Step 1: Share drawings, soil data, and the deadline. If you lack a soils report, ask for contingency language on unknowns.

Step 2: Walk the site together. Confirm boundaries, easements, overhead lines, and traffic patterns.

Step 3: Request a written scope with quantities, haul assumptions, unit prices for rock/unusable soils, and weather plans.

Step 4: Ask for sample documents—compaction reports, daily logs, and BMP checklists used on recent Utah projects.

Step 5: Align schedule milestones to inspections: erosion control set, rough grade ready, trench inspections, proof-rolls.

Step 6: Hold a pre-construction meeting with your builder and utilities to coordinate access and sequencing.

Quality Standards That Keep You Out of Trouble

Compaction: Document lifts and moisture; verify with third-party density tests.

Proof-rolls: Use a loaded truck to locate pumping areas; fix them before concrete or asphalt goes in.

Trench backfill: Place and compact in lifts; never shortcut beneath future slabs, drives, or walks.

Drainage: Maintain minimum falls from foundations, set swales to safe outlets, and plan for downspout tie-ins.

Housekeeping: Streets swept, entrances maintained, and BMPs repaired after storms.

Seasonal Planning for Utah Projects

Spring: Be ready for wet conditions and snowmelt. Protect subgrades and schedule inspections tightly.

Summer: Best production window. Move mass earth, install utilities, and complete major proof-rolls.

Fall: Finish pads, set drainage, and stabilize before freeze. Button up access for winter deliveries.

Winter: Manage frost, thaw cycles, and mud. Use blankets, heaters, and crushed base to keep crews working.

Deliverables You Should Expect

Updated grading plan with elevations confirmed in the field.

Density test results and proof-roll sign-offs.

Photo log after each inspection milestone.

Redline utility map showing routes, depths, and cleanouts.

Punch list closeout with final grade notes and erosion controls set for the next trade.

How to Compare Bids Fairly

Create a single checklist and have every contractor price the same items: clearing, stripping, rough grade, utilities, subgrade prep, erosion control, access, haul-off, final grade. Ask for alternates such as geogrid reinforcement versus over-excavation, or French drains versus deeper swales. Request production rates and crew sizes so schedules are real, not optimistic.

Signals You’re Working with Pros

The proposal lists assumptions, quantities, and unit pricing for risk items. Communication is predictable: daily updates, photos, and signed change orders.

Permitting and Compliance in Utah

Plan for local submittals early. Erosion control notes, haul routes, and traffic control details often speed approvals when documented up front. Call utility locates before any trenching, and photograph markings for your records. Keep daily logs that note weather, crew counts, loads hauled, and inspections completed. When winter work is likely, include frost and dewatering contingencies in writing so everyone understands triggers and costs. Good paperwork does not add red tape—it protects your schedule and budget.

Trade Coordination and Sequencing

Framers, concrete crews, plumbers, and electricians all rely on a steady pad and predictable access. Share the earthwork schedule, stage materials where trucks can turn safely, and maintain entrances so the site does not bog down after storms. Small adjustments in sequencing—like installing conduit sleeves before final grading—save days later.