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Prior to excavation, you should prepare the dig site and call 311 before you sign anything.

To get your site ready for excavation, you should move anything in the area that isn’t affixed to the land. You can save money on the excavation by removing hardscaping, including walkways, decks, concrete patios, and paver patios.

Before you carry out any digging, you should call 311 to confirm that there are no utility lines running through your excavation site. Skipping this step could lead to severe injury and property damage if your excavator hits a water, sewage, or gas line.

It is almost always necessary to hire a land surveyor near you to ensure your fence sits on the right side of the property line. Mistaking the shape of your property can lead to fines and costly changes if you have to move or adjust the privacy fence—not to mention some surly looks from your neighbor. We recommend jumpstarting your fence planning in the spring to ensure there is plenty of time to map out your plan before construction season.

You should always calculate real estate development costs on a case-by-case basis, so there’s no specific formula to estimate your total. You should speak with a local construction manager to see what you’ll need to do in terms of clearing and leveling the land, connecting utilities, and pulling permits for construction. A professional will be able to get you an accurate estimate for land development.

Permit requirements to clear land vary by municipality, so whether or not you need permits depends on where you live and what you’re removing from the land. Some building departments will require permits for any underground work or excavation, meaning grinding down tree stumps on your property would require permits. Others mandate individual permits for each tree you remove. You can contact your local building department or a land-clearing specialist near you to see if permits are necessary for your job.