May 13th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
Problem: The customer lives above on of the best beaches in Gig Harbor but the access is down a 100 foot steep bank. Solution: Harbor point Excavating of course!
This project involved constructing a foot path down a steep, brushy hillside. They live on high bank waterfront with amazing views of Tacoma, Vashon Island, and Pt. Defiance. They never could use their beach below because of no access. They received a bid to build stairs at a cost of $35,000. So we were contacted to construct a small foot bath to the beach. The final cost was approximately 1/10 the price of building stairs.
Here is what we had to work with:
See the water, waaaayyyyyy down below:
So we started to build the path, slowly and carefully to the water. I love these kind of work sites with amazing views.
After much hard work and diligence the path was completed. Only a small path but it gave the customer access to the beach before summer arrives. They were very grateful to finally have access to the beach for a reasonable cost.
Even custom driftwood stairs at the bottom!
May 13th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
Are you preparing to build a new home? Or maybe in the middle of your project. Let us help you make your project exceed expectations at a reasonable cost. This project was for a builder who needed the finishing touches on the land completed before putting this house on the market. Completing the final touches in preparation for landscaping can help sell a home faster or just beautify the appearance. The home was finished but the land needed some work. There was brush and stumps to be removed, dirt to be graded, and a finish grade completed. The finish grade is the slope and height of the land to allow for proper water drainage. One of my favorite parts of excavating because the ground looks so smooth afterwards. And it allows me to use my “artistic” side.
This picture is half-way through the project:
We removed stumps and prepared the brush for trucking off-site. The brush and stumps were disposed of at a recycling facility. We do not conduct much burning naymore, especially since no land clearing burning will be allowed after July 1, 2008.
Then the grading was completed and topped off with a finish grade. Note the before and after pictures.
Before the finish grade:
Ready for grass and landscaping!
More pictures of the site work:
May 13th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
This job is a small part of a larger site development project. We installed a culvert to make the driveway go over a drainage ditch. In the winter water drains off this hillside. We cleaned up and repaired the existing drainage ditch first.
The customer wanted to have a driveway over this ditch. We installed a culvert to allow the water to pass under the driveway. The width of the driveway can be custom to your specifications. On this project the customer wanted 40 feet of room to work with. So in keeping with “legendary” customer service we got the job done as requested.
May 13th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
While Harbor Point Excavating specializes in small jobs there is truly no job too big! We can excavate just about any size stump in Gig Harbor presents. The pictures below are from a double Alder stump. When I excavated the stump the root ball was 12 feet across. The stump is as big as the bulldozer! No problem though, we have the excavating equipment to handle any job. The crater in the ground was 5 feet deep. Of course we filled back in the area and graded the land smooth. This was part of a larger land clearing project on the peninsula.
The pictures do not show the true size comparison!
May 13th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
This is an article that was published in the Peninsula Gateway and authored by yours truly! It contains valuable information on choosing an excavating/landscape contractor in Gig Harbor.
When obtaining bids for your project it would seem logical to always consider the lowest bid from several different contractors. However this can lead to disaster if the consumer is not careful. From poor workmanship to having additional expenses on the invoice it pays to evaluate all the options.
Most contractors are honest and want to perform the best work at a reasonable price for the customer. They are hard working men and women trying to earn a living just like their customers. They have many different expenses such as insurance, bonding fee, fuel, material costs, employee expenses, and purchasing of equipment are several examples. Once I became a contractor and actually experienced all the costs I gained a new understanding of why previous work I had contractors perform cost so much.
Before starting a project and choosing to accept a bid it helps to do some research. First you need to decide which contractors to call and obtain a bid. Many sources exist such as the traditional method of the phone book. However more and more people are using the internet. You can search for contractors, find their website, and hopefully see pictures of their work. One of the best methods is asking friends and neighbors who they have hired. This will provide a credible reference. Customer satisfaction is my primary goal to continue this form of promoting my business.
Before accepting a bid make sure the contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured to perform work in Washington State. It is the law that a contractor has a license issued by the Department of Labor and Industries. They will verify all requirements and have been met and fees paid. All contractors are required to display their license number on business cards, forms, etc. The bond is basically an agreement between the contractor and customer that the specified work will be performed. If the work is not completed the bon issuer will complete the work up to the amount of the bond. And lastly insurance will protect the contractor and pay for damages if an accident occurs. You can check the status of a contractor at: http://www.lni.wa.gov/ to make sure they are licensed in Washington State.
If the contractor is not licensed they are performing work illegally. Unlicensed contractors have an unfair advantage over honest contractors. They do not pay the high prices for insurance, bonding, etc. Be suspicious of the warning signs of a scam. Special prices only valid today, only accepts cash, no written bid, and offers that sound “too good to be true” are just a few. You can report an unlicensed contractor to the state at the Report-a-Fraud line: 1-888-811-5974.
I am never offended when a customer obtains several bids. In fact I encourage it. One of the greatest challenges is making sure the bid is for similar work. Don’t be afraid to discuss all the bids with your contractor. Typically though with the lowest bid you will get what you pay for. The work may not be up to your standards. If you ask the contractor to perform work outside the scope of the bid additional charges will be accrued. Usually going with a contractor you trust and have a received a fair bid from are the best to use.
Unfortunately there are cases of what can happen when using a poor contractor. Recently I received a call from a customer who obtained several bids. They decided to downsize the landscaping project and work within a tight budget. I was asked to perform work at the same price as another contractor. The work was described over the phone and I could not match the bid. After sitting down with the customer and reviewing the other bid many flaws were discovered. The “low bid” contractor did not spell out all the work the customer desired. They would have been left with a partially completed job! Faced with finishing the job at an additional cost what choice would they have? We talked about their expectations and reached a mutually agreed on price for the work that fit within their budget. At the completion of their project we both were very satisfied with the results.
There is an old adage that says, “You get what you pay for.” This can be very true when accepting the lowest bid. Contractors may cut corners to save money causing disaster now or in the future. Not long ago I was helping a customer remove a driveway that sunk one foot and was crumbling apart. After removing the young concrete (only 12 years old) we had to find the reason for the driveway sinking. A test hole was dug and we found buried logs, stumps, tree limbs, and other rotting debris. Organic material if buried will decompose and cause sinking. A dishonest contractor had buried this material before the house was ever built. We had to remove 60 yards (that’s six dump truck loads) of debris and replace it with good material. This resulted in the customer’s project being over budget. The end result was a driveway that would last for many more years but a customer disappointed in the previous contractor.
Choosing a contractor and accepting the bid does not have to be a nightmare process. By performing a little research and gathering all the facts you can hire a contractor that will meet your expectations. This is one of my favorite parts of the excavating business. Taking the customers thoughts and ideas then turning that into a vision of how their project will look in the end. I provide a bid with different options and we reach a mutual agreement for work to be performed. My bids are not always the lowest but the work is always of the highest quality.
About the Author: Tony Dulas is the owner of Harbor Point Excavating, LLC located in Gig Harbor, Washington. With 20 years of experience in excavating and landscaping he has the knowledge and talent to make your project successful. If you have any questions he can be reached at 253-312-3535.
April 30th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
When water is flowing through your concrete foundation Harbor Point Excavating can solve this problem. The customer’s crawl space was filling with water every winter. We carefully dug a trench alongside the foundation and installed drainage rock to divert the water. The water was routed into pipe that drained a an area away from the house. With a little landscaping afterward the yard looked better than new. And no more water in the crawl space. The project has survived our wet winter and spring.
April 30th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
When contacted by customers on how to landscape outdoor areas in to more beautiful spaces a water feature can accomplish this goal. From ponds to waterfalls the water adds natural beauty and provides pleasurable noise from flowing water. This is a project currently under construction. The customer wanted the old deck removed and a concrete patio installed. To add a more natural look we are landscaping and adding a koi pond with a waterfall flowing into the pond. The waterfall consists of natural rock that blends into the landscaping. A concrete patio will be added later. Be sure to look for the updated pictures. This type of natural looking pond fits well into our beautiful Gig Harbor landscape.
April 30th, 2008
Posted by Tony Dulas
In Gig Harbor water sometimes does not drain well and will flow to places undesirable places. Much of this has to do with our soil conditions. The top layer of soil is a sandy loam material that drains well and is perfect for landscaping. But underneath is a mix of “hard pan” and clay. This type of soil does not drain well. So water will flow down to the clay and travel to undesirable locations.
Installation of a curtain drain can control the flow of water and route it to the desired location. On this project water would flow across the grass and deposit dirt on the driveway. All winter long the water, dirt, and basically mud would wash across the customer’s driveway. A curtain drain was installed at the edge of the driveway and diverted the water away to a better location. Now the driveway stays clean and dry!
