Our Gerard Construction team loves every build, from the smallest remodel to a new home build on land. Admittedly, the new home builds are much longer and much more intense than many of our renovations and they certainly have a number of steps that are different. One of the steps is the build site evaluation. This process isn’t just for homes being built in rural areas – these steps apply for those in neighborhoods as well.

1. Early work. It is important to note that your build site evaluation will take place after the land is purchased and after architectural drawings are approved by you and our Gerard Construction team. That said, it can be helpful for our team to be involved in the initial steps of choosing a piece of land so we can discuss what is and isn’t feasible from the start. It may be important for you to make some adjustments, and this is something to consider before the land is yours.

2. Your prep. It is helpful if you do a basic amount of clearing before we set aside this time. Clearing out underbrush and mowing the basic area of the home site will help us move around and make the measurements we need to make the best decisions for your home build.

3. Evaluating access. There will be a fair amount of equipment and supplies moving to your land to build your home. We will need to ensure that vehicles as large as dump trucks and concrete trucks can access the site, load or unload what they need to, and turn around to leave without considerable issues. We may put in a temporary construction drive and will discuss that with you at this time.

4. Measuring slope. Unless a piece of land is already prepped for some reason, it will not be level to the degree we will need to build your home. By measuring with multiple tools, including a laser system, we can see what work needs to be done before pouring the foundation of what will be your new home.

5. Consider drainage. Once your slope is measured and the basic orientation of your home is determined, drainage may be evaluated. If your land has some topography, you will want to make sure your house isn’t flooded by regular rainfall because drainage wasn’t considered ahead of time.

6. Set up a stakeout. Once measurements are taken, stakes will be driven to mark out where the home will be built. This step will allow geological survey to assess your soil and determine what engineering needs to happen. There will also be stakes set out for basic utilities like water, gas, and septic.

If you are looking to build a new home and want to consider purchasing your own land, contact our team at Gerard Construction. We have the experience you need in home building with a background in the financial world that makes us the perfect combination for buying and building on land. We can answer your questions and advise you every step of the way.