General guidance only — all construction work must be overseen by a supervising engineer This handbook is compiled from standards and laws with every source cited, andis being reviewed for certification by engineers Use it to know what to look at, what to ask and what evidence to request on site It is not an engineering determination and can't replace an engineer · Terms of use · Limitations of the handbook

Finishing and external works

External works, fences, driveways and drainage

Page code P21 · 106 inspection criteria · 11 illustrations

When the house itself is finished, everyone's attention shifts to the interior finishing details, and the remaining outside work — drains, inspection chambers, fill, driveways — is often finished quickly with nobody watching. But this work is what decides whether the first rainy season after moving in…

This page contains
Hold point — the only day underground pipes can be inspected
The eight-step sequence for external drainage — and the only day it can be inspected
Drainage — four figures that are law
Dry trench bottoms and soft trench bottoms — different methods, different prices
There are many types of inspection chamber, and choosing the wrong one can't be fixed
Things buried around the house — every one has a minimum depth
Wastewater treatment — two parts the law requires
The day the septic tank goes into the pit — three things you must see before backfilling
Fences — two legal points people often don't know until they're ordered to fix them
Driveways, parking areas and fill levels
Rain gutters — the only external work you can fully inspect from the ground

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