Site prep

Site prep is the stage before any concrete pour, shed pad, or driveway goes in, and it's where most settlement problems start. If the ground isn't cleared, leveled, and compacted properly, whatever you build on top will shift, crack, or hold water. Customers usually call us after they've got plans or a pad size in mind but aren't sure what the ground underneath is going to take. We come out, look at the slope, the soil, and what's growing there, and tell you straight what needs to happen before the next trade shows up.

The work starts with marking the footprint and stripping anything on the surface: brush, topsoil, roots, and buried rocks. We bring an excavator and a skid steer for most jobs, along with a plate compactor for the finish. Once the area is cleared, we cut and fill to the grade you need, making sure water runs away from the structure. Then we spread fill in lifts, wetting and compacting each layer so the ground won't give later. The final pass leaves a level, firm surface that's ready for forms or gravel.

No two sites behave the same. A flat, open lot with sandy soil is a quick job, while a wooded hillside with clay means more cutting, hauling, and fill. Access matters too: if the crew has to work around a house, fences, or tight gates, the machine work takes longer. Wet weather can stop compaction entirely, because you can't pack saturated soil. The size of the footprint and the depth of the cut or fill are the main cost drivers, along with how much material has to be brought in or hauled off.

On the day, we show up with the machines on a trailer, unload, and get to it. We work around what's already on your property, protecting trees you want to keep and keeping the spoil pile where you can use it. When the grading and compaction are done, we clean up the edges, knock down any ruts from the tracks, and leave the site tidy. Before we start, you should have the footprint marked and any underground lines located. After we finish, keep vehicles off the prepared area until the next trade takes over.

The finished pad should look flat, drain properly, and feel firm underfoot. If you're not sure whether the soil is compacted enough, you can walk it and look for soft spots, or ask the next contractor to check before they pour. We'll also show you where the final grade sits relative to your house or garage so you can see the drainage path. If you find a low spot after rain settles it, that's normal for some soils, and a quick top-up of fill and a re-compact handles it. The goal is a base that doesn't surprise you later.

One thing that separates a good site prep job from a rushed one is the attention paid to the edges and the transition zones. It's easy to get the middle of the pad level and leave the sides sloppy, but water finds those spots. We cut clean edges, tie the new grade into the existing ground, and make sure the compaction reaches the full footprint, not just the wheel paths. That's the difference between a base that holds up and one that settles unevenly under a slab or a driveway.