Yard damage

Concrete removal and installation require heavy machinery like a Bobcat or similar equipment. Yard damage is to be expected due to the sheer weight of the materials involved. Construction requires a little destruction.

With new construction homes, there usually isn't any yard to destroy, and with pool projects, the yard has already been so damaged that our machinery work isn't an issue, Existing homes with lawns, however, are a different story.

Let’s look at a typical patio project (20' x 20') that is around 400 square feet. A 400 square foot patio requires around 5 cubic yards of concrete at 4” of thickness.  If there is an existing concrete patio to remove, each existing cubic yard concrete weighs about 4000 pounds. This means we are transporting over 20,000 pounds from the patio location to our dump trailer at the road. After forming and grading, we pour 5 yards of concrete at 4050 pounds per yard.  By the time we are done, we have moved 20 tons of material across the yard. That's without adding any new patio space.

The same concept applies to constructing a new patio without existing concrete in place. Sod and topsoil, which weigh around 2200 lbs. per cubic yard, will need to be dug out and moved, then the same amount of weight in sand for the base will need to be brought back in, followed by the concrete. If clay soil is present, twice as much material will need to be removed and replaced.

Location and weather conditions also affect yard damage. Clay soil will rut easily when it is wet, but during a summer dry spell it can be almost as hard as concrete and often it will be almost unnoticeable when we drive across it. Sandy soil typically will not damage quite as easily as clay soil when wet, but the sod will rip out more easily.

Areas of the yard will show more damage where there are pinch points (small areas that we must travel through, like side yards between adjoining houses or through a gate), or areas where we need to turn machinery more sharply.

We do our best to avoid lawn damage through practical means like turning sharply as little as possible or driving in a pattern that distributes the weight over a large area rather than creating ruts by driving over the same areas.  We do not use plywood to drive on, as it is easily destroyed by heavy machinery and is significantly more expensive than it used to be. Grass grows back, while broken plywood will need to be thrown away and new will need to be purchased.

Typically, we do not bring in topsoil or seed after concrete is installed. While we have the ability, we don’t care to work this into a schedule. Rather, we focus on the installation of quality concrete flatwork.  If the homeowner doesn't want to spread topsoil or seed themselves, we provide them with the name of several landscape professionals will provide a quote, or they can contract their own.

Fixing damage to unforeseen objects in the ground can also become an issue.  Gas lines, sewer drains and electrical service are located at a depth that is generally much deeper than we need to be concerned with. We normally do not need to go deeper than 10 inches below existing grade.

Even when utilizing Miss Dig services to find underground utilities, items like sprinklers, drain downspouts, pool plumbing, and dog fences won’t be marked.  Cable lines are marked but usually are so close to the surface and so tight that they must be removed and rerouted.

We can usually reroute underground sprinkling ourselves on site if electrical lines are not involved.  We also frequently fix and reroute downspouts and drain tiles.  We have temporarily fixed cable lines as well.  However, permanent cable lines fixes will need to be performed by the cable company. 

Sprinkler head fixes and more significant repairs involving valve boxes and electrical components will require a sprinkler company.  I am often asked “Should I have the sprinklers moved before you install concrete?”.  You can, but in my experience, the results and costs are usually more if that is done ahead of time.  The labor is usually less for the sprinkling company if we have already pulled up the sprinklers, and they have less trips involved.  Also, placement of sprinklers is usually within a few inches of the concrete after it is installed, making it difficult for the sprinkler company to install and aim the sprinkler heads prior to concrete placement.