Site Classification · AS 2870 · Fixed Fee
Site Classifications Sydney. Engineered Properly.
The AS 2870 report your whole build stands on, led by the Principal Engineer, tailored to your site, your design and your certifier. No drive-by inspections. No surprises.
From $800 + GST · Reports as soon as 2 business days from fieldwork · Response within one business day · 5.0 from 33 Google reviews
01 · What It Does
More Than Paperwork.
Often called a soil test or geotech report, a site classification under AS 2870, done properly and done early, works for you four ways:
- Lets your architect design with the ground, not around it, before redesign fees exist
- Gives your structural engineer real data: a properly read Class M instead of an assumed worst-case H1 is tens of thousands in concrete and steel
- Moves cleanly through DA and CDC, written to your certifier’s requirements and specific to your site
- Protects the finished home from the cracks that show up quietly, years later
02 · The SFGEO Way
02 · The SFGEO Way
Built On The Opposite Model.
Most Sydney geotechnical firms run on volume: cheap headline fees, generic reports, conservative defaults, and a signing engineer who never set foot on the property. You pay for that model either way, in concrete you didn’t need or a report your certifier rejects. At SFGEO, the person reading your ground has drilled ground like it, built against ground like it, and carries the engineering qualifications on top. One professional, not three.
The Volume Model
The SFGEO Way
The Volume ModelFieldwork done without the signing engineer present
The SFGEO WayPrincipal Engineer on every site
The Volume ModelGeneric reports, one size fits all
The SFGEO WayTailored to your certifier, structural engineer and council
The Volume ModelLab testing applied by default, billed regardless
The SFGEO WayLab testing when the site warrants it, not as padding
The Volume ModelEngineer meets the site via the borehole log
The SFGEO WayPrincipal reviews your block and plans before quoting
The Volume ModelSeparate quotes for drilling, engineering and construction advice
The SFGEO WayOne professional, one scope
03 · Scope & Pricing
Fixed Fees. In Writing. First.
The figures below are starting points. What drives a real quote is the site itself: access, ground conditions, existing structures, slope, and the depth of investigation your project actually needs. Every fee is confirmed in writing before work begins.
Full price bands and what moves a quote: geotechnical report cost guide.
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.
Get Your Fixed-Fee Quote
Send the address and what you’re building. A fixed fee in writing within one business day.
Backyards
By Hand
04 · Access
Where Standard Rigs Stop At The Kerb.
Inner West terraces, battleaxe blocks, rear-yard granny flat positions, stepped sites with deep investigation points. SFGEO runs a 4WD-mounted rig for the sites conventional trucks can’t reach, with motorised hand augers covering zero-clearance and internal courtyard work. Access-ready from first contact, so your programme doesn’t slip waiting on a rig that can’t get in.
Explore Tight Access Capability→05 · The Classes
Six Classes. One Letter That Matters.
AS 2870 classifies your site by how much the ground moves with moisture, and that letter drives every footing decision your structural engineer makes.
A
Stable. Minimal movement. Sand or rock.
S
Slightly reactive, up to 20 mm. Standard footings.
M
Moderately reactive, 20 to 40 mm. Stiffened slab.
H1
Highly reactive, 40 to 60 mm surface movement.
H2
Highly reactive, 60 to 75 mm.
E
Extremely reactive, greater than 75 mm.
Class P sits outside the reactivity scale. AS 2870 applies it where bearing or ground movement is governed by more than normal reactivity: soft or collapsing soils, uncontrolled fill left under the footings, landslip, mine subsidence, erosion, or abnormal moisture such as large trees close to the house. It requires individual engineering assessment, and often a full geotechnical investigation.
06 · What You Receive
One Report. Everything Your Engineer Needs.
A signed PDF written to your certifier’s and structural engineer’s requirements, the document the footing design is drawn from.
- Site classification to AS 2870, with the characteristic surface movement behind it
- Allowable bearing pressures for the footing types on your plans
- The subsurface profile, layer by layer, with groundwater observations
- Engineer-checked borehole records and a plan of where each hole went
- Laboratory results, where tested, and what they mean for the footing
- Founding recommendations: depth, and the fill, trees, slope or drainage your engineer has to design around
- Written to your certifier’s requirements and signed by the Principal Engineer
“Two doors down from a Class S site, your land may be a Class H1 site. This is why the fieldwork, engineered properly, matters.”
Client Feedback.
5.0 on Google · 33 reviews
“I had a great experience with Ali and his team for the geotechnical investigation at my property. The team was very professional, thorough and easy to communicate with. They carried out the manual soil investigation and DCP testing carefully on site, and took the time to explain the soil conditions and results clearly. I really appreciated their practical approach and attention to detail. Ali was also very helpful in explaining the findings and how they could affect the proposed foundation design. Highly recommended Ali and his team for anyone looking for a professional and reliable geotechnical service.”
deng Eric
“I can’t recommend Alli & Solid Foundation Geotechnical highly enough. After our structural engineer made a last minute change to the plans, I contacted Alli at 5 pm the night before and he went above and beyond by rearranging his schedule to attend our site the next morning. His responsiveness and willingness to help at such short notice were truly appreciated. He understood the urgency of the situation and acted quickly to help keep our project moving. We are extremely grateful for his prompt service and would not hesitate to use again or recommend Alli & Solid Foundation Geotechnical to anyone. All the best, Blueshore Projects”
Jake Rutherford
“We engaged Alli for cfa drilling on a major civil project and couldn't be happier with their work. The team arrived on time, communicated clearly about timelines and site logistics, and delivered high-quality samples with excellent documentation. They handled our site conditions professionally and were responsive to any adjustments we needed. The data they provided was accurate and instrumental to our project design phase. Would definitely recommend them for any geotechnical drilling needs.”
Jonathan Tat
Common Questions
A site classification is the soil test for a new home, extension, granny flat or pool. Most councils and certifiers require one. It gives your structural engineer the AS 2870 class and the parameters the footing design is drawn from. The Principal Engineer attends every site and signs every report. Fees are fixed, from $800 + GST. The report follows as soon as 2 business days from fieldwork.
Start With The Address.
Every SFGEO engagement begins with the Principal Engineer reading your block and your plans, and standing on your ground on the day.
01
Send The Address
A short project description and any plans you have. Answered within one business day.
02
Desktop Review & Fixed Fee
The Principal reviews the block, the geology and your plans, and the fee is confirmed in writing within one business day. A site walkover is arranged where the site warrants it.
03
Fieldwork
The Principal attends and reads the profile on site, with lab testing through a NATA-accredited laboratory only when the site warrants it.
04
Report, Signed
Written against your certifier’s and structural engineer’s requirements. As soon as 2 business days from fieldwork; urgent turnaround by arrangement.