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Cost Guide · Fixed Fees · Sydney

How Much Does A Geotechnical Report Cost In Sydney?

It depends on the block, not the size of the build, but the starting points are published, and every fee is confirmed in writing before anyone drills. Here is what each kind of report costs and what moves the number.

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Site classification from $800 + GST · Footing inspections from $600 + GST · Fixed fee in writing within one business day · 5.0 from 33 Google reviews

01 · Site Classification

Site Classification. Three Tiers.

The AS 2870 site classification is the report most Sydney homes, extensions, pools and granny flats need. It is fixed-fee, and the tier is set by the complexity of your block, not the size of your project.

ANCILLARY RESIDENTIAL

from $800 + GST

Granny flats. Small additions. New homes on cleared blocks. Tightly scoped projects with clear access, priced from $800 + GST. Every fee is set against your specific block.

STANDARD RESIDENTIAL

from $1,000 + GST

The right tier for most Sydney custom builds. Single or double-storey homes on established streets. Pool additions, duplexes, and dwellings with in-ground pools.

COMPLEX PROJECTS & SITES

Custom

Basements. Multi-storey. Retaining walls. Sloping blocks. Restricted access. Strata. Prestige-suburb projects. Every complex site is different, and we price them that way.

Fees as published, November 2026.

Get Your Fixed-Fee Quote

Send the address and what you’re building. A fixed fee in writing within one business day.

02 · What Moves A Quote

The Bands Are Starting Points. The Site Sets The Fee.

What drives a real quote is the site itself. Six things move the number.

Access

A 4WD rig on a cleared block is the base case. A battleaxe block, a rear yard behind a carport or an internal courtyard means motorised hand augers and more time at the hole.

Ground Conditions

Reactive clay, uncontrolled fill and shallow rock each change how deep the holes go and what has to be sampled.

Existing Structures

Footings, slabs, pools and neighbouring buildings shape where the holes can go and what the report has to answer.

Slope

A sloping block brings retaining and stability questions into the scope.

Investigation Depth

Holes are sized to the base of the excavation plus what the footing design needs below it. A basement is a different job to a slab on ground.

Laboratory Programme

Testing through a NATA-accredited laboratory when the site warrants it, not as padding.

03 · Concrete Coring

Concrete Coring. Per Hole.

Engineer-supervised concrete coring is $120 + GST per hole, with a three-hole minimum per visit. The final fee depends on core size, location, access and time on site, quoted fixed, in writing, before the barrel touches concrete.

What Coring Covers→

04 · Investigations, Assessments & Design Parameters

Bigger Questions. Quoted Per Site.

Geotechnical investigations, assessments and design parameters carry no published band, because no two are alike. Each is quoted against the number and depth of boreholes, the access, and the laboratory programme the design needs.

The Complex Projects tier above is the signpost: basements, multi-storey, retaining walls, sloping blocks, restricted access, strata and prestige-suburb projects. Every complex site is different, and we price them that way.

Send the address and the plans you have. A fixed fee in writing within one business day.

What An Investigation Involves→

05 · Turnaround

Quote In A Day. Report In Days.

A fixed fee in writing within one business day of your enquiry. Site classification reports as soon as 2 business days from fieldwork; urgent turnaround by arrangement. Investigation and design timelines are set out in the written quote.

06 · Common Questions

Before You Ask. Straight Answers.

Most homes, extensions, pools and granny flats need an AS 2870 site classification, priced by the block, not the size of the build. Granny flats and small additions start from $800 + GST; homes, pools and duplexes on established streets from $1,000 + GST. Complex sites and geotechnical investigations are quoted per site, with a fixed fee in writing within one business day. Classification reports follow as soon as 2 business days from fieldwork.

Does a soil test cost extra on top of the report?

No. A site classification is the soil test. One fee covers the fieldwork, laboratory testing where the site warrants it, and the signed report. There is no separate soil-test line.

Is the fee fixed?

Yes. The bands on this page are starting points; the fee for your block is confirmed in writing before work begins, and that is the figure you are invoiced.

What if the ground turns out worse than expected?

The fee is fixed before fieldwork, so a harder day at the hole is ours. If what comes up changes the scope (fill or slope that calls for a full geotechnical investigation, for example), we tell you before doing more work, and the extra scope is quoted the same way: in writing, before it starts.

Do you charge for a quote?

No. Send the address and what you are building, and you will have a fixed fee in writing within one business day.

How is a geotechnical investigation priced?

A geotechnical investigation is quoted per site, with a fixed fee in writing within one business day of receiving the site address. Boreholes drive the fee: how many, how deep, and how the rig reaches them, plus NATA-accredited laboratory testing when the site warrants it. Reports with laboratory testing typically land 8 to 12 business days from fieldwork, confirmed in the written quote, with interim findings available where the programme needs them.

Why are basements and sloping blocks a custom quote?

Basements and sloping blocks count as complex projects, so each is a custom quote: a fixed fee in writing within one business day. Both typically need a geotechnical investigation rather than a site classification. A basement is a different job to a slab on ground, with residential boreholes sized to the base of excavation plus one to two metres, and a slope adds stability and retaining questions to the scope.

Is concrete coring priced per hole or per visit?

Per hole, with a minimum per visit: engineer-supervised concrete coring is $120 + GST per hole and each visit carries a three-hole minimum. The final fee depends on core size, location, access and time on site, and it is confirmed as a fixed fee in writing within one business day, before work begins. See what coring covers.

How is a footing or pier inspection priced?

From $600 + GST per inspection, as a fixed fee in writing within one business day of receiving the drawings and the site address. The fee is set against each site and each visit: travel, the number of footings or piers exposed, and whether compaction testing is folded into the same visit. Builders book single visits; contractors with a run of inspections work from a standing schedule of rates.

Know The Fee Before The Rig.

Send the address and what you’re building. The Principal reads it and comes back with a fixed fee in writing within one business day.

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