Pricing Pages
Site Cost Estimates
SITE
WORK can be broken down into the following areas
Costs related to these tasks can vary widely and depend upon your specific building site and terrain conditions.
HOUSE PAD GRADING & PREPARATION
House pad work usually consists of flattening an area and getting it ready for the house. We have divided this process into difficulty levels:
SIMPLE – the building location is relatively flat and requires nominal dirt moving and tree removal. The foundation can be slab, raised or full basement. This type of pad typically costs between $500 to $2,000 to prepare.
MODERATE – the building location is slightly sloping with moderate tree removal. The type of foundation here can be raised (with step footings) or daylight basement. Increased basement size can result in some significant excavation and earth work. This type of pad usually costs between $1,000 and $3,500 to prepare.
COMPLEX – this typically describes a building site in a remote location with steep or rugged terrain. There are often many trees to remove and lots of grading required for drainage and access. The type of foundation in this case is typically a daylight basement. This type of pad usually costs $3,500 to $10,000 or more to prepare.
SIMPLE PRIVATE ROAD CONSTRUCTION
A private road or driveway to the home is usually needed for rural or mountainous property. The steps in creating a new road usually consist of cutting, drainage culvert installation, grading and grooming, gravel application, and final gravel grooming. A hard surface such as oil or asphalt may also be applied.
Road expense is dictated by the terrain and distance from the main road. Private roads we see are usually between 250 and 750 feet long with a width of 10 to 13 feet. Below we have calculated the approximate cost to construct a gravel road on average hillside terrain. Road shown is 500 feet long and 10’ wide
- Small bulldozer with operator 1 day = $500
- 2 trucks (36 yards of gravel) = $700
- Small bulldozer to groom the road with the gravel 1 day = $500
- Total cost for 500 feet = $1,700 or $300-$400 per 100 feet of road
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HEAVY EQUIPMENT & GRAVEL COSTS
Below is a list of some equipment used in site preparation work, and typical costs associated with their operation. These are average costs including operator per hour. Most equipment operators have a 3-4 hour minimum and a delivery and pick up fee. You should always get a quote on your particular job.
- BACKHOE - $50 to $75 per hour
- DOZER with 4 way blade (small) (John Deer 450) - $50 to $75 per hou
- DOZER with 4 way blade (medium) (Case D5) - $75 to $100 per hour
- DOZER with 4 way blade (large) (Case D7) - $100 to $125 per hour
- GRADER (medium) - $75 to $100 per hour
- WATER TRUCK - $50 to $65 per hour
- VIBRATING SHEEPSFOOT (for compaction) - $50 to $75 per hour
- GRAVEL for the road delivered in a truck & trailer 18 yards - $250 to $400
SEPTIC SYSTEM
If your site has no city sewer connection available, then you will have to build your own septic system. There are many types of systems these days: leach type, pit type, pressurized, engineered, reverse osmosis, etc. The most common we encounter is the leach type.
The leach type has a tank for sewage storage and decomposition, and leach lines to drain off and disperse the liquid effluent. Required leach field area (the length and quantity of lines you will need) and tank size is usually determined by the "perk-ability" (permeability) of the soil and the number of bedrooms in the home. The average system size we encounter for a 3 bedroom home incorporates 150’ to 200’ of leach line with a 1000 gallon septic tank. The installation of such a system generally costs between $2500 and $4500.
UTILITY
Utilities generally include electrical power, natural gas, telephone and cable TV lines. Deregulation of the utility companies has made this element of land development more expensive. It is often very expensive for a land owner to extend power line long distances from existing poles. There really is no formula for determining this cost. If you have not yet purchased your land, make sure you discuss this issue with your local power company to establish costs you might face.
For example:
Some typical utility extension costs seen in California and Nevada
- 0-200 feet - $500 to $2000
- 200 feet plus - $2500 to $20,000 or more
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The average cost appears to be between $2,500 and $6,000.
You must explore these utility costs thoroughly, as they could render your project unfeasible.
WATER WELL
If your building site is not within an area served by a municiple water district or service (city water) you will need to drill a well for your domestic water supply. Professional well drilling companies will generally include the drilling, casing and sealing of the well and the pump(s) and tank(s) needed to deliver the water. You will need to obtain a well permit in some jurisdictions.
Because of the uncertain nature of wells including water depth, yield and water quality, costs can escalate such that they have a major impact the budget. Wells and associated equipment can run from $1500 to $10,000 or more.
Because of the uncertain nature of wells including water depth, yield and water quality, costs can escalate such that they have a major impact the budget. Wells and associated equipment can run from $1500 to $10,000 or more.
Get several bids and solicit word of mouth recommendations.
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