Groundbreaking

Yesterday we finally broke ground. A bit later than I thought it would, but there was much to take care of. So, referring back to the list from my previous entry, I can check off several items.

• The silt barrier is up
•  Bids for the retaining walls went out, came back, and were revised again to factor in the foundation changes. The changes turn out to be a bit more expensive than I thought. We'll be going over-budget on the foundation. I should be able to absorb the extra expense. 
• Based on the bids we received, we signed a contract with an excavator to do the foundation and retaining walls 
• The property was staked out by a surveyor
• Water, gas, and electrical applications were submitted and are in various states of being processed

For the observant types, you may have noticed I didn't mention the sewer. That deserves its own blog entry. Here's what it looks like as of this morning:

With that large bush out of the way, it's the first time I can see the whole lot. Looking good! Also, here's what the driveway looks like:

The grass and debris is all scraped away from my side of the property. 

The first big task is to form the driveway. It has to slope downward into the main part of the lot. I think this is what the excavator will be doing over the next week or so.