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Clear, strip topsoil and do earthworks

Clear only what the plan needs, keep the topsoil, and cut and fill the ground to the design levels for the house pad, roads and tank pads.

How

1. Have buried services located and marked before machines arrive (see site-22 for the US 811 and UK LinesearchbeforeUdig examples).
2. Clear vegetation only inside marked work areas and the fire zones from site-12.
3. Strip topsoil and stockpile it away from drainage lines for later reuse.
4. Cut and fill to design levels in layers. Fill under buildings and roads must be placed and compacted as specified by the engineer, never loose tipped. For scale, one US highway spec (Iowa DOT, embankment) limits loose lifts to 8 inches and requires at least 95% of standard Proctor maximum density with moisture control; your engineer may set different figures.
5. Keep cut and fill slopes no steeper than the design, and protect them from runoff.
6. Stop and get advice if you hit water, soft ground, unexpected rock or signs of past slips.

Safety: Excavations and cut faces can collapse. Follow your country's excavation safety rules and never work under an unsupported face.

Do these first

• site-17

Sources

1. National Preparedness Month 2020: Landslides and Sinkholes. US Geological Survey, accessed 2026-11
2. Onsite Wastewater Treatment Systems Manual, Chapter 5: Treatment System Selection. US Environmental Protection Agency (copy hosted by Iowa State University), accessed 2026-11
3. Construction Manual 6.40: Embankment. Iowa Department of Transportation, accessed 2026-11
4. 811 Call Before You Dig. Indiana Office of Utility Consumer Counselor, accessed 2026-11
5. Line search before you dig. Electricity North West, accessed 2026-11

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