What Will Your Site Preparation Team Do?
If you own land and plan to have something built on that land, you may be surprised to hear your contractors tell you they need to have a site preparation team come out before they start building. What will this team do, and how does their work make construction more feasible? Here's a look at the major steps the site prep team will typically complete before building commences.
Removing any old structures.
If there are any old buildings currently on the site, then a site prep team will typically remove them. Often, however, there are non-building structures left behind that they must remove. For instance, they may need to remove some old, buried pipes from a building that is long gone. Or, they may need to remove an old stone foundation that's still embedded in the dirt. It's important that these things are gone before the builders start working since their presence will make it impossible to dig down and pour any concrete foundation or pad that the project calls for.
Brush hogging.
Vacant properties tend to become overgrown quite quickly. They soon reach a point where an average lawn mower cannot cut through the grass. However, a site prep team can bring in a brush hog, which is a bigger, heavier mower. This will cut though thick weeds and even small shrubbery. With the land cleared, builders will have an easier time driving their equipment onto it and planning where to do work.
Soil leveling.
If the land is at all bumpy or uneven, then your site preparation team will likely want to level it, using a roller. They can tow the roller behind with a tractor or truck, and it will flatten out the high areas. This not only makes it easier for the builders to start their job, but it also makes the land safer. You're less likely to step in a hole.
Testing.
Depending on the type of building you're having constructed and how you plan on using it, there may be some environmental requirements and soil testing requirements. If this is the case, the site prep team will usually be the one to ensure the soil samples are taken and analyzed. If the soil needs to be amended in any way, they'll do that, too.
Now you should have a better idea of what a site prep team will do as a part of your building project. Good luck, and enjoy your new place.