5 Crucial Steps For A Proper Lot Clearing and Preparation

Get ready to dig! Moving leftover debris is what these Earthwork Contractors do. In this article, Shawn Denny, owner of Specialty Grading, discusses the critical steps in a foundation’s site preparation.  

The lot clearing is the first and foremost important step when preparing a new home-build project.

The residential excavation company works hand-in-hand with the engineer to safeguard the home’s foundation. The project also aims to create a permanent residence for the homeowners to enjoy for years to come.

5 Steps For A Proper Lot Clearing and Preparation

 

1. Before Residential Excavation Can Begin, Know The Land

It’s a rule of thumb, Shawn Denny does not begin any project without first getting a soil report from the engineer. 

Even though he has been in this industry long enough to know when there is clay in the soil, the documentation is key. Knowing what is in the soil lays the groundwork for how to proceed with the land clearing project.

The soil report will show the components of the soil as well as indicate the plasticity index (PI). The PI measures the level of the soil’s plasticity characteristic.

Clay Is The Main Culprit For Raising The PI To Suboptimal Levels.

When water is added to the clay material during site preparation, the characteristic becomes moldable, flexible, and easily manipulated, like plastic. This is not ideal to have underneath a foundation of a home. 

Additionally, as the material becomes saturated with water it expands causing havoc to the stabilization of the foundation and adversely affects the permanency of a home.  If the clay is found in the soil it will have to be removed.

It’s important to note that Prescott Valley does not require a soils report before a site preparation.  But Denny will not proceed without one, he explains, “Clay under a house can literally lift a house with moisture expansion.”

2. The Engineer And Land Clearing Company  Work Together On The Site Preparation For The Best Foundation Option For The Home.

An aim Denny has is to save his developers as much land grading costs as possible. When the type of foundation is in question, he tends to opt for :

• Laying a conventional foundation once the clay has been removed from the soil

An alternative to the conventional foundation is the:

• Post-tension slab enables the whole foundation of the home to move as a unit if the earthwork underneath happens to shift

This sounds impressive, but the cost may not be, which can sometimes exceed the cost of a conventional foundation during lot clearing.

Speaking of saving money—with many years of providing consistent quality work:

• Denny’s experience has afforded him knowledge of creative methods to save the builder the most time on the project, which ultimately saves the most money.

As he surveys the land, Denny also scans for possibilities to ensure the job gets done within the most time-efficient manner, using the resources he has at hand…he’s very clever!

3. The Excavation Contractors Survey The Slope

Denny states that good lots, meaning flat lots, are hard to come by in the Quad City Region, as they’ve been built upon.  “Prime spots now have slopes that need earthwork contractors to get the ground level for the foundation. There are prime spots with a view in the forest but have a rocky soil or actual rocks to dig through with an excavator equipped with a power hammer.”

The lay of the land will determine what the lot clearing and excavation company have to do to proceed. Dirt won’t always be the answer to leveling a sloped lot. If there is too much of a slope, the best method Denny advises is to create a level foundation by building it up using either wood or concrete. 

For land that can be leveled using the traditional method with dirt, quality buildable soil will need to be trucked to the site.  

To save time and money, Specialty Grading imports structural fill that is engineered specifically to create a strong and sturdy base for the foundation during lot preparation of the construction site. The fill is also pre-moistened for quicker compaction without the need for a water truck—another time and money-saving tactic.

The slope of the land is measurable using a laser beam level to calculate the highest and lowest points of where the foundation is to be laid. With these given points, we can calculate the amount of engineered fill necessary to level the land.

4. Compaction Is Key

The purpose of compacting the soil before laying the foundation is to minimize the number of air pockets within the subsurface of the soil. 

Effectively reducing the air pockets decreases the risk of the soil shifting under the pressure of the house due to the dirt settling into these empty spaces.  Compacting the dirt also makes it much more difficult for water to pass through the soil creating reduced hydraulic conductivity. 

Though the permeability of the soil is lower, water is an essential component in the compaction process. Water is applied to the soil to achieve further compaction by way of lubricating the granular particles of the dirt to fit more cohesively.

Consistent Tests For Precisely Compacted Dirt

As the lot clearing and site preparation contractor gets underway with raising the dirt to the determined height, it is required for each foot of ground vertically raised to be inspected by the engineer until the finished grade is reached. 

That means the excavation and land clearing services crew must use external mechanical pressure to attain optimal density and compaction. Denny’s crew achieves this by the method of wheel-roll grid compaction over the dirt. They’ll not leave a square inch untouched per square foot raised.

5. The Engineer Inspects Every Step Of The Excavating Process

Denny’s team does not cut any corners when it comes to proper compaction of the foundation’s soil. As his team progresses with the project, Denny is in constant communication with the engineer to advise of the conditions and to provide the best work possible with the engineer’s guidance.

This portion of the project is extremely intricate. Denny ensures his team is knowledgeable on the job to avoid wasted time with the engineer and the developer.

He emphasizes the importance of quality inspections, “I want to do it right. I want to drive by the house many years later to show my kids that we did the dirty work and we are still proud of the work we did. If the final output is not right, then the whole house fails.”

The Proctor Compaction Test:

The engineer uses the Proctor Compaction Test to determine if the soil is foundation ready based on two crucial factors, the moisture level, and the density level.

The goal is to achieve a state of optimum moisture that allows for the highest density. Optimal moisture consists of three parts:

• Soil
• Water
• Air

Together, the percentage should equal 100%. Any amount exceeding 100% is unusual, meaning there are other components in the soil constituting the irregular total.

The test also calculates the dry density of the soil when it is in its natural state.

The Nuclear Density Gauge is can perform the Proctor compaction test. This is an extremely accurate piece of equipment with a state-of-the-art microprocessor to compute a slew of characteristics of the soil:

• wet density
• dry density
• moisture content
• percent of moisture
• percent of compaction
• void ratio (the volume of air pockets to the volume of the soil particles)
• amount of air spaces

Upon the completion and submission of each test requirement, the engineer’s stamp of approval the foundation will be ready and the construction can get underway.

What’s the average price for lot clearing?

The average cost to clear land is $500-$2,000 for lightly wooded acres with the removal of some large trees. 

Heavily wooded lands, on the other hand, may cost up to $5,600 per acre.

As a site preparation step, the cost to clear land to build varies depending on the following factors:

• Land area
• Density and sizes of trees
• Rocks, brush, stumps, and other debris
• Existing surface and underground structures
• Time of the year

We Put the Best In Our Land Clearing Services

Specialty Grading is a locally-owned family business in Prescott Valley, AZ. We provide top-notch care and service to each of our homeowners and developers, whom we feel honored to work with. 

Established in 1995, our land clearing and excavation company has over 20 years of experience providing high-quality services at a great value. 

Diligent, hard-working professionals and sensible solutions provide clients with satisfactory results. This is true if you hire a trustworthy crew to do the job right the first time. Here at Specialty Grading,  we are committed to our clients, taking the time to listen to their needs and to work with them within budget and expected time frames.  

Come to Specialty Grading for your Arizona residential excavation needs. We provide solutions specifically for you. Contact us via email or phone today for a free estimate.