Photo date: February 11, 2024. See header image archive.

First Sitework Bid

The housing market can be hot, and it can be slow. Rates can be high, and they can be low. But one constant remains: most contractors aren't great at answering calls and emails, returning calls and emails, providing estimates, and in general doing what they say they will do. And we haven't even started construction yet.

When the sun dies in 5 billion years, this will still be the typical behavior.

It's been over two weeks since five different contractors looked at our project, and I have only one estimate back. I wanted to post it here to give readers an idea of what we're looking at in order to do all the sitework. As more bids come in🤞I'll add their numbers to the table in the most normalized, apples-apples way I can.


Item Contractor A
Remove stumps for septic, driveway, and cottage site 4,000.00
Strip topsoil for cottage and driveway 400.00
Excavate for frost-wall foundation 860.00
Install driveway (approx. 3850 SF) 4,389.00
Backfill foundation with excavated material and imported fill (estimated 350 yds) 5,790.00
Supply and place screened stone inside foundation 3,360.00
Install a 3 bedroom mound system including design and permit fees 25,700.00
Final grade after construction (re-lay topsoil) 800.00
TOTAL 45,299.00