Those Who Build the Buildings

Steps To Take When Preparing For Excavation Work

24 August 2021

Ashley Hart

Excavation projects can be one of the first steps for many of the improvements that you are wanting to undertake for your property. Hiring an excavation company is always recommended for these projects, but there are still steps that you will have to oversee for these projects to be safely completed.

Mitigate The Risk Of Utility Line Damage

The threat of damaging the utility lines is always a major concern during excavation projects. If these lines were to suffer damage, it could knock out the utility for both the homeowner and the surrounding properties. Mitigating this risk will require the utility services to be notified so that any buried lines can be marked. Once these lines are marked, a professional excavation service will be able to complete the work while avoiding these potential damages. Stakes will be a common way for marking these lines, and you should be particularly careful to avoid disturbing these posts once they have been inserted into the ground.

Clear A Path For The Excavation Equipment

The contracting service will need to use large and powerful pieces of equipment to complete the excavation project. Depending on the terrain and decorations on your landscaping, you may need to spend time clearing a path that this equipment will be able to take to the excavation site. The contractor will be able to review the area to let you know if there are items that will need to be moved to make room for their equipment. Failing to clear a path before the contractors arrive to start the work can significantly delay the start of this work, and it may even increase the total costs of the project.

Minimize The Time That The Excavated Area Is Left Exposed

Once the excavation service has removed the soil, you should have the project completed as quickly as possible. Leaving the excavation soil exposed can allow erosion to start to fill in this spot. In some cases, delays in starting or completing the project can be unavoidable, but it is possible to partially mitigate this risk by using erosion tarps. These tarps can be placed over the excavated site to prevent the soil from collapsing during rain. While these tarps can slow the erosion process, they will eventually fail. The amount of time that the tarps can last will vary based on the soil conditions of your property. For example, loose soil will be far more likely to develop this problem faster than clay or other dense types of soil.

Share