Building a basement has plenty of upside – a larger house, better lifestyle and increased property value to name a few – but it can also require a significant investment. Every block and project is unique and deciding if it’s a viable option for you requires plenty of research. So, to help you get started, we’re sharing some tips on the cost of building a basement in Melbourne.

Important Factors That Impact the Cost

A good starting point is to understand the main factors that will impact the cost of your project, which includes site conditions, construction requirements and design features. For example, site factors such as the type of soil, access to site and volume of earthworks required will determine the cost of the excavating and earthmoving component. The size and depth of the basement, location of retaining walls, drainage systems, ventilation and lighting requirements impact construction costs. And when it comes to design, the internal fit out you choose obviously varies the cost significantly – if you are building a basic garage compared to a wine cellar, gym or home theatre for instance.

Does it Cost More Than Building on Ground Level or Up?

Due to the above factors, the additional challenges of water ingress, waterproofing, and dealing with ground and stormwater effectively, and the level of expertise required to successfully complete the project, the cost of building a basement is generally higher than building at ground level or up. Just like a regular build, the cost can vary significant depending on the site and project requirements, but estimates range from 50-100% more per square metre than building above ground. In other words, for something like a basement garage for two to three cars, you could be looking at adding $100,000-$200,000 to the cost of your build.

Today, most basements in Melbourne are built in luxury homes in affluent suburbs, however, if the trend catches on here, we’re likely to see it happening more.

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An important step in site preparation for construction projects is calculating the cut and fill required to level the site. Cutting and filling involves removing (cutting) earth in places where the land is elevated above the desired height and moving it to areas where the ground level is lower than it needs to be (filling). It’s a technique that is widely used on construction sites to create an even land surface.

Before any cutting and filling can take place, precise calculations need to be made to show exactly where the cut needs to be done, where the fill needs to go, and how much earth needs to be imported or exported to site.

So how is this done? Read on to find out.

Calculation Methods

These days, cut and fill calculations can be done using software which simplifies and speeds up the process significantly. Prior to this, cut and fill calculations were worked out by hand, using either the grid or cross-section methods. Both required painstaking detail and accuracy and would often take all day to complete.

Today, most calculations are made by software. However, for those that are old school, or maybe just curious, here’s a quick overview of how the calculations were made by hand.

Grid Method

This method involves drawing horizontal and vertical lines over your site plan to divide it into grid cells of equal size. You then include the existing elevation and proposed elevation for each corner of the grid cells, and work out the difference between the two, as this will be cut or fill depth for that spot. When you’ve done this for every corner you add them up, average them, and perform further calculations that will end up giving you a total number of cuts and fills. The difference between these two numbers will show you if earth will need to be removed or brought onto site to complete the job.

Cross-Section Method

To calculate this way, you need to draw evenly spaced horizontal lines across the site plan, then plot out on graph paper the proposed and existing elevations of the site. The graph is used to calculate the cut and fill area for each cross section, the volumes, and the import and export for the entire site.

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