Sewer and stormwater
Building near sewer and stormwater mains in Canberra
If a sewer or stormwater main runs through your block, Icon Water's approval comes before building work starts, and footings can't go inside its pipe protection envelope. We design footings, piers and beams that keep the load off the pipe.
- From $790 + GST ($869 inc GST), fixed before we start
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- Engineering only, nothing to sell you
Prefer to talk? Call 02 6189 9876
Or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au
Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm
- Engineering onlyWe never sell the repair or the build.
- Footing design from $790 + GST($869 inc GST), confirmed before we start.
- Fixed quote in under 20 minutes on averageDuring business hours, Monday to Friday.
- Canberra and the Queanbeyan sideEvery district, plus Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong.
In short
Footing design near a sewer or stormwater main in Canberra starts from $790 + GST ($869 inc GST), and so does a stormwater plan. Icon Water says its approval is needed before building work near its pipes, and footings aren't permitted inside its pipe protection envelope. We design footings, piers or bridging beams that keep loads out of it. Same price across Canberra, Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong.
- Fee
- From $790 + GST ($869 inc GST)
- Quote
- Fixed, in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours
- You receive
- Footing drawings and calculations for Icon Water and your certifier
- Also covered
- Stormwater plans, from the same starting price
- What to send
- Your plans and any service or drainage plans you have
- Area
- Canberra, Queanbeyan, Jerrabomberra and Googong, same price
Can I build near a sewer main in Canberra?
Usually, with the right footings and Icon Water's approval. What you can't do is put footings, or a permanent heavy structure, inside the pipe's protection envelope.
Icon Water says its approval is needed before building work starts near its assets, even where the work needs no ACT planning approval. So a DA-exempt carport or deck still goes to Icon Water if it sits close to a main.
Two terms come up in Icon Water's requirements. The zone of influence is the space around a pipe where a structure or construction work can affect it. The pipe protection envelope is, in Icon Water's words, "the controlling requirement in all cases": footings are not permitted within it, and no permanent heavyweight structure is to be built within an easement or the envelope.
We don't quote clearance distances from memory. Icon Water's requirements for your pipe set them, and we design to those. Our guide to building near a sewer in Canberra explains the terms in more detail, and Icon Water's website has its current requirements.
Easements and the DA exemption
Work in an easement or a utility protection space isn't DA-exempt unless the utility gives written permission. The same goes for work that interferes with plumbing and drainage clearances. Check this before you assume a small job needs no development approval.
How do you design footings near a sewer main?
By keeping the building's load out of the pipe protection envelope. That usually means deeper footings, footings moved back, or a beam that spans across the pipe.
| Approach | How it keeps the pipe clear | Where it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Deeper footings or piers | Carries the load down past the envelope, so the pipe doesn't take it | Extensions and granny flats beside a main |
| Footings set back | Moves the footing line out of the envelope, with the structure spanning or cantilevering to it | Carports, pergolas and decks |
| Bridging beam | Spans across the line of the pipe between footings on either side | A wall or slab edge that has to cross a main |
The drawings show where the pipe is and how the footings stay clear of it, for Icon Water and for your certifier.
Building over a private drain on your own block is a separate rule. Under the ACT Appendix to the building code (Part G10), the part of the drain you build over, or restrict access to, must be tested for soundness to AS/NZS 3500.2 section 15 and made sound first.
Which jobs usually meet a sewer or stormwater main?
Anything that adds footings in the back or side yard: granny flats, extensions, carports, decks and pools.
- Granny flats and second homes. A secondary residence usually goes in the backyard, so its slab can land close to a main. See granny flat and dual occupancy engineering.
- Extensions. A rear addition can bring new footings close to the pipe. See engineering for extensions and renovations.
- Carports, pergolas and decks. Icon Water's carport guidance describes the zone of influence as "the area below the ground either side of a pipe where the weight of your structure will impact or place pressure on our pipes". See carport, pergola and deck engineering and our guide to carport, pergola and deck approval in the ACT.
- Pools. A deep excavation and a heavy load in one. See swimming pool engineering.
- New slabs and footings. If you also need a site classification or slab design, see footings, slabs and site classification.
If you have a sewer or stormwater tie search, or other service and drainage plans, send them with your request. We work from what you have, and your fixed quote says if we need to visit to confirm it on site.
Do I need a rainwater tank for a new home or extension in the ACT?
Often, for a DA-exempt single dwelling. The tank controls apply to a new dwelling, an extension of more than 50% of the existing floor area, or work that adds new plumbing.
| Block size | Minimum tank | Roof connected to it |
|---|---|---|
| Compact block | No minimum tank | Not set |
| Mid-sized block | 2,000 L | 50% of the roof or 75 m² |
| Large block, up to 800 m² | 4,000 L | 50% of the roof or 100 m² |
| Large block, over 800 m² | 5,000 L | 50% of the roof or 125 m² |
Option A of control 17 in the ACT's single dwelling exempt development controls (NI2025-492). The tank must supply at least one toilet, the laundry cold water and all external taps. Option B (greywater) and Option C (a 40% saving in mains water) are alternatives. Your designer or certifier confirms which applies to your block.
A full tank is heavy. When the tank, its slab or its stand sits near a main or on a slope, we include it in the footing design so it doesn't load the pipe.
What's included?
Footing design near a main, or a stormwater plan, from $790 + GST ($869 inc GST): calculations and drawings your certifier, your builder and Icon Water can use. Your fixed quote says if a site visit is needed.
| What you get | What we need from you |
|---|---|
| Footing, pier or beam design that keeps loads out of the pipe protection envelope | Your house, extension or outbuilding plans |
| Drawings showing the pipe and how the footings stay clear of it | Any service, drainage or tie search plans you have |
| A stormwater plan, where your certifier asks for one | Photos of the maintenance hole, pipe markers and the area you'll build on |
| Calculations for your certifier | Your site classification, if the block has one |
The starting price covers a typical house job. A deep main, a long span or several structures near the pipe can add to the design, and your fixed quote says so before we start. See all our prices.
We're engineers only. We don't dig, lay pipes or build, and we don't recommend who does, so our advice isn't tied to the build.
What happens next?
You see the price before anything is booked.
Send your plans
Use the form at the top of this page or our quote page, or email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au. Add up to 5 photos or plans.
Get a fixed quote
We reply with a fixed quote in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours.
Design and drawings
We design the footings and send drawings for Icon Water and your certifier. When a visit is needed, we cover every district, from Gungahlin to Tuggeranong.
Often needed alongside work near a main
Every service is quoted at a fixed price before we start. Send photos or plans and we reply in under 20 minutes on average, during business hours.
Granny flats & dual occupancy
Slab, footing, frame and retaining engineering for a secondary residence or a second home on your block.
Fixed quotefrom your photos or plans See the service
Extensions & renovations
Footings, beams, framing and tie-downs for additions, second storeys and renovations, priced from your plans.
Fixed quotefrom your photos or plans See the service
Building near a sewer in Canberra
What Icon Water's zone of influence and pipe protection envelope mean, when an easement costs you the DA exemption, the rule for building over a private drain, and how footings are designed around a main.
Read the guideSewer and stormwater questions
Something else on your mind? Call 02 6189 9876, email info@canberrastructuralengineers.com.au or send photos for a fixed quote.
Can I build over a sewer easement in Canberra?
Not with a permanent heavy structure. Icon Water's requirements say no permanent heavyweight structure is to be built within an easement or pipe protection envelope. Work near the pipe needs Icon Water's approval before it starts.
How far from a sewer main can I build?
Icon Water's requirements for your pipe decide it. We don't quote a distance from memory. We design footings that keep the load out of the pipe protection envelope and show that on the drawings.
Do I need Icon Water approval if my work is DA-exempt?
Yes, Icon Water says so. Its approval is needed before building work starts, even where no ACT planning approval is required. Work in an easement also loses its DA exemption without the utility's written permission.
Do you draw stormwater plans?
Yes. A stormwater plan is from $790 + GST ($869 inc GST), the same starting price as footing design near a main.
Do I need a sewer tie search before you start?
It helps, but it isn't essential. We work from the service and drainage plans you have, and your fixed quote says if we need to visit to confirm what we can see on site.