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Install access and erosion controls first

Before major digging, build a basic construction track and put erosion and sediment controls in place, so the first storm does not wash the site away.

How

1. Check whether you need a construction stormwater permit. Example (US): disturbing 1 acre or more (or less, if part of a larger plan that will disturb 1 acre) needs Clean Water Act permit coverage, which usually means filing a notice of intent, writing a stormwater pollution prevention plan, maintaining controls and inspecting them. Your state or EPA region issues it; other countries have their own rules.
2. Rough in the driveway alignment and a stabilised entrance (crushed rock) so trucks do not track mud.
3. Install silt fences or wattles on contour below disturbed ground, and diversions above it.
4. Fence off trees to keep and the septic area, so machinery does not compact the soil there.
5. Set up a material laydown area on high, flat ground.

Safety: Keep people well clear of operating machinery.

Do these first

• site-13
• site-15

Sources

1. Site and Soil Evaluation for Onsite Wastewater Systems (MF2645). Kansas State University Research and Extension, accessed 2026-11
2. Low-Volume Roads Engineering Best Management Practices, Chapter 5: Hydrologic Analysis. USDA Forest Service, accessed 2026-11
3. Stormwater Discharges from Construction Activities. US Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 2026-11
4. Stormwater Phase II Final Rule Fact Sheet 3.0: Small Construction Program Overview. US Environmental Protection Agency, accessed 2026-11

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