Congrats! You finally got the keys, and now you have a backyard to develop and enjoy. Before you put your shovel in the dirt, take a step back, relax, and take a breath. Modesto’s soil, climate, and building codes can shock many first-time homeowners. With some foresight, you can avoid fines, damage to your home, and upset neighbors.
Call 811: What Happens Next?
Before doing any digging, call 811 or file an online location request ticket. A coordinator will contact all local utility agencies, and within a few days, crews will come out to mark your yard with flags and/or paint identifying gas, electric, water, sewer, and communication lines. You will receive a ticket number, along with the days and time window your marks will be valid. Respect the time window, as rain, mowers, and pedestrians can quickly erase paint. If any portion of your ticket looks incomplete, you can request new marks for free. Please do not assume the depth or location of anything based in old plans or the recollection of a neighbor.
You can dig with a hand tools (shovel, etc.) in the tolerance zone (18in or 24in depending on the utility – be very careful), and you can always use augers and trenchers ONLY if you stay at least the tolerance distance away from the marked lines.
If you hit a line, STOP, and immediately move to a safe distance from the line, then call the utility to respond to the line that was damaged.
Underground Utilities and Setbacks
Even if there are no ambiguous marks on your yard, you still must comply with the city’s setbacks which are rules that keep your structures from lot lines and easements. These decisions impact where patios, retaining walls, and shed can be placed, and they direct a clear drainage plan. Local professionals know the local impacts to setback regulations, so find and contact an expert yesterday (try searching for Demolition Contractor Modesto if you want to seek professional help to move through permits and layout plans).
- Setbacks change with zoning, as corner lots sometimes have two ‘fronts.’
- Some private lines to a garage or a pool may not be marked with 811, and you will need to hire a private locator.
- Trees and other large roots make trenching and generally clearing lots a little messy, so factor in stump removal.
- Change in grade of more than a few inches might require a grading permit and a site grading plan.
Stormwater and Drainage Plan
Hard surfaces like concrete patios, pavers, and sheds may change the way water runs. In the winter months when we experience significant rain, you want to ensure that any runoff is directed away from the foundation and stays on your property. Sloped the new work away at least 2% from the house (vs how water then enters the property). Direct down spouts toward landscaped areas, drywells, or rain gardens. Never send water to the alley or street without approval.
Many projects have drainage sketches stamped determining elevations, swales, and where discharge will go (toward landscaped areas, drywells, etc). Hydrology adaptation may be needed and permeable pavers, shallow swales, and small drywells will help since our clay soils slow water infiltration, but the site grading plan knits it all together. Read more on this page.
Soil Tests and Compaction
Soils in the Central Valley can shift, swell, or settle if wrongfully compacted. So before pouring a slab or building a retaining wall, schedule a basic soils test (not sure you need a geotechnical report). A compaction test will verify if the base is passively meeting density requirements. Moisture conditioning and tamping will not only keep the concrete specifically from cracking but will also prevent any further dips.
Adding a driveway or patio- ask if/how deep the crushed rock is being added, compaction equipment, and if they generally inspect compaction depth. If there an old slab waste, execute breaking the concrete and haul-away first and then move into new work foundation prep to ensure a long lasting construct.
Silt Fence and Runoff Control
Sometimes excavation creates areas of disturbed earth exposing loose soil that can easily wash into storm drains (this is more than dirty, you can have fines against you). Simple to construct barriers control sediment and keep soils on your property while protecting the waterways around you.
- Install silt fence along the downhill edge of disturbed areas with stakes placed on the downslope side.
- Use fiber rolls or wattles (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wattle) to slow water on longer slopes and around stockpiles.
- Gravel at driveway entries limits tracking, and sandbags at the ready for storms.
- Sweeping (at a minimum) and not hosing sediment found on sidewalks and gutter that is left over from land clearing or hauls.
In summary, proper planning: site grading, careful trenching, and considerate job-site behavior will set up your yard for you and build the outdoor space you imagined.