We’re about to embark on a couple of reasonable-sized building projects at home, the first of which is what I guess you could call a single-storey Granny flat at the bottom of the garden. Plans approved, warrant drawings done and all that, just waiting on the timber frame being built. I’m going to try to do a lot of the prep work myself, the first major bit would be digging and laying foundations. Looking at a concrete pad rather than strip foundations, have the space to move earth about, got a tame digger driver raring to go, so we’re pretty much ready to start.
My question is about routing utilities into the building. Only going to need electric and water and probably some ethernet cable, plus drainage. What are the pros and cons of laying conduit for utilities into the foundation and pouring concrete over the top and having them poking out of the concrete pad vs just laying the pad and digging a separate trench outside the pad for the utlities? I’d have thought it would be easier for access to have a solid pad and utilities outwith, but I’ve seen loads of house builds where the utilities poke out of various pipes in the middle of the concrete.