Excavation and dirt work

We run a skid steer, a mini excavator and a dump trailer. That covers most residential dirt work: cutting a path or a pad, leveling a low spot, trenching for a line, and spreading gravel for a drive. The dirt that comes out can leave in the same trip.

The walkway in the photos started as grass and old pavers. We dug it out, set string lines, graded the path, laid a gravel base, and the pavers went down on top of that.

Oklahoma law says the underground lines have to be located first. It’s free: a locate request through OKIE811, entered at least 3 business days before digging. Homeowners are covered by the same rule. Inside 24 inches of a mark, the only digging allowed is by hand until the line is exposed. Build those three days into any project that needs a trench, a post hole or a footing.

Tulsa learned about water the hard way. On May 26 and 27, 1984, a stalled front dropped 6 to 15 inches of rain, and the floods hit hardest along Mingo Creek in east Tulsa and Cherry Creek in west Tulsa. On a single lot the stakes are smaller, but the idea is the same: grade so water moves away from the house, not toward it.