You’re investing in a quality building. Don’t put it on a worthless foundation.
Here are five reasons you should hire a pro for your site preparation:
1. A site preparation contractor is specialized
While hiring someone like a local landscaper to prepare your site might seem like a good idea, site preparation or laying shed foundations are not projects they specialize in and do every day. Hiring a professional site preparation contractor means your foundation will be installed by a seasoned expert. You want to get your money’s worth out of your shed foundation investment!
2. A site preparation specialist levels foundations properly
Don’t settle for the typical/low-cost block foundation (a simple concrete block in each corner) or your shed will settle unevenly. Spending some money up front to prep the site will pay off over time. Your shed will require less maintenance in the long run, and you won’t need to deal with sagging floors or binding doors and windows. A gravel foundation is the most common shed base, but concrete is also an option.
As professional site preparation contractors, we ensure your shed has a solid and level foundation. On many lots, this requires some digging and leveling to eliminate any grades and humps.
By leveling your shed foundation, we ensure:
- Your mower and other expensive equipment won’t roll out.
- The sides of your shed won’t rot quickly. If your shed doesn’t stay level, rainwater from the roof can splash and puddle against the side(s) of the shed, causing it to rot much more quickly.
- Doors and windows won’t stop working due to not being level. The floors won’t warp or sag.
- Animals are prevented from getting under your structure. (if you want to be extra sure, we also provide the option for wire mesh under the foundation.) Animals like groundhogs, rabbits, and mice can cause damage not only to your landscape but the structure itself by chewing and digging on your shed.
3. A site preparation expert builds quality perimeters
Many inexperienced builders, when preparing a site, often use only a run of stone and either no perimeter or only a 4 x 4-inch perimeter to hold in the stone. Site Prep always uses a 4 x 6-inch perimeter because 4 x 4’s will warp more quickly than 4 x 6.
In addition, we always run rebar through our 4×6’s, while many cheap foundation installations skip this step. Most shed builders recommend this and advise against using only a bed of stone with no perimeter.
This means with Site Prep your foundation is set to hold its appearance and position for years, not to mention keeping your shed level and preventing it from settling as it ages.
4. A site preparation contractor is used to coordinating with builders
What would be worse than having your builder show up to your job, only to realize that the foundation was not prepared to the proper specifications?
Site Prep works with many different shed and structure companies in the Mid-Atlantic area and they expect us to prepare their project foundations the right way. Hire a site preparation company your builder can trust!
5. A site preparation specialist knows what works
We’ve seen a lot of jobs over the years and we know what works and what doesn’t. We’re always on the lookout for potential issues that could affect the integrity of your building and we want to catch them before they become an issue.
Here’s just a few things we always do:
- Avoid concrete blocks – If you use concrete blocks there will inevitably be some “settling” after your shed is delivered and placed on the site. Placing a shed only on cinder blocks greatly increases the risk that your shed will settle unevenly. Additionally, delivery and placement of the shed will be more difficult with a cinder block base.
2. Add a perimeter – As mentioned above, if your gravel shed base has no perimeter it will deteriorate over time. In addition, it’s easier for gravel to creep out and weeds to creep into your shed pad.
3. Add extra margins – A gravel shed base should be at least 12” longer on each side than the shed it supports. If not, water and mud can splash up on the side of your shed and cause it to deteriorate. Grass can also be a problem, as it will grow up next to the shed, trapping moisture and increasing the likelihood of rot and decay in the base of your building
These are just a few of the tricks we’ve learned over our years of doing ground preparation for sheds. In addition to the reasons already given, a site preparation contractor can help you get the best deal on your shed foundation by buying materials in bulk and using the most efficient labor techniques. Don’t let your shed site prep cost more than it should!
These are just a few reasons you should hire a professional site preparation contractor to install the foundation for your project.
Don’t cut corners; keep your building investment solid!
