How To Vet Your Earthmoving Contractor

Earthmoving work is at the heart of any commercial or residential landscaping project. Given that you do not have any earthmoving training or expertise, you need to hire an earthmoving contractor. This blog contains some questions to help you vet your earthmoving contractor. 

What Equipment Will You Use? 

The earthmoving contractor should deploy appropriate equipment to your site. Most clients presume that excavators conduct all types of earthmoving work. However, this is not entirely true. The contractor examines the work plans and site to establish which earthmovers can perform the work within a short period and ensure a clean finish. For instance, graders are best suited to level the surface. On the other hand, a roller helps you compact surfaces when building driveways and foundations. Backhoe loaders are multipurpose. For instance, you can use them to conduct small demolitions, excavate, scrap, and load tippers at the site. Sometimes, the contractor needs special attachments to dig holes, break rocks, move tree stumps, rip the ground, or conduct mulching work. 

The site conditions also influence the choice of earthmoving equipment. For instance, tracked equipment suits mushy and muddy sites. Conversely, small plant equipment such as skid steers is ideal when working in constricted sites or inside a building. 

What Safety Measures Will You Deploy? 

Although earthmoving work seems fun, the contractor risks accidents if they do not observe safety. Ideally, they should follow these measures; 

• The contractor must inspect and service the plant equipment deployed to the site.
• The earthmovers should be operated by competent personnel with the required licences.
• The contractor must take measures to manage earthmoving risks. For example, they should create traffic plans to prevent the different equipment from colliding as they work. Besides, they should mark the blindspots.
• The contractor should ensure the earthmovers do not exceed their operating limits.  

What Are Your Conditions? 

Assess the earthmoving contractor's conditions before hiring them. For instance, they should provide work plans explaining the sequence of conducting the earthmoving work. Besides, they should create a schedule detailing how long the earthmoving work should take. In some cases, you need a permit to conduct earthmoving work. If this is the case, the contractor should apply for these permits on your behalf. Inquire about the client's obligations. For instance, should you guarantee the security of earthmovers left at the site? How much does the service cost? What activities could compel the contractor to impose additional charges? 

Contact an earthmoving service for more information.