Stormwater drainage, on-site detention and civil design for homes, units and commercial sites, sized for Melbourne's downpours and your council's engineering requirements.
We reply to every enquiry within a few business hours.
★ 5.0 on Google
10% price-match guarantee
Fixed price before we start
Licensed & insured engineers
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In short: We design stormwater drainage and civil works for residential and commercial sites across Greater Melbourne and Victoria: drainage plans for new builds and extensions, on-site detention where council requires it, and civil documentation for developments. Send your plans and council conditions and we'll reply with a fixed price, usually within a few business hours.
Melbourne's storm intensity and mix of clay and fill soils make stormwater management a real design problem, not an afterthought. We provide civil design and stormwater management for residential and commercial sites, sized to cope with local downpours and to meet council engineering requirements.
What's included
Stormwater drainage design for new builds and extensions
On-site detention and retention systems where council requires flow control
Connection to the legal point of discharge
Civil site engineering for subdivisions and multi-unit developments
Council civil compliance documentation
Who this is for
Homeowners adding roof or paved area that changes site drainage, developers building units or subdividing, and builders who need stormwater or detention design to satisfy a council permit condition.
When do you need a stormwater drainage plan?
Usually when you build a new home or units, add significant roof or paved area with an extension, or subdivide. Councils and building surveyors often ask for a drainage plan showing how stormwater reaches the legal point of discharge, and some councils also require on-site detention.
What is on-site detention (OSD)?
On-site detention is a tank or storage system that holds stormwater during heavy rain and releases it slowly, so new hard surfaces don't overload council drains. Whether you need it, and how big it must be, depends on your council and site; we design it to their requirements.
What is the legal point of discharge?
It's the point, set by council, where your property's stormwater must connect to the public drainage system. You can usually request it from council. The drainage design then has to get water there with the right falls and pipe sizes.
Common mistakes to avoid
Assuming stormwater can go to the kerb without checking the legal point of discharge
Leaving the drainage design until after the permit plans are finished
Undersizing pipes and pits for the added roof and paved area
Missing an on-site detention condition in the planning permit
Getting started
What we need from you, and what you'll receive
What we need from you
Site or architectural plans
Council permit conditions or engineering requirements
Legal point of discharge information, if you have it
Survey levels, if available
Photos of the site
What you'll receive
Drainage plans with pipe sizes, pits and falls
On-site detention design and calculations where required
Documents for council engineering and your building surveyor
Responses to council queries on the design
How it works
From enquiry to finished documents in four steps
1
Site assessment
We review your site's fall, soil and existing drainage connections.
2
Fixed-price quote
A clear price and delivery date before we start.
3
Design
Drainage and civil drawings sized to council requirements.
4
Council submission
Documentation prepared for your council's civil engineering requirements.
What affects the cost of stormwater and civil design?
Every site is quoted individually. The main factors are:
Site size and the number of dwellings
Whether on-site detention is required
Site levels and the distance to the point of discharge
Your council's specific requirements
Whether survey information already exists
How quoting works
Send photos or plans through the form, or call us on 03 7048 4006. We reply within a few business hours (same business day, or the next business day at the latest) with a fixed price and a delivery date.
Fixed price before we start. What we quote is what you pay, with no variations appearing at invoice time.
10% price-match guarantee. Found a lower quote for the same scope? We'll match it and take 10% off.
No obligation. Ask a question or get a quote; you decide whether to go ahead.
Client reviews
What our clients say
We hold a 5.0 rating on Google. Here's a sample — you can read every review on our Google Business Profile.
★★★★★
“It was a pleasure dealing with these guys, nothing was too much trouble and the job was completed quicker than I thought possible with building surveyors being so busy nowadays”
GGraeme Black Google review
★★★★★
“Great experience working with Prem and the team! They conducted a thorough structural inspection for our property and provided prompt, professional, and detailed recommendations. Their communication was excellent throughout, and they were quick to respond to all our queries and RFIs. Highly recommend their structural engineering services!”
Councils typically require detention when a development increases impervious (hard) surface area beyond a set threshold, to stop extra runoff overloading the local drainage network. We'll confirm if your project triggers this.
Does my extension need a stormwater plan?
Often, if it adds roof or paved area or changes how water leaves the site. Your building surveyor or council will say whether a drainage plan is needed, and we'll confirm at quote stage.
Is stormwater design part of a standard building permit?
Not always. It depends on your council and the scale of the works. We'll tell you at quote stage whether your project needs separate civil or stormwater documentation.
Do you handle civil engineering for subdivisions?
Yes. We provide civil site engineering, including drainage design, for subdivision and multi-lot development projects.
How much does stormwater design cost?
It depends on the site, the number of dwellings and council requirements. Send us your plans and permit conditions and we'll reply with a fixed price, usually within a few business hours.
Can you respond to council's engineering comments?
Yes. We prepare documentation to your council's requirements and respond to council engineering queries on our design.
