5 Tips On Choosing The Right Excavation Contractor In Adelaide

By Author: Blackwood Earthmoving
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Are you currently looking for earthmoving contractors to work on your property? Excavation work will enact major, permanent changes on your property, so it pays to mind the details and prepare as much as you can. Remember that the quality of the finished product will only be as good as the people who work on it. That is why your job of choosing the right contractors is extremely important.

You will definitely benefit from reading up about excavation services before you make your decision. In this article, learn what earthmoving contractors do and how you can choose the right ones to partner with.

What does an excavation contractor do?

After the project is given a green light for construction, excavation contractors come in to prepare the land on which the building will be erected. Here are a few examples of their responsibilities.

Site Preparation

The excavation contractor removes soil from the surface. The depth depends on what the building’s foundation requires it to be. Through compaction tests and other relevant techniques, the contractor also makes sure that the soil is firm. ...
... The firmer the soil, the firmer the foundation, the stronger the building or property feature to be constructed. They perform site preparation using heavy earthmovers and excavators – large equipment that can dig up dirt and clear a piece of land in a time-efficient manner.

Contracting

Earthmoving contractors are considered subcontractors. If you need someone to clear the land in your backyard before you do landscaping, you can hire an excavation contractor to perform those specific excavation services. But for bigger projects, they generally will not be overseeing the whole project. They are led by the project’s general contractor who coordinates theirs and other subcontractors’ work.

Any earthmoving work

Anytime you need to do some digging but you feel the work is impossible using just a shovel and your own hard labour, you need to call up an excavation contractor. Anything that has to do with earthmoving, an excavation contractor can do.

This includes grading, digging for swimming pools or ponds, fixing sewers, performing maintenance for utility lines like water and gas, and more. Of course, this extends to large-scale public utility work: grading for roads, locating the community’s utility lines, or improving drainage systems.

Operation of heavy equipment

Earthmoving contractors are extensively trained in the operation of heavy equipment. The most common ones you will see at excavation sites are 2-tonne and 5-tonne excavators.

A 2-tonne excavator is used for smaller projects, usually residential. Its size allows it to access constricted spaces, but its power enables it to work just as efficiently as its bigger cousin. The 5-tonne excavator, on the other hand, is used for projects of bigger scale, usually commercial or public.

While today’s modern heavy equipment is designed to be more user friendly, only professionals can handle it best and in the safest manner.

5 tips on choosing the right excavation contractor

The type and quality of excavation work may vary from company to company. Before you make your choice, consider these few tips.

Consider your project’s requirements

Will you be needing standard levelling work? Or will you be needing a full-scale dig? Gather your project’s important details so you can find the contractor that best matches your needs. You may also have to go beyond the project itself. For example, if you need excavation work done on your backyard, it would be safe for you to assume that your neighbours will not be comfortable with the disturbance that excavation creates. You may then want to include “low vibration” or “low noise” in your project requirements.

In general, make sure to identify what the project requires as well as what your personal requirements are. Create a comprehensive document containing project details, budget allocations, and other important items.

Research the company’s services offered

While most excavating contractors offer standard excavation services, not all offer the same list of services. Some companies subcontract specifically to builders, so their services will be tailored to builders’ needs, which are usually for large-scale projects. Other excavation companies have more experience working with homeowners, so they offer anything from land clearing to swimming pool digs. If you can’t find this information on their website, give them a call and enquire.

Ask what equipment they use

The equipment that they use will definitely affect the quality of their work. Ask for the brand and research the brand’s reputation in the industry. Go with them only when what comes up in your research looks good to you. If the company uses a reliable brand, they are likelier to produce better work. More than the quality of the work itself, it is also about company values and customer service. Companies that use reliable brands also show that they are serious about the services they offer and only want the best for their clients.

Pay close attention to their rates

Most companies will provide you with a free quote when you enquire on their services. Study the quote well and see if you really will be getting what you pay for, so to speak. Also, watch out for hidden charges or surprise charges. Choose the company that provides you with a full and transparent quote that includes every item you will be paying for, even payments to be made further in the project timeline if there are any. You want to be able to assess your budget properly at this stage.

Research their experience

Ask them for a portfolio of their previous work and see if it impresses you. If you want to do a little bit more extra work to ensure quality, try and get ahold of other property owners they have worked with to ask if their services are reliable. You can never be too prepared for excavation work – it’s a matter of quality as well as safety. The more you prepare, the better you decide, the better the overall results will be.

Work with Blackwood Earthmoving today

At Blackwood Earthmoving, we offer a range of earthmoving services: site preparation, levelling, irrigation, digs, and more. To learn more about our services, get in touch with us today. Call us at 0412 815 978 or email us at blackwoodearthmoving@gmail.com. You may also message us via our online enquiry form.