. Unsure which assessment applies? Compare a geotechnical report with a soil test.
Practical guides
Find practical answers about residential site classification, Sydney geotechnical investigations, project costs, difficult ground, approval requests and construction planning.
Sydney geotechnical advice
Compare investigation scopes, understand confirmed starting prices and prepare useful information for a project-specific quote.
2026 Sydney cost guide
Sydney geotechnical report costs explained: standard AS 2870 geotechnical reports from $650, with broader investigations quoted to suit the project-specific scope.
Read the guide →Sydney housing strategy and project feasibility
How Sydney's housing growth strategy affects site due diligence, residential development investigations and ground-risk planning in Western and South West Sydney.
Read the guide →Consultant selection checklist
Compare Sydney geotechnical companies by investigation scope, clear reporting, local ground knowledge, communication and transparent project pricing.
Read the guide →Greater Sydney service areas
Find geotechnical engineering help across Sydney, Western Sydney, South West Sydney, Macarthur and Wollongong for your actual site and project.
Read the guide →AS 2870 classification pricing
Understand Sydney AS 2870 site classification pricing from $650, what affects the scope, and when a broader geotechnical investigation is needed.
Read the guide →Professional project briefing checklist
A practical geotechnical scope checklist for Sydney builders, structural engineers and certifiers: drawings, site details, project risks and approval requests.
Read the guide →Investigation costs and project planning
Understand Sydney geotechnical investigation costs, borehole depth, access, sampling and reporting so you can request an appropriately scoped project quotation.
Read the guide →Sydney geotechnical advice
Understand AS 2870 residential site classes, ground investigation and what soil information means for footing design.
AS 2870 homeowner guide
AS 2870 site classification reports in Sydney from $650. Understand A, S, M, H1, H2, E and P classes and request a fixed-fee quote.
Read the guide →Residential soil testing guide
Understand soil testing for building a house, how AS 2870 site classification supports footing design, and when broader investigation is needed across Sydney and NSW.
Read the guide →Site classification and report validity
Find out when an older soil report or neighbouring site's investigation may be useful, and why Sydney building projects often need site-specific assessment.
Read the guide →Infiltration and wastewater field testing
Understand percolation testing for NSW on-site wastewater and infiltration projects, including site conditions, test limitations and information needed for a quote.
Read the guide →Choosing the right assessment
Compare a soil test, soil report, AS 2870 site classification and broader geotechnical report, with guidance for projects across Sydney and NSW.
Read the guide →Problem sites and residential foundations
Learn what an AS 2870 Class P site can mean in Sydney, why special foundation design may be needed and when further geotechnical assessment is appropriate.
Read the guide →Expedited AS 2870 reporting in Sydney
Same-day geotechnical report options in Sydney from $650 for suitable AS 2870 residential site-classification scopes confirmed before booking.
Read the guide →Sydney geotechnical advice
Learn how investigations are planned, what happens on site and how geotechnical information supports engineering decisions.
Western Sydney Airport and development planning
Plan geotechnical investigations for Western Sydney Aerotropolis industrial, logistics, commercial and residential projects near the new airport.
Read the guide →Engineering roles explained
Understand what a Sydney geotechnical engineer investigates, how ground advice supports design, and when your building project may need specialist input.
Read the guide →Sydney project planning
A practical overview of geotechnical engineering in Sydney: site classification, foundations, excavation, slopes, groundwater and construction checks.
Read the guide →Investigation process guide
See how Sydney geotechnical investigations move from project briefing and site access to fieldwork, testing, engineering interpretation and reporting.
Read the guide →On-site fieldwork guide
Learn what happens during Sydney geotechnical site fieldwork, including access checks, boreholes, soil sampling, DCP testing and site restoration.
Read the guide →Foundations and ground support
Understand bearing capacity, founding conditions and how geotechnical information supports Sydney residential footing and foundation design.
Read the guide →Basement and excavation planning
Understand Sydney basement excavation risks involving groundwater, soil and rock, neighbouring property, temporary support and investigation scope.
Read the guide →Construction plant and platform assessment
Understand working-platform assessment for piling rigs, drilling plant and cranes, including subgrade conditions, plant loading and platform verification.
Read the guide →Subsurface investigation methods
Understand how geotechnical borehole drilling and soil sampling support site investigation, foundation, excavation and development decisions across Sydney and NSW.
Read the guide →Field testing and site observations
Learn when dynamic cone penetrometer testing may assist a Sydney geotechnical assessment and understand the limitations of interpreting DCP results.
Read the guide →Commercial and multi-stage development
Plan a commercial geotechnical investigation in Sydney, including development scale, foundations, excavation, access and project-specific ground risks.
Read the guide →Practical fieldwork and access planning
Find out how narrow access, existing buildings, slopes and underground services can affect a Sydney geotechnical investigation and quotation.
Read the guide →Basements and subsurface construction
Understand basement excavation geotechnical investigation requirements, including rock, groundwater, shoring and adjacent-property considerations across Sydney and NSW.
Read the guide →Excavation support and neighbouring structures
Understand geotechnical considerations for Sydney excavation and shoring, including ground profiles, support, groundwater and nearby foundations.
Read the guide →Earthworks and engineered fill
Understand when AS 3798 may be relevant to Sydney earthworks, engineered fill, compaction assessment and geotechnical construction requirements.
Read the guide →Sydney geotechnical advice
Practical ground-related guidance for new homes, granny flats, extensions and knockdown-rebuild projects.
Sydney housing policy and ground conditions
How NSW low- and mid-rise housing changes affect site investigations, residential footing design, excavation and geotechnical planning for Sydney developments.
Read the guide →Transport-oriented housing and infill development
What Sydney transport-oriented development and station-precinct projects may need from geotechnical investigations, excavation assessments and foundation advice.
Read the guide →Early-stage project planning
Learn when early geotechnical advice can help Sydney homeowners and developers plan footings, excavation, slopes and project-specific investigation.
Read the guide →Plain-English report guide
Learn how to interpret a Sydney geotechnical report, including borehole logs, site classification, founding recommendations, limitations and next steps.
Read the guide →New-home footing guidance
Find out when an NSW house project may need AS 2870 site classification, what the footing designer requires, and when further investigation is needed.
Read the guide →Secondary dwelling guidance
Learn when a Sydney granny flat may need site classification or geotechnical advice, including access, existing services, fill and approval requests.
Read the guide →Renovation and addition guidance
Understand geotechnical and site-classification considerations for Sydney house extensions, new footings and second-storey additions.
Read the guide →Demolition and rebuilding guide
Plan a Sydney knockdown-rebuild geotechnical assessment around existing foundations, demolition timing, access, fill and the proposed new footprint.
Read the guide →Construction-stage inspection guide
Learn when a footing excavation inspection may be needed, what a geotechnical engineer checks on site and how Sydney builders can arrange an inspection.
Read the guide →Pool excavation and ground conditions
Find out when a Sydney swimming pool project may need geotechnical investigation for excavation, fill, groundwater, rock, retaining walls or nearby structures.
Read the guide →Sydney residential development guide
Understand geotechnical investigation, site classification and foundation considerations for Sydney duplex and dual-occupancy development projects.
Read the guide →Ground movement and existing structures
Understand potential ground-related causes of foundation settlement and cracking in Sydney homes, and when structural and geotechnical advice may be needed.
Read the guide →Construction-stage inspections
Learn when to arrange a Sydney geotechnical footing or pier inspection, what documents to provide and why inspections must suit the actual construction stage.
Read the guide →Multi-dwelling residential development
Understand geotechnical investigation considerations for Sydney townhouse projects, including multiple foundations, excavation, retaining walls and approval scope.
Read the guide →Sydney geotechnical advice
Explore slope risk, retaining-wall conditions and when project-specific geotechnical input may be needed.
Retaining wall planning guide
When a Sydney retaining wall may need geotechnical investigation, what the engineer assesses, and what to provide for a project-specific quote.
Read the guide →Hillside development guidance
Learn how Sydney sloping-site geotechnical assessments consider terrain, excavation, retaining walls, drainage, neighbouring property and stability.
Read the guide →Slope risk and approval triggers
Identify when a Sydney slope stability assessment may be requested for hillside development, retaining walls, excavation or mapped ground hazards.
Read the guide →Sloping land and property due diligence
Learn which slope, fill, drainage, retaining-wall and access questions to investigate before buying or developing a sloping Sydney property.
Read the guide →Slope hazards and risk assessment
Learn when a Sydney sloping property may need landslide-risk or slope-stability assessment and what project information helps define the scope.
Read the guide →Sydney geotechnical advice
Understand how approval-related geotechnical requirements depend on the proposal, site and relevant assessment authority.
2026 NSW development approval update
Understand what NSW's 2026 development-assessment changes mean for geotechnical reports, council requests, difficult sites and a well-prepared Sydney DA.
Read the guide →2026 complying development guide
What proposed NSW complying-development changes could mean for residential site classification, AS 2870 footing design and project-specific geotechnical evidence.
Read the guide →DA and approval guidance
Understand when NSW councils or certifiers may request geotechnical reports for slopes, excavation, retaining walls, fill or proposed development.
Read the guide →Development application support
Understand when an NSW development application may need a geotechnical report and how to match the scope to slopes, excavation, fill or council requests.
Read the guide →Complying development guidance
Learn how NSW complying development projects may involve site classification or targeted geotechnical input, depending on the proposal and certifier.
Read the guide →Subdivision and development planning
Understand how NSW subdivision investigations may assess terrain, fill, ground conditions, drainage, slope and project-specific development constraints.
Read the guide →Retaining walls, development and approvals
Learn when a NSW retaining wall may need geotechnical advice, structural design or approval-related information without assuming one universal council rule.
Read the guide →Development application support in Sydney
Geotechnical reports from $650 for supporting Sydney DA applications where a suitable residential request can be addressed by a standard AS 2870 scope.
Read the guide →Sydney geotechnical advice
Learn about reactive clay, variable ground, moisture-related movement and other Sydney-region site considerations.
Western Sydney ground conditions
Understand reactive clay, moisture changes and residential footing considerations in Western Sydney without assuming every suburb has the same soil.
Read the guide →Fill, settlement and foundation planning
Learn how placed or uncontrolled fill may affect Sydney building projects, site classification, settlement risk and project-specific foundation advice.
Read the guide →Residential ground movement
Learn how trees, soil moisture, drainage and reactive clay may affect Sydney residential foundations and when site-specific geotechnical assessment is useful.
Read the guide →Western Sydney geology and ground conditions
Understand how Bringelly Shale, weathering and local ground variability may affect Western Sydney site classification, foundations and excavation planning.
Read the guide →Sandstone and variable rock conditions
Learn how sandstone depth, weathering, excavation conditions and local ground variability may affect Sydney foundations and basement projects.
Read the guide →Coastal and near-shore ground conditions
Understand how coastal sand, seepage and groundwater may influence site investigations, basements and foundations in parts of Sydney and Illawarra.
Read the guide →Need project-specific advice?
We can help identify an appropriate investigation scope for your Sydney or NSW project.