Common Civil Construction Questions, Answered

Every job is quoted individually after we walk the property. Pricing depends on the work, the access, the materials, and the conditions. Quotes are free and we tell you the real number before you commit to anything.

For most residential and small commercial work, no deposit is needed to schedule. Larger jobs sometimes have material deposits to cover bulk orders that have to be paid for up front. We discuss that on a per-project basis, not as a standard policy.

Yes. We carry the licensing and insurance that the work requires. If your project needs specific documentation, ask and we will provide what is needed.

Scotty has been running it as his own operation for more than twenty-five years. The family has been in dirt work in Acadiana longer than that. Second generation in the trade.

Our crew, our equipment, on our jobs. We do not subcontract the dirt work itself. For specialty trades that fall outside our scope (like permitting certain commercial work or specific concrete pours that need a licensed flatwork crew), we coordinate with reliable partners we have worked with for years.

For a typical 2,000 to 2,500 square foot home, plan on roughly 80 to 200 yards depending on how low the lot sits and how high the finish floor needs to be. Lots that flood need more. We give you the actual number after we look at the property.

Right away if the pad has been compacted properly and the weather cooperates. We coordinate with the slab crew so they can roll in the next day if that is what you need.

Either or both. We are comfortable working to a structural engineer's spec on pad construction, including specified fill type, lift thickness, and compaction percentage. We are also fine working with a builder on simpler builds without an engineer involved.

A small flat lot can be done in five to seven working days. A wooded lot or a custom homesite with significant drainage work runs two to three weeks. Weather is the biggest variable in this climate.

Almost always yes. Standing water in Acadiana is usually a grading and runoff problem on top of heavy clay. We re-grade, cut swales, install French drains where the ground is too flat to drain, and tie everything into a culvert or ditch. Most yards get sorted out in one to three days.

Yes, when installed correctly. Wrapped pipe in clean gravel with geotextile fabric, set at the right depth, daylighted to a real discharge. A French drain done wrong fails fast. Done right, it lasts decades.

We walk the property, look at where water actually sits and where it wants to go, and design the system around what your specific lot needs. Some properties need regrading. Some need surface drains. Some need French drains. Most need a combination. We do not push the same fix on every job.

Depends on size, depth, soil conditions, and where the spoil goes. A small landscape pond is the lower end. A multi-acre recreational pond with a dam and spillway is the upper end. We give you a real number after we walk the site and dig test holes.

For a fishing or recreational pond, eight to twelve feet at the deep end gives you cool water in summer and a population that survives a drought year. Stock and landscape ponds can be shallower. We size it for the use.

In most of Acadiana the native clay seals on its own if compacted properly. We dig test holes first to verify. If the soil is too silty or sandy, we bring in clay or use a bentonite treatment to seal the bottom.

Whatever serves the property best. Perimeter berms, building pads, low-ground fill, or hauled off if there is nowhere to use it on site. We plan the spoil placement before we start digging.

Single-vehicle drives run 10 to 12 feet wide. If two vehicles need to pass on a long drive, plan on at least 16 to 18 feet, or build pullouts at intervals. Turnarounds at the house should be wide enough to back a truck and trailer.

For passenger vehicles on a stable subgrade, six to eight inches of compacted limestone holds up. For drives that see trucks regularly, eight to twelve inches with a stronger base course. We size it for what is actually using it.

In most parishes, yes. The parish or DOTD wants the culvert sized correctly and the connection done to standard. We know the local requirements and handle the permit conversation if you want us to.

We run a 100-mile radius out of Carencro as our normal range. That covers Lafayette, Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, Opelousas, all the way out to the Texas line and into East Texas. For the right job we go further. Call with the address and we will tell you straight.

For larger jobs, no. The mobilization is a small fraction of the total cost. For small one-off jobs at the edge of our radius, sometimes a local contractor will be cheaper. We tell you straight whether we are the right call for your specific situation.

Yes. Orange, Lumberton, Vidor, Port Arthur, and Silsbee are regular service areas. The Texas dirt work, especially the hurricane-rebuild work, has been a steady part of our business for years.

Most quote requests get a call back the same day, often within a couple of hours during work hours. After-hours calls get returned the next morning.

It helps if you can be there for ten minutes so we can talk through what you want. If your schedule does not allow it, leave the gate open and we will walk the property and call you with what we see.

We watch the radar and plan around the rain because compacting wet clay does not work. When weather is going to push a date, we tell you up front rather than stringing you along.

We fix it. Workmanship guarantee is part of how the business runs. Our name is on every job we leave behind and you can find us at the yard if something needs to be addressed.