How Do I Prepare for an Excavation Contractor?

The first step in the process of developing a piece of land is preparing for an excavation. You might think this is a relatively simple process, but it’s more involved than it may first appear. In fact, you may want to invest in having a professional handle this work.

Here are the basics of excavation site preparation.

Basics of excavation

This is the process of moving earth, rock and other materials by using tools, equipment or explosives. Excavation involves things like tunneling, trenching and earthwork. It’s primarily used for construction, though it has other applications in mining, exploration and environmental restoration.

Initial steps

Here are some of the things that go into preparing the site for excavation:

• Clearing the site: Removing all the trees, shrubs, existing structures and anything else is the first step in getting your site ready.
• Soil testing: This step is essential for understanding soil density. Having this information can be critical to understand the kind of structure you will be able to build on the site. It may be required to make soil improvements before construction begins.
• Surveying: To decide where exactly the building will be constructed, it’s necessary—and often required—to complete a survey and get the precise measurements to begin the project. Think about this like transforming your construction plans into real, concrete designs specific to your site. Once the survey is done, now the excavators and construction crews will understand exactly where the building will be constructed.
• Geotechnical site investigation: Investigators will come out to check the rock composition and the groundwater conditions at the site. Just like with soil testing, this is necessary to understand how the foundation of each structure will rest on the surface.
• Site plan design: This includes all the information about where each building will be located, where access roads will be constructed, where supplies will be stored and the location of septic and drainage systems that will be installed.

These are the basic steps of excavation site preparation. As you can see, there are many parts of this for which you’ll need to rely on pros who understand the specific details of this work.

Beginning excavation work

Once the jobsite is prepared, then plans will be finalized for building and be fit to the site. How deep the excavator digs is dependent on the type of foundation and whether the building will include a crawl space or basement. No matter which type of foundation is being utilized, it will need to be on cement footers. There are various types of foundation such as slab, crawl space and basement.

If you’re preparing for an excavation, then consult the pros at Klumm Bros. For more than three decades, our company has served as an all-in-one demolition and excavation contractor serving commercial, industrial and residential customers. We do it all—from dump-trucking to concrete removal to roll-off box services and more. Contact us today to discuss your next project and request a free estimate.

Categorised in: Excavation Company