Articles
Guides on geotechnical assessments, soil classification, and site investigation for residential development in Queensland, NSW and Victoria.
Eight mistakes people make importing site data into Civil 3D, QGIS and ArcGIS
The specific errors that break contours, cadastre and elevation imports in Civil 3D, QGIS and ArcGIS - and how to set up a clean site early.
10 August 2026How to check if a property has a heritage listing before you buy
A step-by-step walkthrough for checking heritage and character controls on a property in QLD, NSW and VIC before you make an offer, register by register.
6 August 2026Six myths about AS 2870 site classification, and what's actually true
M, H, E and P classes explained through the myths that trip up builders and owner-builders. When a soil test is enough, and when it isn't.
3 August 2026A coastal lowland lot on realestate.com.au: reading the risk before you inspect
Follow one hypothetical coastal lot from listing to decision, showing exactly what flood, slope and terrain clues to read online before you book an inspection.
1 August 2026The .12da and .12daz file extension: what it is and how to open it
What a 12d Model .12da or .12daz archive actually contains, the difference between them, and every way to open one - including two free options that need no 12d licence.
1 August 2026What does 12d Model cost? And do you need a licence just to read a 12d file?
12d Model pricing in Australia: why there is no published price, what drives the quote, the 15% annual maintenance, the free two-month licence almost nobody mentions, and how to read a .12da handover without a licence at all.
30 July 2026Contours or DEM? Choosing between vector contours and raster elevation for site set-up
Vector contours versus GeoTIFF DEM raster for QLD, NSW and VIC site work: formats, resolution limits and workflow fit for Civil 3D, QGIS and ArcGIS.
27 July 2026Flood overlays versus actual flood risk: reading the mapping like a planner
Flood overlays, DFE, PMF and hydraulic categories all mean different things. A technical guide to reading QLD and NSW flood mapping and its real limits.
23 July 2026Reading groundwater and bore records: what they tell you about a site before you dig
How to check groundwater depth and bore records in QLD and NSW, why the water table matters for footings, and what a desktop report reveals before you build.
20 July 2026How to spot a steep or sloping block from a listing before you inspect
Learn to read slope and terrain risk on realestate.com.au listings before you inspect: the clues photos hide and what steep ground costs.
16 July 2026Getting cadastre and lot boundaries into Civil 3D and QGIS: DXF, Shapefile and GeoPackage
How to prepare QLD, NSW and Victorian cadastral boundaries and easements for Civil 3D, QGIS and ArcGIS in DXF, Shapefile, GeoPackage or KMZ.
13 July 2026Can you actually develop it? Checking planning limits before you buy in QLD and NSW
Before buying for a knock-down-rebuild, subdivision or duplex, learn how to check zoning, overlays and planning limits in QLD and NSW.
13 July 2026Sent a 12d file but don't have 12d? How to open .12da files in AutoCAD or BricsCAD
What's inside a 12d Model .12da or .12daz handover, and how to extract its strings and alignments as a layered DXF you can interrogate in AutoCAD, BricsCAD or Civil 3D - no 12d licence required.
9 July 2026Acid sulfate soils in QLD and NSW: how to check a site before you disturb the ground
How to check if your block sits on acid sulfate soils in QLD or NSW, what it means for footings and earthworks, and when a desktop check is enough.
6 July 2026How to check if a house is in a flood zone while you're browsing listings
A quick, plain-English guide to spotting flood risk on realestate.com.au listings before you inspect, without leaving the listing page.
6 July 2026Geotechnical report cost in Australia: what to expect in 2026
How much a geotechnical report costs in QLD and NSW in 2026: desktop studies from $119, site classifications from $700, full investigations $3,000+, and what drives the price.
2 July 2026Choosing the right contour interval: turning QLD and NSW LiDAR into usable design contours
How to choose contour intervals and smoothing for Australian government elevation data, then use clean contours and GeoTIFF DEMs in Civil 3D, QGIS or ArcGIS.
29 June 2026Easements explained: what those lines on the title mean before you buy
What an easement is, the common types in QLD and NSW, how to find them, and what they mean for what you can build before you buy a property.
25 June 2026Is there fill on your block? What a geotechnical desktop report can tell you before you dig
Uncontrolled fill can wreck a slab and blow the budget. Here's how to spot fill from desktop data, what it means for footings, and when to test.
22 June 2026What listing photos hide: reading flood and ground clues before you inspect
Listing photos are styled to sell. Learn how to spot flood, slope and terrain risk on a realestate.com.au listing before booking an inspection.
22 June 2026Getting the coordinate system right: MGA2020, GDA94 and AHD for QLD, NSW and VIC site data
Set the correct CRS when importing QLD, NSW and Victorian contours and cadastre: GDA2020 and GDA94 MGA zones 54, 55 and 56, plus AHD.
22 June 2026Class P site classification: what "problem site" really means for your build
A Class P site classification can blow out your slab cost. Here's what triggers it in QLD and NSW, what it means for your build, and how to check early.
17 June 2026Property due diligence: the data is public, but it's scattered
Property due diligence in Queensland and NSW means checking zoning, flood, bushfire and overlay data before you buy. Here's why that public data is so scattered, and how to get it in one clear report.
11 June 2026We analysed 1.47 million South East Queensland lots. Here's where the ground is wet, steep, and low.
Lot-level data across Brisbane, Gold Coast, Moreton Bay, Logan and Redland: 1 in 4 lots intersect council flood mapping, 228,000 sit below 5 m AHD, and the steepest and lowest suburbs aren't always the ones you'd guess.
13 May 2026Reactive soils and building damage: understanding the ground to get the design right
Cracked brickwork, sticking doors, and movement cracking are common building complaints across Queensland and NSW. Understanding what causes them starts with the ground beneath the slab.
10 May 20261.2 million homes. A pipeline that isn't keeping up.
Australia has committed to 1.2 million new homes by 2029 and is already behind. Meeting the target means better decisions at every stage of development, including the earliest ones.
10 May 2026What is a geotechnical desktop study, and when is one enough?
A geotechnical desktop study uses existing data (geology maps, soil surveys, bore records) to assess ground conditions without drilling. Here's what it covers and when it's the right tool.
10 May 2026Geotechnical report vs desktop assessment: what's the difference?
A desktop assessment uses existing data; a full geotechnical report involves drilling and lab testing. Understanding the difference helps you know what to commission, and when.
10 May 2026Soil classification costs in Queensland: $700 to $3,000+ (2026)
AS 2870 site classification costs in Queensland range from about $700 for a standard lot to $3,000+ for complex sites. Here's what drives the price, and when a desktop classification is enough.
10 May 2026AS 2870 site classification explained: classes A to P
What an AS 2870 site classification is, what classes A, S, M, H1, H2, E and P mean for your slab and footings, and how to get one before you build.