CHOOSING A LOT FOR YOUR NEW HOME: WHAT DOES MY SOIL LOOK LIKE?
You’ve decided, you’re going to move and finally build your dream home. While there are numerous steps in the new construction building process, the very first and one of the most critical steps is “Choosing a Lot for Your New Home.” There are several key factors that you need to consider when choosing the lot that is right for you, including its soil properties.
Soil Properties
Your new home will rest on different layers of soil, each with different thicknesses and performance characteristics that can affect a foundation. Soil layers gain in stability and load-bearing capacity with depth. The soil you should be most concerned about is known as the “active zone,” which is around and underneath the house.
Building foundations need to be on stable and strong soils. Some soils can support a large commercial structure, while other soils can only sustain an outbuilding. If the soil under a home is not stable, the foundation could crack or sink. Soil’s strength and stability depend on physical properties. See the chart below for the characteristics of the most popular soil types.
Soil testing for a new home is generally needed in order to determine the composition of the soil and if it can properly support a foundation and/or a septic system; however, not all lots need soil tests. In Brunswick County, N.C., to determine septic suitability, you or the builder must fill out a septic application. Upon review of the application, a county soil scientist performs an assessment that dictates what type of system you need to install, whether a conventional, bed, panel, chamber, and mound system. The type of system is not only determined by the soil type, but also by the site slope, lot size, and proximity to sensitive water bodies.
In Brunswick County there are three types of soil that homes are built on: sand, topsoil, and clay. Clay can be tricky because it is wet and requires that a soil test; the other two soils are acceptable but buildability will not be known until the lot is cleared and the footings are prepared.