Two things property owners must do after booking excavating contractors for landscaping projects
Here are two things property owners who've booked excavating contractors for landscaping projects must do.
They should have a detailed discussion about their excavation requirements
Before the excavating contractor can start working on the client's outdoor space, the latter should have a detailed discussion with the former about the specific landscaping features that will require excavation work. For example, if the property owner wants to create multiple paths throughout their garden, they'll need to specify the depth and width of these paths so the contractor can decide which type of excavator and what size bucket they'll need for this landscaping task. If these paths are going to be quite narrow, the contractor might need to use their most compact excavator as well as an extra-small bucket.
Similarly, if the property owner wants the contractor to excavate certain areas of their garden, so their landscaper can then install an irrigation system for their new plants and shrubs, the contractor will need to know several things. They'll need to be shown where the trenches for the irrigation systems will be positioned, what the required dimensions of these trenches must be, and will need to know if they'll be required to use their excavator to grade the outdoor space beforehand (as the irrigation system could be easier to install on level ground).
Likewise, if the property owner wants the contractor to use their excavator to remove obstacles (such as large rocks or tree stumps) so the client's landscaper can plant flowerbeds in their place, the contractor will need to know how large the rocks and stumps are, so they can determine how long this task will take. They may also need to know if the client wants the area from which the contractor removes these obstacles to be levelled with the excavator, in preparation for the flowerbed planting process.
The client should talk to the contractor about how the site might need to be prepared for the excavation process
The client should also have a discussion with the contractor about any preparatory work that might need to be done before the excavating process can begin. For example, if the client knows there are underground utility lines on their property, the contractor might advise them to have a local utility company come and mark out the exact locations of these underground lines. This will allow the contractor to avoid damaging them when they dig into the soil with their equipment.
Additionally, the client may need to do a walkthrough of the work area with the contractor so they can point out the existing landscaping features they plan to keep. The contractor may then decide to take precautions to not only avoid striking these features with their excavator bucket but also to avoid dropping soil from the full bucket onto these features (as heavy soil landing on, for example, delicate shrubs could damage the leaves or blooms). In this situation, they may ask the client to temporarily cover the existing landscaping features. They might also put up reflective barriers beside these features so they can easily see them from their excavator, even if the lighting conditions are not that good.
For more information, contact an excavating contractor near you