3 Questions to Ask Before Hiring Excavating Services

Hiring someone to dig on your property is a bigger decision than it looks. Once the machines are on site, the work is hard to undo. A trench stays where it was cut, a pond stays where it was dug, and a driveway sits where it was graded for decades. Most of what separates a good result from a regret is settled before the first bucket of dirt moves, in the conversation you have with the contractor. Here are three questions we think every homeowner, camp owner and small business owner should ask, and what a good answer sounds like.

1. Who does the work, and with what?

Ask whether the contractor owns the machines and employs the crew, or whether your job gets passed along to someone else. It matters because every handoff is a place where details get lost. At Oesch Excavating we run our own machinery and our own crews, and we take care of the entire project in-house. The outfit that walks your land and gives you the estimate is the same outfit that shows up with the excavator.

Ask about the equipment, too. Different ground calls for different machines. A dry, sandy building lot is one kind of job. A wet, soft site where a standard dozer would sink is another, which is why we keep a low ground-pressure bulldozer for soft terrain. A contractor who has the right machine for your ground will tell you so before you ask. A good answer names the machine and the reason for it.

And ask where the stone, sand and fill come from. We supply the materials, the machines and the knowledge, and on septic work the stone comes from our own quarry. That means your job isn't waiting on somebody else's delivery schedule to finish.

2. Will they call you back and show up?

This sounds basic, but it's the complaint we hear most about the trade. Laurie Marr wrote in her Google review that after calling six companies and getting no callbacks, she found us, and that "Tom was on our property within 4 hours working on a quote." She added that the driveway "was put in extremely fast and exceeded our expectations."

Scott Clark, who has hired us twice, wrote: "Always returns phone calls. Always on time." One of the testimonials on our own site, from Jon Peterson, says the crew is dedicated to the job and "will call you back no matter what."

You can test this yourself before you hire anyone. Notice how long it takes to get a reply when you first call. If it's hard to get a callback while a contractor is trying to win your job, it won't get easier once they have it. When you send a request through our estimate form, a representative contacts you within the next business day.

3. Do they understand your ground?

Northern Michigan property is not forgiving. You can have sand in one corner, clay in another, a wet low spot, a heavy rock base, and trees in the way of all of it. Two lots a mile apart can need completely different approaches. A good contractor walks the site before quoting and asks what you want to end up with, not only what you asked them to dig.

Jim Yahrmarkt's property was challenging to grade, with tree removal and a heavy rock base. He wrote that Tom "worked fast with precision and provided an end product we are very proud of." Scott Clark, who has built two homes in this area, said Tom "helps guide you in important decisions that actually save YOU time and money."

That is the kind of advice to look for. A good contractor might point out that shifting a building pad or rerouting a driveway saves you fill and machine time, or that a low corner needs drainage handled before anything else gets built on it. If every answer you get is simply "sure, we can do that," the contractor isn't really looking at your land.

What to bring to the estimate

A few more questions are worth having in your pocket when someone comes out to look at your project.

• Who will be on my property, and do they work for you?
• What machine will you use on my ground, and why that one?
• Where do the stone, sand or fill come from?
• What does the estimate cover: hauling, disposal of stumps or old structures, and cleanup?
• How do I reach you if something comes up in the middle of the job?
• Is there anything you'd change about my plan?

The cleanup question deserves a second look. On demolition we dispose of all materials and leave the site clean, and on tree work we remove everything so the yard is left mess-free. Whatever contractor you choose, get that in the conversation up front so there are no surprises at the end of the job.

Why we want you to ask

We have over 35 years of excavating behind us. Customer satisfaction is our number one priority, and a customer who understands the plan can tell us early if something isn't right. So ask us all three questions. Ask the next contractor too.

If you're planning a project, take a look at our Services page to see everything we do, including demolition, ponds and septic systems. Then call us at (989) 742-1003 for a free estimate. We serve all of Northern Michigan.