There are many discussions that need to be had during the planning phase of sitework construction before any work gets done on a job site. We’ve been in the construction industry for over 30 years—offering site clearing, demo, excavation and grading, underground utilities, and more—and we can tell you that failing to have these conversations and ironing out the details will likely affect the cost of a sitework project even before it begins.

Five Conversations to Have Before Starting Sitework

  1. Site Access

    This refers to how equipment, materials, and trucks get onto a site, how they can move around to drop off and get to materials and equipment, and how they can exit a job site. Sitework generally requires a lot of large pieces of heavy equipment, like excavators, backhoes, loaders, and dump trucks. These pieces of heavy equipment need a lot of space to work and space to be parked. Similarly, materials and other equipment also need space to be stored and staged. If a site is cramped or ill-planned, a lot of time and money will be wasted waiting to get machinery and supplies on site, delivery trucks dumped and off site, and moving materials around.

  2. Soil Conditions

    Soils play a huge role in sitework, and it’s important to have the site’s soil analyzed to ensure it has the necessary characteristics, like moisture, lack of organic content and contamination, compaction, and more, that are required for the construction that will eventually take place. It’s best to know before sitework begins whether the soil will need to be excavated, carted off, and replaced or if it can be reused in the site before work begins.

  3. Hauling Considerations

    Most sitework will require a lot of hauling, such as bringing heavy equipment and hauling dirt and other aggregates to and from the site; all of this movement costs money with the cost of the trucks, the fuel, the driver’s and spotter’s pay, disposal fees, and more. Having the hauling planned out as close to perfect as possible will keep these costs down.

  4. Utility Conflicts

    Utilities on a sitework construction job are a huge consideration. Existing utilities like water, sewer, gas, electric, telecommunications, and more must be worked around, and they pose a safety hazard to workers even after being marked. The process of locating and marking utilities—called Utility Locates—is an involved process with many steps and involved personnel where corners cannot be cut. Identifying, marking, and revamping existing utilities requires the involvement of the utility providers, owners, other utility users, entities that approve permits, and more. Similarly, new utilities must also be planned in great detail to avoid problems. It is definitely not an area where you want to under-plan if you’re looking to save costs on a sitework construction job.

  5. Timing and Sequencing of Different Contractors

     A sitework job can involve many different contractors, and the sequence of when those contractors are set to come and do their work, plus the time their work will take, is important to saving time and money. Planning the correct sequence and timing will ensure that one contractor does not get in the way of another doing their portion of the work.

Tucker Paving offers site construction services, and our sitework services include site clearing, site grading, stabilized subgrade, base work, and underground utilities. It’s in addition to our over three decades in the asphalt and concrete paving industry. Contact us by calling (863) 299-2262, or fill out our contact form online, to let us help you with your next sitework project!