Building a Duplex? Don’t Pour Your Slab Until This Is Sorted
When you’re building a duplex, there are plenty of things that need to happen before construction gets underway.
But some approvals are easy to overlook until it is too late.
One of the most important is making sure your Sydney Water requirements and approvals are sorted before your slab works begin.
At Neogen Homes, this is something we pay close attention to because missing this step can create serious delays, additional costs, and major disruption to your construction program.
A Real Example From a Duplex Site
We’re currently working on a knockdown rebuild duplex project in South Wentworthville.
For this particular site, the existing water main is located on the opposite side of the road from the property.
That means we can’t simply connect the new duplex to the water infrastructure from within the property boundary.
We need to plan the connection properly.
In this case, that involves an underbore beneath the road to connect the property to the existing water main.
The drilling is coordinated with Sydney Water before the relevant construction works progress.
What Is an Underbore?
An underbore is a method of installing services beneath an existing surface, such as a road, without needing to excavate the entire area.
For a site like this, it allows the required water connection to be installed beneath the road and connected back to the property.
It is a practical solution, but it needs to be planned and approved before the construction reaches the point where access becomes difficult.
Why Timing Matters
This is where many duplex projects can run into trouble.
Imagine you’ve progressed through construction.
The slab has been completed.
The structure is going up.
Then you discover that the required water connection hasn’t been properly arranged.
You may now have to deal with additional works, access issues, delays, and potentially significant additional costs.
The problem isn’t necessarily the water connection itself.
The problem is leaving the connection until it’s too late.
Approvals Need to Run in Parallel
A duplex project isn’t just about getting your DA or CDC approved and then starting construction.
There are multiple services and infrastructure requirements that need to be considered alongside the main approval pathway.
Depending on the site, this can include:
Sydney Water
Electricity infrastructure
NBN
Gas
Stormwater
Sewer connections
Other authority requirements
These requirements need to be identified early and coordinated with the construction program.
That’s why experienced project management matters.
The Slab Is Not the Time to Discover a Problem
Once major construction has progressed, fixing an overlooked service requirement can become significantly more difficult.
This is particularly important for duplex developments because you’re dealing with additional infrastructure associated with creating two dwellings and, ultimately, two titles.
The goal should always be to identify these requirements before construction reaches the point where they become a problem.
This Is What Builder Experience Looks Like
At Neogen Homes, we don’t just look at what’s happening today on site.
We’re constantly thinking about what needs to happen next.
Before the slab.
Before the frame.
Before the services.
Before the finishes.
That forward planning helps identify potential issues while they’re still relatively easy to solve.
Because the most expensive construction problems aren’t always the ones you can see.
Sometimes, they’re the approvals and services that weren’t organised early enough.
Building a Duplex? Get the Infrastructure Right From the Start
If you’re planning a duplex, don’t focus only on the design and build cost.
Ask:
Where are the existing services?
What approvals are required?
How will the new dwellings connect to those services?
Have those requirements been coordinated before construction begins?
Getting these answers early can save you significant time, stress, and potentially substantial costs later.
At Neogen Homes, we help manage the process from design and approvals through to construction, so these critical details are considered before they become problems on site.
Planning a Duplex?
If you already own a block or are considering a duplex development, speak with our team before you start construction.
Visit our website to learn more about our duplex building process and how Neogen Homes can help take your project from feasibility through to completion.