15 December 2021
 Categories: , Blog

Excavations are a significant part of any major construction project. Therefore, project managers must hire an excavation contractor to dig and move the earth accordingly. Notably, excavation contractors help dig foundations and utility tunnels using heavy excavation machinery. Since the cost of major construction projects can easily average seven or eight figures, the last thing you want is to add to the cost. Fortunately, the excavation stage of a construction project offers an opportunity to keep the overall construction costs low. This article highlights cost-saving tips when hiring an excavating contractor.

Prepare a Worksite

Excavators are heavy and oversized pieces of machinery that take up a lot of space at a worksite. Therefore, it is vital to create as much space as possible for an excavating contractor to deliver as much machinery as necessary. Preparing a dig site before an excavating contractor arrives provides sufficient room for them. The more excavating equipment a contractor can use at a dig site, the faster they can complete a project. Moreover, excavating contractors can leave all their heavy equipment at a site as long as there is sufficient space. It eliminates the need to drive the machines to a different storage facility which saves costs. Similarly, you should hire utility providers to mark utility lines before an excavating contractor arrives. It prevents idle machines and saves costs since most contractors charge by the hour.

Keep Soil for Future Use

When hiring an excavating contractor, you discuss every detail relating to a project and payment terms. For instance, most excavating contractors offer to dispose of the soil to create more room for construction equipment after excavations. However, hauling excavated soil away from a worksite attracts a fee. You can avoid the cost by foregoing the service altogether. Instead of disposing of excavated soil, you can keep it and use it in other project areas such as landscaping. Moreover, keeping excavated soil for later use minimises movement to and from a worksite, saving fuel costs.

Ask for After-Sales Services

Any service provider can and should offer after-sales services to clients to build their reputation. In addition, certain after-sales services can go a long way in reducing project costs significantly. For example, excavating contractors often offer clean-up services after excavations. Hence, you should ask a contractor if they provide clean-up services before signing a contract since it saves you time, money, and labour. In fact, once a contractor agrees to clean up, they try as much as possible to remove debris at the end of every workday.