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title: "Excavation Basics Before Breaking Ground | AVANORTH"
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**Construction Tips**·January 28, 2026· 4 min read
# **Excavation Basics: Steps Before Breaking Ground**
Before any shovel hits the dirt, a series of critical steps must happen. From utility locates to soil testing, understand the essential preparations for excavation.
**AVANORTH Team**
AVANORTH Construction
## Excavation Is Where Construction Begins
Every building starts as a hole in the ground. Excavation is one of the earliest and most critical phases of construction. Done properly, it sets the stage for a solid foundation and smooth project. Done carelessly, it can damage underground utilities, destabilize neighbouring structures, cause erosion, and create safety hazards.
The steps before breaking ground are just as important as the digging itself.
## Step 1: Survey and Stake
Before excavation begins, a licensed surveyor must establish the exact property boundaries and locate the building footprint on the site. Survey stakes mark the building corners, setback lines, and elevation benchmarks. These reference points guide every subsequent construction activity.
Common survey deliverables for new construction include:
- Property boundary survey confirming lot dimensions and corners
- Topographic survey showing existing grade elevations, features, and drainage patterns
- Building location survey staking the proposed structure relative to property lines
## Step 2: Utility Locates
Before digging anywhere in Ontario, you are legally required to request utility locates through Ontario One Call (1-800-400-2255 or click before you dig). Utility companies then mark the approximate locations of buried gas lines, water mains, sewers, electrical cables, and telecommunications infrastructure on the ground surface.
Striking an underground utility can result in:
- Injury or death (natural gas and high-voltage electrical)
- Service disruption to the neighbourhood
- Expensive repair costs billed to the contractor
- Regulatory fines and stop-work orders
Utility locate markings are valid for 30 days. If excavation does not commence within that period, new locates must be requested.
## Step 3: Soil Investigation
A geotechnical investigation determines the soil conditions at the building site. Boreholes are drilled and soil samples are collected and tested to determine:
- Soil type and classification (sand, silt, clay, rock)
- Bearing capacity (how much load the soil can support)
- Water table depth
- Frost susceptibility
- Presence of organic soil, fill, or contamination
The geotechnical report informs the structural engineer's foundation design, specifies the required depth of excavation, and may recommend soil improvement measures like compaction, replacement of unsuitable material, or dewatering.
## Step 4: Erosion and Sediment Control
Before excavation begins, erosion and sediment control measures must be installed to prevent soil from washing into storm drains, waterways, or neighbouring properties. Common measures include:
- Silt fencing along the downslope perimeter of the site
- Sediment traps at catch basin inlets
- Construction entrances with gravel pads to prevent mud tracking on public roads
- Temporary seeding or mulching of exposed soil that will not be worked for extended periods
## Step 5: Excavation Safety
Excavation is one of the most hazardous construction activities. The Ontario Construction Regulation requires:
- Trenches deeper than 1.2 metres must be sloped, shored, or protected by a trench box
- No worker shall enter an unprotected trench deeper than 1.2 metres
- Excavated material (spoil) must be kept at least 1 metre back from the trench edge
- A competent person must inspect excavations daily and after rain events
- A means of egress (ladder or ramp) must be within 7.5 metres of every worker in the excavation
## Step 6: Dewatering
If the excavation extends below the water table, dewatering is necessary to keep the work area dry. Common methods include:
- **Sump pumping:** Collecting groundwater in a low point (sump) within the excavation and pumping it out. Simple and effective for minor groundwater infiltration.
- **Well points:** A series of small-diameter wells installed around the perimeter of the excavation. Vacuum pumps draw water from the surrounding soil, lowering the water table before and during excavation.
- **Deep wells:** For deeper excavations with significant groundwater, submersible pumps in larger-diameter wells can lower the water table by several metres.
Dewatered water must be managed in compliance with environmental regulations. It may need to be settled, filtered, or tested before discharge.
At AVANORTH, every excavation begins with thorough preparation. We coordinate utility locates, review geotechnical reports, install sediment controls, and plan the dig before a single bucket of earth is moved. This preparation avoids surprises, prevents damage, and keeps our workers and the public safe.
#excavation #foundation #site-prep
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