Preparing your lot

Before your home arrives, your land has to be ready for it: cleared, with a driveway the delivery trucks can use, a foundation, a septic system, a well, and the permits that go with them. As part of our turnkey service, Sanctum Homes looks after all of it.

Because every lot is different, this work is priced as a set of allowances in your agreement: an amount set aside for each part of the job. The lists below show the work done under each allowance, so you can see what goes into the number. How the allowances work explains what happens when the actual cost comes in lower or higher.

Excavation allowance

Work done under this allowance:

• Clearing the lot for the home, driveway and septic system, plus a 25’ perimeter around the home
• Rough-in driveway for construction crews and delivery vehicles
• Excavation and backfilling of the foundation, or pad preparation for a mini home
• Building a crane pad for lifting the home into place
• Excavator on site or on standby for home delivery
• Installation of the septic tank and field
• Connection of septic lines to the foundation
• Trenching and backfilling of water lines from the well to the home
• Grading so the ground slopes away from the foundation
• Gravel driveway with a turning area for two vehicles

In most cases, the full excavation allowance is used to prepare the lot. It does not cover rock breaking, or any fill beyond the gravel and fill needed to build the driveway under normal conditions. Every property requires a site visit to review development costs and identify any potential problem areas. Lot development is finished once contractors are no longer needed on site and the home is ready for its final inspection.

If the home will be connected to municipal services, the allowance will be adjusted to suit, which may increase or reduce the development cost.

Septic permit design and approval allowance

Work done under this allowance:

• Test pit
• Design of the septic system
• Application for approval

The septic tank and field are installed under the excavation allowance.

Building permit allowance

Work done under this allowance:

• Preparing and submitting all documents required by your municipality

Engineering costs, if required, are not part of this allowance.

Well allowance

Work done under this allowance:

• Drilled well
• Pressure tank
• All connections from the well to the home

How the allowances work

If any allowance (excavation, well, septic or building permit) is not fully used, the difference is refunded. If costs exceed an allowance, the difference is added to the final cost at closing. The homeowner receives copies of the documentation for every allowance item.

Most lots are developed within the allowances. Exceptions are lots that need a large amount of fill, rock breaking, or a deeper well that requires a larger pump. Before construction, we consult with each client and visit the site with our ground crew to check the lot for any obvious issues.

Where the foundation fits in

Your foundation is built during lot preparation, once the building permit is approved. See foundation options for what each type includes, and the full process for how lot preparation fits into the rest of your build.