Clearing For Comfort: Prepare Your Homestead Like An Excavation Expert

Key Takeaways:

• Land clearing is an essential step in excavation work
• It promotes usability, safety, and value for your property
• Your contractor should have tree and brush clearing in his job description
• Before clearing, it’s necessary to survey and research your local permits

It’s not often that homeowners have to worry about things like excavation work. But when you’re preparing to build a house, many steps must be taken to ensure the process goes as smoothly as possible. One of those steps is clearing the land for your new home. In this blog post, we’ll address the ins and outs of how to clear your land for construction like an excavation expert!

Why Clear the Land Before Building?

Before we scrape into the nitty gritty of land clearing, let’s first discuss why it’s essential to clear your land before you begin building. There are a good many reasons for this.

No. 1: Usability

A patch of land left to go wild might come across as entirely unlivable. But with some excavation work, you can turn that same patch of land into a usable piece of property on which you can build your dream home.

No. 2: Safety

Unforeseeable hazards like rotting stumps, high brush, and large boulders can present a safety hazard to you and your family. By clearing your land, you can avoid these hazards and provide a safe environment for yourself and those you love.

No. 3: Disease

Untended vegetation can harbor all sorts of diseases. By clearing your land, you can avoid these diseases and create a healthy environment for yourself and your plant life.

No. 4: Growth

When a plot is overgrown with vegetation, it can be difficult for new growth to take root. Clearing your land allows new, healthy growth and creates a thriving environment for yourself and your plant life.

No. 5: Fire

Dead trees and overgrown vegetation spell fire hazards for your property. By clearing your land, you can avoid these hazards and ensure safety for yourself and your neighbors.

No. 6: Pests

Rats, snakes, and other pests love to hide in overgrown vegetation. Chase them away by clearing your land and making it inhospitable for them. Not only will this make your homestead more comfortable, but it will also help you avoid diseases that these pests can carry.

No. 7: Value

Aside from the whole aesthetic argument, having a cleared piece of land can increase the value of your property. If you ever decide to sell, a well-maintained and clean piece of land will make it much easier to find buyers willing to pay top dollar for your homestead.

How to Get It Done

Ready to unleash your inner excavation expert? Here are a few steps to get you started.

1. Survey: Excavation work for home construction generally starts with a land survey. Plan for connection to an electrical grid, water, and sewage if these amenities are not already available.
2. Assess: Any hazards, whether due to the elements or the land itself, need to be considered before work can begin. This is also the time to remove any large rocks or trees that might get in the way.
3. Research: Depending on your location, you might need a few permits before you can start excavating. Make sure to research and budget for the cost of permits in your area. You don’t want to get caught with excavation work underway and no permits to show for it.
4. Clear large obstacles: Boulders, trees, and other significant obstacles can be removed with the help of an excavator. If you have much debris, you might want to consider renting a dumpster to clear it all away.
5. Clear trees: This procedure isn’t as simple as it sounds. You might opt for hiring a professional tree service if you have many trees. You might not want to remove all the trees on your property, but you should remove any that are in the way of your construction project.
6. Remove stumps: You can’t simply dig up a tree stump and expect it to be gone. You need to use a stump grinder or other tool to remove the stump. You might consider hiring a professional stump removal service if you have many stumps.
7. Remove debris: Smaller issues like branches, brush, and leaves can be removed with a brush mower or other tool. You might consider hiring a professional debris removal service if you have much debris.

What Mistakes Should I Avoid?

Excavation work, especially land clearing, requires planning and precision. You should avoid a few critical mistakes, and we’ll cover them below.

No. 1: Not Quite Cleared

We all carry a romanticized image in our minds of a house on a hill, the sun setting behind it, and a gentle breeze blowing through the trees. In reality, too many trees close to your plot will obstruct equipment like crane arms and bucket loaders, making the clearing process more difficult and expensive. You should also be aware of the danger of falling trees during a storm – if they hit your house, you could be facing some serious repairs.

No. 2: To Brush or Not

The brush is the smaller, leafier growth that covers the forest floor. It’s essential to remove as much of this as possible before beginning construction, as it can quickly become a fire hazard. On the other hand, getting rid of it can be very expensive if you have a lot of it. Ensure that quotes from an excavation expert include brush clearing in the job description.

No. 3: Estimating Errors

Always ensure that your quotes are in-person and on-location when hiring a contractor for your excavation work. It’s easy for a contractor to lowball you over the phone or online and then show up on your property to find that the job is much larger than anticipated. This will result in them charging you more money or doing subpar work.

No. 4: DIY Daredevil

Brush clearing on its own requires incredible skill and stamina from a DIYer, but a wooded lot demands even more. Experts use specialized equipment like chainsaws, feller-bunchers, and skidders to clear land quickly and efficiently. If you’re inexperienced with this work, it’s best to leave it to the professionals.

Need some help hiring a contractor? Not to worry, Forbes offers a checklist and tips.

Conclusion

Clearing land for your home takes preparation, precision, and sometimes professional help. By understanding your land and what you want to do with it, you can create a comfortable space for yourself and your family. If you feel there’s room for further improvement, check out our article on choosing the right retaining wall for your property.

Dirt Werx LLC is proud to offer homeowners in Allentown, PA, a wide variety of excavation services.

Get your free estimate today!

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