Excavation Services in Pend Oreille County
Newport Excavation covers twelve kinds of dirt work in Pend Oreille County, WA. Pick a service for what it involves, how to prepare, what affects the cost and the local rules.
Email us about your project: contact@newportexcavation.com
The twelve services
Driveways, Roads and Gravel
A driveway or access road job in Pend Oreille County means shaping a route to your lot, setting a base and putting rock on it. The main things to settle are what the price includes, what base and rock will be used, and who handles any permit where the driveway meets a public road.
Building Pads and Site Prep
A building pad is a level, compacted place for a house, shop or barn. In Pend Oreille County the main things to settle are who sets and checks the grade, what happens to extra soil, whether a soils or engineering report is needed, and whether a county permit applies.
Lot and Land Clearing
Lot and land clearing removes brush, trees and stumps so a lot can be used. In Pend Oreille County, settle whether stumps and root balls are included, where debris and logs go, whether the price is per acre, per hour or per job, and who handles any clearing permit.
Fire Mitigation Clearing
Fire mitigation clearing removes brush and small trees around buildings and along roads so a fire has less to burn. Washington DNR says as many as 80 percent of homes lost to wildland fire may have been saved if brush was cleared and defensible space created around them.
Trenching for Utilities
Utility trenching is digging a narrow trench for a water, power or sewer line to a building. In Washington, notice goes to 811 at least two full business days, and no more than ten, before digging starts, and whoever is digging is responsible for it.
Drainage and Culverts
Drainage work moves water away from a road, driveway or building with ditches and culverts. In Pend Oreille County, settle how the culvert will be sized and placed, who is responsible if water still collects after a storm, and which permits apply near water.
Retaining Walls and Rock Walls
Whether a retaining wall needs a permit under the International Building Code depends on its height, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall, and on whether it carries a surcharge such as a slope or a building. Walls not over four feet are exempt unless they carry one.
Erosion Control and Stormwater
Any job that clears, grades or digs one acre or more can need a stormwater permit from Washington's Department of Ecology, and smaller jobs can need one if they are part of a larger plan. The acreage counts the whole project, including staging areas and haul roads.
Shoreline and Bank Work
Digging, filling or armoring a bank near the Pend Oreille River, a lake or a creek usually needs approvals before any machine starts. Washington requires a Hydraulic Project Approval from the Department of Fish and Wildlife for work in or near state waters, and the county runs the Shoreline Management Act.
Foundations
Foundation excavation is the dig for a footing, crawlspace or basement. In Pend Oreille County, settle whether the price includes hauling away the dirt, who arranges the inspection that has to happen before concrete, and how winter work is handled.
Basement Excavation
A basement excavation is the deepest dig on most house projects, so the points to settle early are depth, where the soil goes, how the walls of the hole are kept safe, and who calls 811. Washington's four-foot rule for excavations applies to nearly every basement dig.
Septic System Excavation
Digging for a septic system in Pend Oreille County starts with a permit from the Northeast Tri County Health District, not with a machine. The health district certifies installers, the system must be designed by a designer with a state license or by an engineer, and the dig itself is only one step.
What every job has in common
Every excavation job in Pend Oreille County comes back to the same few points. In Washington, notice must go to the one-number locator service (dial 811) at least two full business days, and no more than ten full business days, before digging starts (RCW 19.122.030). Whoever is digging is responsible for making sure the notice is made, even if someone else makes the call for them. Washington contractors are checked on the state Department of Labor & Industries “Verify a Contractor, Tradesperson or Business” page. Excavation is commonly priced by the hour for operator and machine, or as a set price for a defined scope. For land in Pend Oreille County outside city limits, Pend Oreille County's Community Development Department handles building permitting. Inside a city such as Newport, ask the city.
Common questions
Which excavation services does Newport Excavation cover?
Newport Excavation covers twelve kinds of dirt work in Pend Oreille County, Washington, including driveways, building pads, land clearing, utility trenching, drainage, foundations, basements, septic systems, retaining walls, erosion control, shoreline work and fire mitigation clearing. Each has its own page on what the job involves, how to prepare, cost and local rules.
Where do I start on a rural lot?
On most rural lots the order is clearing, then the building pad, then utility trenches, then the foundation dig. Driveways and drainage fit in along the way. Start by settling the scope and any permit with Pend Oreille County's Community Development Department, then settle who calls 811 and get the price in writing.