Before a custom home from Powell Custom Homes can be built, excavation and site prep have to happen. This part of the building process happens before you will start to see your home go up and become a house. Here are some of the things you should know about excavation and the site prep process for your new home.
Choosing Property Lines
Before excavation and site preparation can happen, property lines need to be established. These lines are established and staked out on your lot to ensure the builders know where the home will be placed.
Site Clearing
The next step will be to clear the site to ensure a foundation can be laid for your new home. If your new custom home will be built on a wooded lot, trees may need to be removed, along with other vegetation.
Powell Custom Homes will layout a perimeter for the home in order to gain zoning permit approval. The site clearing will include clearing this area of stumps, trees, vegetation, and anything else in the way of laying the foundation. In addition, the areas about 20 feet around the perimeter will need to be cleared to leave enough room for contractors to work.
Not only do contractors need room to work, but you also want to ensure enough air circulation and sunlight. In addition, large trees can become a hazard to your home during high winds and invading roots can also cause issues.
Excavating
After the site has been cleared, excavation will start. This process will include digging out dirt and creating a space for the foundation. When the home you choose from Powell Custom Homes includes a basement, excavation will go deeper and it will likely take a bit longer.
The dirt removed during the excavation process will likely be used later during the grading process.
Grading
The next step in the site prep process is the grading around the home. This refers to the sloping and grading allows for the ground to be leveled. Typically, it starts with rough grading, which is not as precise, as the final grading will be done later in the home building process.
Along with leveling the ground, grading also helps with setting up the natural drainage system for your home. Sloping is often added to ensure water will run away from the foundation and won't collect around the home.
Runoff Control
The final step in the excavation and site preparation process includes runoff control. Tarp barriers will be set up, along with filter screens or even hay bales to help control runoff during the rest of the building process. Since the site prep process created quite a bit of mud, it's important for builders to use runoff control measures to ensure mud won't run into surrounding properties, onto sidewalks, or into the streets.
The excavation and site prep process is an important part of the custom home building process. If you're planning to build a custom home with Powell Custom Homes and you have questions about this part of the process, reach out to us and we will be happy to provide accurate answers.