Engineering FAQ

To get a clear fee estimate for any of our geotechnical engineering, civil engineering, stormwater reports, flood assessments, wastewater designs, or construction monitoring services in Northland, simply provide us with details about your project.You can also upload files & images in our contact form. Once we understand your needs, we'll quickly prepare a formal "Offer of Service" outlining estimated costs and timeframes for your review and approval.

To provide a precise engineering quote and facilitate a smooth start for your Northland project, we typically need:

• Proposed Plans: Whether it's a site plan, proposed house or shed plans, or even a detailed sketch of your vision.

• Existing Documents: Any relevant existing reports like a LIM report, previous geotechnical reports, EQC reports, or topographical surveys.

• Project Specifics: Details on the nature of the project (e.g., new dwelling, subdivision, renovation), proposed system types (e.g., septic systems, stormwater attenuation), and any specific requirements from the local council you're aware of.

You can upload files in our contact form.

We prioritize timely and efficient engineering services. Once we have all necessary information and your approval of our "Offer of Service," you can expect the formal offer within 5-7 working days.

Following your approval, the typical delivery for most engineering reports is approximately 20-25 working days. If on-site geotechnical testing is required, this may add an additional 10-15 working days.

We always clearly outline estimated timeframes in your personalized Offer of Service to manage expectations.

Our "Offer of Service" is designed for complete transparency. It clearly defines the scope of work for your engineering project, including our detailed fee estimate and anticipated timeframes.

Please note, our proposals generally exclude responding to Requests for Information (RFIs) from the council and ongoing construction monitoring, as these are often additional services charged on a time and expense basis due to their variable nature. All proposals come with our standard terms and conditions, and an authorization form for your easy approval. Should your project's scope of work evolve, we always discuss necessary variations and revised costings with you upfront.

Absolutely! Vision Consulting Engineers Ltd. offers a comprehensive range of engineering services to support Northland's development. Our core expertise includes:

• Civil Engineering

• Structural Engineering

• Geotechnical Engineering

• Environmental Engineering

• Project Management - PRINCE2

If you have a specific engineering need, please don't hesitate to contact us, and we'll confirm how our skilled team can assist you.

Yes, an engineer is frequently required for various aspects of building consent in Northland, especially for complex sites or specific design requirements that go beyond standard construction. Engaging an engineer early can streamline your building consent application. You may need:

• A Geotechnical Engineer: To provide a geotechnical report that confirms ground suitability for foundations, as per relevant building standards like NZS3604 specifications. This is particularly critical for properties on slopes, those with potential for erosion, slippage, or subsidence, or when significant earthworks are planned.

• A Structural Engineer: For specific foundation designs, particularly if they deviate from standard practices (e.g., bored piles instead of driven timber piles, or specific design foundations due to sewer lines). A structural engineer will also provide crucial designs for retaining walls, especially if development requires significant cuts or fills, or if existing walls are unstable. They can also prepare PS1-PS4 producer statements, which are vital documents where engineers certify specific aspects of the design and construction for council approval.

• A Civil/Environmental Engineer: For wastewater system design, specifically a TP58 report, which is often required for installing septic systems. Also for stormwater management design, including soak pits, detention systems, and drainage from retaining walls, particularly where impervious surfaces exceed certain limits. In essence, if your project involves anything beyond very standard construction on stable, flat ground with existing municipal services.

It is highly probable that you will need various engineering inputs for your building consent. We strongly recommend you consult with an engineer early in your design process to understand all required engineering reports and designs. This proactive approach can significantly help streamline your consent application and prevent delays or unexpected costs later in your Northland building project

Yes, you will very likely need a good ground report, also known as a geotechnical report, for most building and development projects in New Zealand. This report is often a council requirement for building consent applications, supporting your project's safety and stability. The purpose of a geotechnical report is to:

• Assess Ground Conditions: It comprehensively confirms the ground conditions beneath your site, providing crucial information for effective foundation design.

• Provide Foundation Recommendations: We offer expert foundation recommendations tailored to your project, based on detailed analysis of soil strength, rock layers, and other geological factors.

• Identify Geotechnical Hazards: Our reports help identify potential geotechnical hazards like erosion, land slippage, or subsidence, particularly vital for properties on slopes or modified ground.

• Inform Earthworks Planning: It guides necessary earthworks, including cut and fill operations, providing recommendations for site stability and efficient land development.
  

You may also need a geotechnical report for pre-purchase assessments to understand the suitability of land for building before committing to a purchase. We strongly recommend obtaining a pre-purchase geotechnical assessment if you are evaluating land in Northland, as this can identify potential constraints early on and help you avoid significant costs down the line.

The initial steps to subdivide land in Northland typically involve obtaining a site suitability assessment or a comprehensive subdivision engineering report. This foundational report helps define the feasibility and requirements for your proposed land subdivision and the future development of the individual lots. This engineering report usually addresses key aspects relevant to successful subdivision projects:

• Ground Conditions/Geotechnical Assessment: A vital step to determine the site's suitability for residential development and to identify any natural hazards that might impact the new lots.

• Natural Hazards: Thoroughly assessing any natural hazards (like erosion, slippage, or flooding) affecting the proposed subdivision development.

• Wastewater Disposal: This includes assessing the site's suitability for effluent disposal, which often involves a TP58 report or a wastewater feasibility report.

• Stormwater Management: Crucially addressing stormwater control measures required during site works for subdivision and for future on-lot development, to support compliance and environmental protection.

• Access: Clearly detailing where safe and compliant vehicle access will be provided and to what standard for each new lot.

• Water Supply: Ensuring adequate potable water and fire fighting water supply considerations for the new subdivision.

A topographic survey may also be a key condition for the "Offer of Service." Before engaging engineering consultants, it's highly beneficial to gather any existing property files or Land Information Memorandums (LIMs) from your local council, as these can contain valuable historical information about the site that may help optimize the scope of new investigations and streamline your subdivision process.

A TP58 report is a specific technical document focused on effluent water design or wastewater system design, particularly for on-site wastewater disposal solutions. It's crucial for managing domestic wastewater in areas not connected to public reticulation. Key characteristics of a TP58 report include:

• Purpose: It thoroughly assesses the site's suitability for on-site wastewater disposal, aiming to achieve environmental compliance and long-term functionality.

• Timing: This report is typically undertaken at the building consent stage, but it can also be a vital requirement for subdivision proposals in Northland.

• Content: It provides detailed design recommendations for the wastewater system, including the appropriate type of system (e.g., primary, secondary, or tertiary treatment) based on comprehensive soil type analysis. To complete a TP58, we usually need your site plan showing driveways, a house plan, and the number of bedrooms.

• Relationship to Other Consents: A TP58 report is distinct from a geotechnical report and a resource consent. While it is a necessary part of a building consent application for wastewater, a separate resource consent might also be needed if specific environmental conditions or discharge limits apply to your property.

When preparing for a TP58 report, it is crucial to have detailed site plans, including the proposed dwelling location and number of bedrooms, as these are crucial for accurate and compliant wastewater system design.

Yes, VCE frequently reviews and provides expert responses to Requests for Information (RFIs) from local councils across Northland. This crucial service is typically handled outside the initial project scope and construction monitoring, as council RFIs are highly specific to each project. We can prepare a comprehensive RFI response at an agreed hourly rate. To effectively address RFIs, our engineers meticulously review the RFI, relevant geotechnical reports, and building consent drawings to promote alignment with our recommendations. We always seek your confirmation of additional fees before proceeding with RFI responses to maintain transparency.

Yes, providing valuable engineering recommendations and options is a key part of how we build trusted solutions. This includes expert advice on suitable building sites and preferred system types, such as wastewater disposal solutions. For instance, for onsite wastewater disposal, we can develop sketches of up to three viable options and provide a brief email outlining these, which is typically considered a variation and would incur an an additional fee (e.g., $500 + GST) to the standard scope of work. Our goal is to empower you with choices for your Northland project.

Our standard practice for engineering engagement is to provide a clear "Offer of Service" for your approval. This document typically includes the fee estimates, detailed scope of work, and anticipated timeframes. While engagement is often on a time and expense basis based on these estimates, we issue progress invoices monthly and a final invoice upon project completion. Clients confirm engagement by replying via email, signing and returning the offer, or issuing a Work Order. Our offers generally include assumptions and exclusions, such as the client being responsible for safe site access.

Please note, council fees are typically paid directly by the client.

NZS3604:2011 is the New Zealand Standard for Timber-framed buildings and is generally used to design most homes and low-rise timber framed buildings in New Zealand. NZS3604:2011 provides standard details to meet the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code without the need for specific engineering design (SED).

For the design of foundations, the standard only applies to buildings founded on ‘good ground’.

Read our blog article "What is NZS3604:2011 'good ground'?" for more info on this and don’t forget to check out the guidelines for Geotechnical Investigation Requirements for Buildings in the Far North.

Changes to the scope of work are handled transparently as variations to your initial "Offer of Service." Any work undertaken beyond the initially described scope is performed at your request and is charged at agreed hourly rates plus disbursements and GST. For example, providing specific building site recommendations or detailed onsite wastewater disposal options is typically considered a variation. Minor changes to engineering reports, such as updating a TP58 report or providing an addendum, are also typically charged on a time and expense basis. We always ask clients to confirm acceptance of additional fees, and if applicable, provide a purchase order number for the revised scope. For common builder queries and clarifications during the construction phase, we recommend clients allow for senior staff time (e.g., 10 hours), as these are often an inevitable part of project delivery and are charged on a time basis.

Yes, Vision Consulting Engineers (VCE) is committed to collaborative partnerships and can certainly work with engineering reports and designs from other consultants. We have experience in subcontractor roles and can oversee structural or civil construction monitoring even when another engineer has carried out the detailed design work. Our approach emphasizes clear communication, client approval for data sharing, and transparency regarding additional time and cost needed for familiarization and any necessary revisions to support compliance and quality for your Northland project.

Generally, no. Our reports are specific to the original client and project, and we accept no liability for use by others without written permission from the original client. Even then, an updated assessment or new report is often needed due to changes in plans, regulations, or site conditions, which would incur a fee for our review time.

We understand that accessing existing information about your property, especially previous engineering reports, can seem like a straightforward way to move forward with your project. At Vision Consulting, we genuinely want to assist you, and we appreciate you reaching out to us. Our engineering reports are prepared specifically for the client who commissioned them, and for the particular project scope and purpose outlined in our initial "Offer of Service." This means that the advice and information within a report are tailored to that specific client's needs and project context at the time it was issued. Therefore, to ensure the highest standards of professional responsibility and to protect all parties involved, Vision Consulting accepts no liability if anyone other than the original client and their direct advisors use the information provided in a report. If you are a new owner or were not the original client, and you wish to access, discuss, or formally use a report that we previously prepared for your property, we require written permission or approval from the original client. This is a necessary step to respect our contractual obligations and maintain confidentiality with our previous clients. We may also advise you to obtain the report directly from the previous owner. We understand that you might hope to simply use an older report. However, even with the original client's permission, we often find that additional testing, updated analysis, or an entirely new report is necessary. This is especially true if:

• The proposed development plans have changed from the original scope.

• There have been updates to building codes, engineering standards, or local council regulations.

• The original report is several years old, as ground conditions and environmental factors can change over time. Locating and retrieving older project information from our archives, sometimes going back 2-3 years, and then assessing its relevance for your current needs, requires dedicated time from our engineering team. Any such work, including research, review, or the preparation of a new offer of service, would typically be charged on a "time and expense" basis. We aim to be transparent about these potential costs upfront, so you are fully informed. We are committed to helping you support the safety and compliance of your project. Please feel free to contact our office to discuss your specific situation, and we can guide you on the most appropriate pathway to obtain the necessary engineering information for your property.