Home Services Guidelines and Best Practices
Land Excavation
Land Excavation guidelines, FAQs and unit pricing information
January 2017
Are you looking for independent, trustworthy advice about Land Excavation? Do you need to understand common installation options? If your project calls for Land Excavation work, the following guidelines and best practices will help you understand: Is a subcontractor really necessary for Land Excavation work? Will a permit be required? What are common problem areas? How much will Land Excavation labor cost? What are the important Land Excavation quality checks that should be included in the work requirements?
Land Excavation - Frequently Asked Questions
| What is a fair price for Land Excavation? | Costs vary with project size, job quality and time of year. For typical Land Excavation expect to pay between $50.71 to $97.71 per cubic yard. Additional fees are typically charged for small projects or rush jobs. |
| Is a permit needed for Land Excavation work? | Design approval and/or permits from your local building authority are usually required for Land Excavation. Verify requirements with your local building department before any Land Excavation work begins. |
| Is it worth using a professional to perform Land Excavation work? | Skill and experience greatly speed and simplify Land Excavation work and minimize project delays. Hiring an experienced professional can significantly reduce completion timelines and project schedule risks. |
| Is Land Excavation something that I can do myself? | The typical Land Excavation project involves tasks that are best performed by experienced professionals. Good quality Land Excavation requires considerable experience, skill and attention to detail. Do it yourself mistakes are noticeable, may be difficulty to remedy and may actually reduce the market value of the project and your home. |
| How many days are typically required to complete the Land Excavation work? | This work can be completed in 1 to 2 days. |
Land Excavation - Options, Quality Checks and Important Details
Use the list below to document your expectations for level of detail and finish quality for Land Excavation. Make sure that relevant information is included in any written contracts or work orders on your project. Before any Land Excavation work begins, review the checklist with the service provider. Tie payments to satisfactory completion of this checklist.
Land Excavation - Work Milestones and Project Reminders
The following list summarizes work tasks commonly performed during Land Excavation. These tasks help ensure proper completion of the land work and compliance with common manufacturer and vendor warranty requirements. Make sure that either you or your service provider takes responsibility for each of these tasks. All service provider task responsiblities should be clearly called out in the written contract or work orders.
- Verify that planned Land Excavation will comply with home owner association requirements
- Determine if permit is required for Land Excavation by local building authority, before any work begins
- Complete written contract, including scope of work, quality checks, warranty, timing and payment terms; ensure that contract is signed before work begins
- Review and approve detailed layout / plan that shows location, orientation and placement of land, before any work begins
- Confirm date (and time) for project start with subcontractor - one week and two days prior to project start
- Obtain a permit for Land Excavation from local building authority; post permit on the jobsite as required
- Review site access, clean-up restrictions , work hours, bathroom use and other jobsite rules with all subcontractors and laborers before they begin work
- Prepare area for safe, efficient work; move items that restrict work access or are vulnerable to damage; cover and protect items that cannot be moved
- Inspect installation quality and verify proper operation for land using the Quality Checklist on this page; create a punch list of final tasks that must be completed prior to final payment
- Remove debris, dirt and dust from all work areas; unless otherwise agreed, all demolition debris and construction waste will be removed from the site within 24 hours
- Photograph or videotape the work area before work begins, to document the location of structural elements and condition of existing finishes and materials
