Avoid costly add-on services, delays, and property hazards. Find out what every homeowner should know before excavation from Fisher Construction, Central Washington’s trusted residential groundworks services company.

Tips for safe residential excavation

• Hire an experienced excavation contractor
• Test for soil type and stability
• Assess drainage and water control needs
• Avoid digging too close to existing structures

Hire an Experienced Excavation Contractor

When planning an excavation project, hiring a licensed, insured, highly rated excavation contractor is the single most important decision you can make to protect against damage and liability risks and ensure timely, successful completion. Our excavation team knows how to manage new home construction and addition excavation projects safely:

• We hire only trained, experienced residential and commercial excavators
• Our groundwork company is up to date on building codes and permits, zoning rules, setbacks, and utility easements
• We contact 811 before starting every project to identify water, gas, sewer, and electrical lines
• Our excavation contractors use the latest sloping, shoring, and shielding methods to prevent dangerous cave-ins and protect existing buildings
• We include ladders, ramps, or steps in trenches for rapid emergency exit
• Our team installs signage, fencing, or barriers on site to keep children, pets, and unauthorized individuals away
• We constantly monitor the weather for rain and freezing conditions to reduce the likelihood of soil instability and collapse

Test for Soil Type and Stability

We analyze the soil before digging to identify its composition. Determining sand, clay, and moisture content helps determine the best excavation methods and stability additions for your site. These may include sloping, bracing, geotextiles, gravel filling, and compacting to prevent soil instability, settling, collapse, and subsequent post-construction damage.

Assess Drainage and Water Control Needs

Our experienced residential excavators understand that high groundwater levels and poor drainage can cause soil erosion and stability issues, and that excavation can shift how water flows. We have the skills to identify how existing buildings, trees, and slopes impact water flow and drainage patterns, protecting your property. We’ll make necessary grade changes, install sump pumps and drainage to manage water flow, and incorporate erosion control measures like retaining walls, silt fencing, and vegetation additions. Our groundwork team plans each project to the smallest detail to prevent foundation damage, basement leaks, pooling water, runoff, and soil instability.

Avoid Digging Too Close to Existing Structures

We take special care when digging near existing structures, such as foundations, outbuildings, driveways, patios, and retaining walls, to prevent damage to these structures during excavation. Digging too close to the footings or foundation can destabilize them, resulting in soil settling, shifting, and structural damage. Our skilled contractors know how to perform excavation near existing structures safely, utilizing shoring, bracing, and underpinning to maintain soil stability, as well as construction equipment that minimizes damage caused by vibration.

Avoid Common Mistakes Homeowners Make During Excavation

Ensure a surprise-free project, finding out what every homeowner should know before excavation from Fisher Construction. Contact us at 509-424-6072 to schedule a project consultation in Yakima, Selah, Moxee, Naches, Sunnyside, Toppenish, Wapato, or Zillah today.