Top 10 things to know when building on your property
Building a shop, garage, pavilion, retaining wall, pond, driveway or home can be a daunting project today! With supply chain disruptions, increased lag time for permit approvals, labor shortages, and increased overall costs, it can seem like construction projects are hard to handle even when you have a lot of experience as a homeowner!
Plan your construction project or property improvement with ease by following these ten important steps:
Hire someone who understands the WHOLE process, start to finish.
Your dirt moving contractor is your first contractor on site, and usually the last contractor on site. As such, your excavation contractor is a crucial partner and must be someone you can count on! Don’t focus on getting a general contractor alone! This process is much more complicated than it first appears.
It always takes longer than you think. Many first-time customers are shocked when there are delays due to:
cutting through red tape on permitting before building begins
weather
labor shortages
supply chain breakdowns
sorting through conflicting contractor schedules
general confusion and poor communication
gaining permit approval for various contractors (electric, plumbing, septic, etc.)
Don’t skip the planning phases.
It can be easy to want to rush through the initial phases so you can see physical progress begin on your property ASAP. We get it! However, many problems can arise when these key planning phases are cut short.
Communicate your expectations way BEFORE you need anything.
In 2023, even the most simple items can take weeks to get. If you change your mind on plans, expect to have the timeline lengthen appropriately.
Be flexible!
Weather in Western Pennsylvania can make home building take longer than you expect. Hire contractors in advance and make sure you have a firm spot on their schedules far in advance of when the project begins. You will NOT be able to hire someone last minute in most cases.
Order materials early to avoid shortages.
As a dirt moving contractor, we keep most pipe in stock, limiting the amount of special orders we need to make. We now stock more material than ever, including gravel, topsoil, pipe, decorative boulders, retaining wall blocks, and more!
Be okay with some mess.
When moving dirt, mud is inevitable. Partnering with the right contractor who has the tools and expertise to limit mud is key.
Learn as much as you can!
Call us today at 814-221-7424 to get answers for your questions!
Invest upfront to save long-term.
It can be tempting to focus only on the house while building. However, neglecting or cutting costs on your driveway, grading or retaining walls can cost you more in the long term. It often costs more to replace one of these than to get it done right the first time. Check out our post on the top 5 problems we see with driveways as just one example.
Support local small businesses!
Many of your building materials will have to come from local suppliers such as Redi-mix, concrete, aggregate, and your driveway base, be it sandstone or shale. Transport for these items will get too expensive if you rely on suppliers outside of rural Western Pennsylvania. When choosing a contractor, pick one that can demonstrate their strong relationships with local suppliers. This will insure you get the right supplies as quickly as possible.
Check out our portfolio below and give us a call today to consult at 814-221-7424. You can also request a quote online here.
