Site Preparation Services in Santa Barbara & Ventura
Every successful landscape or hardscaping project begins with expert site preparation. This initial phase lays the groundwork for everything that follows, ensuring the long-term beauty of your outdoor living space. At Cornerstone Landscapes, we are full-service landscape contractors with over 13 years of experience developing residential and private commercial landscapes across Santa Barbara and Ventura. We specialize in imagining and creating dream outdoor environments, transforming small residences to expansive estates into extensions of your home, ultimately beautifying your property, increasing its value, and enhancing your quality of life.
In almost every landscape construction endeavor, site preparation precedes all other services. This vital stage encompasses the demolition and removal of existing hardscape elements, landscape features, and debris, followed by earthwork and grading. For landscape remodels where specific elements are to be preserved, our site preparation is precisely targeted and tailored to the exact scope of work, ensuring existing elements to be preserved are protected.
What Steps Do We Take in Preparing a Site?
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Before any work begins, a thorough assessment of the current site conditions is paramount and plans don't always capture every detail on the ground. Our team conducts a careful evaluation, providing budgetary estimates based on the labor, materials, and necessary access for heavy equipment, identifying all underground utilities to ensure they are preserved and protected throughout the entire project.We'll also discuss the functionality you desire. Do you need a full-functioning kitchen capable of handling elaborate meals and large gatherings, or a simplified setup tailored to specific needs like grilling and casual entertaining? Understanding your preferences for design and overall use allows us to create a personalized outdoor kitchen that perfectly complements your home and lifestyle.
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We move to the efficient and systematic clearing of the site, utilizing our fleet of heavy equipment, including track loaders, excavators, and dump trucks, to ensure maximum efficiency and cost savings. This step involves three main components: 1. the demolition and removal of existing hardscape elements such as old structures, paving, and walls; 2. the demolition and removal of landscape elements like sod, overgrown plants, and trees; and 3. removal of all debris, including unwanted furniture or any other unwanted structures.
Beyond cooking, consider conveniences like a sink with filtered water, a refrigerator, and trash and recycling solutions. Storage is key for an organized space, and you can opt for stainless steel or custom cabinets. Other considerations include lighting, a solid or open roof, built-in heaters, sunshades, and integrated built-in seating or dining spaces. Every element is selected to create an outdoor kitchen that meets your specific desires.
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Heavy equipment and compaction machinery are used for excavation and grading. We excavate soil to specific depths required for proposed work, whether it's for new site walls, patios, driveways, or water features. Grading and contouring enhance the beauty and functionality of your outdoor space, ensuring correct site drainage. Where necessary, we also conduct compaction of soil to achieve optimal soil stability, crucial for the longevity of all constructed elements.
The overall design also plays a crucial role, ranging from a simple built-in BBQ to a full-functioning kitchen with multiple segments, an island, and seating. We provide transparent estimates and work with you to align your vision with a realistic budget and timeline.
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For projects undertaken between October and April in Santa Barbara and Ventura, erosion control measures are an essential and integrated part of our site preparation. This is crucial for protecting our delicate waterways from sediment runoff. During these months, our site preparation includes the strategic placement of straw wattles, tarping of excess soil, installation of silt fencing, and protection of drainage inlets to prevent erosion and ensure environmental compliance.
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Soil stabilization in landscaped areas is frequently achieved through natural, sustainable practices such as strategic planting and mulching. These methods prevent erosion and build soil health, enhance permeability, and improve overall landscape resilience. For hardscaped areas, however, soil compaction for stabilization is essential to ensure the longevity and success of constructed elements. When the project requires it, we collaborate closely with geologists for observations, recommendations, and compaction testing during the grading process.
Site Security & Safety Measures
At Cornerstone Landscapes, safety is our top priority during site preparation and throughout the entire construction process. Our commitment is to protect your property and maintain a safe working environment for all personnel involved. We establish codified security and safety measures, including the placement of fencing or barriers to restrict unauthorized access, dust control, fall protection, and caution tape or wood sheeting around trenches or hazardous areas.
We foster a culture of safety by implementing self responsibility, comprehensive safety protocols, and providing regular training to all workers, emphasizing the correct use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and strict adherence to all safety guidelines. To maintain this high standard, we conduct regular site inspections to proactively identify and mitigate any potential safety risks, ensuring a safe and well-organized job site.
Why Work with Cornerstone
A meticulously prepared site provides the essential fundamentals that sets your landscape project up for great success.
At Cornerstone Landscapes, we offer seamless project execution by providing both expert site preparation and comprehensive landscape and hardscaping construction services. This integrated approach ensures a more efficient and streamlined process, as our teams are fully coordinated from demolition to the final flourish.
Our core values of communication, integrity, excellence, and fulfilling relationships are the foundation of everything we do. We strive to provide a refreshingly positive experience throughout the entire construction process. We believe in complete transparency, which is why our open book estimating provides clear options for material choices and a precise expectation of all costs before any work is executed, ensuring you're always informed. Our expert in-house crew is courteous, professional, and dedicated to delivering consistent quality and accountability for a seamless project flow, on time and on budget. Furthermore, we provide comprehensive project oversight and dedicated project management, collaborating with the best geologists, structural and civil engineers, and carefully selected subcontractors when necessary to ensure every detail is handled with precision and care.
Ready to lay the perfect foundation for your dream outdoor space? Contact Cornerstone Landscapes today for a consultation on expert site preparation!
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Let us help you bring your dream outdoor living space to life.