The article presents various engineering geological aspects of the construction of family houses and similar small buildings, using a case study approach. Examples collected from both Czech and foreign practice demonstrate that the spectrum of possible interactions with the geological environment is very rich even for such small and simple constructions, so a site investigation is always worth its cost.
The basis of a good site investigation is to create an engineering geological model of the site; construction participants familiar with this concept are more likely to avoid serious errors in both design and building.