Have you ever thought of building as a type of artwork? If you were to interact with a few construction workers or contractors, and then talk to them about their work, you might come to see it this way. Designing and building a whole structure requires some sort of artistic intellect. It might be a different sort of artistry than one would use to create a painting or a drawing, but it is art nonetheless.
On this blog, we are going to write about construction and contractors. We aim to do that from a range of perspectives, which should keep things interesting.
If you bought land for building a new home, you'll probably need to have the land cleared first. It doesn't take long for shrubs and trees to take over vacant land, and work can't begin on your home until the land is cleared of growth. You'll need to obtain permits for site clearing, and once the contractor has those, they can begin clearing your lot. Here's what they may do.
Remove Trees, Stumps, And Roots
If your lot has mature trees that won't get in the way of construction work, you might want to save them. Verify with your builder the trees won't be in the way and then the site-clearing contractor can mark them so they won't be taken down.
Other trees are cut or knocked down and removed. The stumps will usually be ground away along with the roots. It's important to get rid of the underground growth too, so roots won't grow and bother the foundation of your new house. Removing trees requires heavy machinery like a skid-steer, stump grinder, and maybe a bulldozer or crane, so prepare your neighbors for a lot of activity if your lot has many trees.
Cut Up All Vegetation
A residential site clearing contractor has various machines and tools for clearing the land. They may bring in a mulcher that's able to cut down shrubs, small trees, and all the vegetation growing on your lot.
Once it's cut down, they may scoop it up and haul it off. However, if it won't be in the way along the edges of your lot, they may leave the mulch to help enrich the soil, depending on what your home builder wants to do.
If your lot hasn't been overgrown for very long, the mulcher may be the only thing needed to clear your lot. In that case, the work will go fast.
Dig Up And Haul Off Rocks
Depending on the geography of your land, there may be boulders buried in the soil. These need to be removed before your house is built on the land. The contractor may need to dig them up with an excavator and transfer them to a truck to be hauled away. They may also get rid of as many smaller rocks in the soil as possible.
Once the land has been cleared, it's time to work the soil. This may involve bringing in new topsoil and grading the land for proper drainage. The site-clearing contractor may offer these services too, or your builder may need to bring in a different contractor to get the soil ready.