You get a building site that directs water exactly where it needs to go. No pooling around your foundation. No soggy areas that never dry out. No wondering if the next heavy rain will cause problems you’ll be dealing with for years.
The ground holds its shape because it was compacted correctly from day one. Your foundation contractor can work on stable, properly prepared surfaces. Your landscaper isn’t fighting drainage issues that should have been solved during site prep.
Most importantly, you sleep better knowing the most critical part of your construction project was handled by someone who’s seen what happens when grading gets done wrong.
Emerson Excavating and Trucking has been working in Anaquassacook since 1997, originally as a logging operation before transitioning to full-time excavation in 2020. Josh and his son have handled hundreds of grading projects throughout the area.
We understand how water moves across this specific terrain. We know which areas have clay that holds water and which have sandy soil that drains too fast. We’ve fixed plenty of grading mistakes made by contractors who didn’t understand local conditions.
When you work with us, you’re getting a family business where Josh is present on almost every job to make sure the work meets our standards.
First, we walk your property to understand the natural drainage patterns and identify problem areas. We look at where water currently flows, where it needs to go, and what obstacles we’re working around.
Next, we bring in the right equipment to move and shape the soil. This isn’t just pushing dirt around – we’re creating specific slopes and grades that direct water exactly where it needs to flow.
Finally, we compact and finish the graded areas to ensure they hold their shape over time. We check our work with proper grading tools to make sure the slopes are correct and water will flow as designed. You get ground that’s ready for whatever comes next in your project.
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Site evaluation and drainage planning to determine the best approach for your specific property conditions. We don’t use cookie-cutter solutions because every piece of ground in Anaquassacook is different.
Excavation and soil movement using professional-grade equipment that can handle everything from fine finish work to moving large amounts of material efficiently. We have the right tools for jobs of all sizes.
Proper compaction and finishing to ensure your graded surfaces hold up over time. This includes creating the correct slopes for drainage, establishing stable surfaces for construction, and making sure everything meets the requirements for your project.
We handle drainage corrections around existing homes regularly. Common solutions include regrading areas where water pools, installing swales to redirect surface water, and adjusting slopes around foundations.
Sometimes we need to add drainage systems like French drains along with the grading work. The approach depends on your specific water problems – whether it’s surface water that needs redirecting or groundwater that requires subsurface drainage.
We work carefully around existing landscaping, driveways, and utilities. Most drainage fixes are less disruptive than homeowners expect when done by experienced contractors with the right equipment.
Call 811 to have utilities marked before we start – this is required by law and prevents dangerous and expensive accidents. Remove or protect any landscaping you want to keep, since grading work involves heavy equipment that can damage plants and lawn areas.
Make sure we have clear access to the work area for our equipment. If there are specific features you want preserved or areas you want us to avoid, mark those clearly and discuss them during the initial site visit.
We’ll walk through everything with you before starting work, but having utilities marked and valuable landscaping protected ahead of time keeps the project moving smoothly.
We can help you understand what permits might be required, but permit applications are typically the property owner’s responsibility. Most small residential grading projects don’t require permits, but larger jobs or work in sensitive areas might need approval from local authorities.
Projects involving significant soil movement, work near wetlands, or changes to stormwater drainage often require permits. We’re familiar with local requirements in Anaquassacook and can advise you on whether your project needs permits.
We’ll also make sure our work meets local codes and standards regardless of permit requirements, because proper grading techniques don’t change whether permits are involved or not.
Proper compaction is critical for long-term stability. We use professional equipment to compact soil in lifts, not just at the surface. This prevents settling that can change drainage patterns years later.
We also verify our work with proper grading tools to make sure slopes are correct and water will flow as designed. The final grade gets checked against the plan to ensure everything meets specifications.
Our experience with local soil conditions means we know how different types of soil in the Anaquassacook area behave over time and adjust our techniques accordingly.
Rough grading involves the major earth moving – cutting, filling, and establishing the basic contours and drainage patterns for your site. This creates the foundation for proper water flow and prepares the area for construction.
Finish grading is the final shaping and smoothing that creates the exact elevations and slopes your project requires. This includes fine-tuning around foundations, preparing areas for driveways or walkways, and creating the final surface for landscaping.
Both are important, but they require different equipment and techniques. We handle both phases to ensure continuity and proper coordination between the rough work and final details.
Project length depends on the size of the area, complexity of drainage issues, and soil conditions. A simple residential lot might take 2-3 days, while more complex sites with significant drainage challenges could take a week or more.
Weather affects the timeline since we can’t work effectively in wet conditions. We’ll give you a realistic timeframe based on your specific site conditions and current weather forecast.
We prefer to do the job right rather than rush through it. Taking the time to properly compact and verify the work prevents problems that would be much more expensive to fix later.
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