Site prep is the work that has to be right before anything else gets built, and it is a big part of what Valley Brook Services does. We are a full-package excavation company, so one company can take a property from clearing and stripping through rough grade, pads and utilities. We build house pads, garage pads and pole barn pads, and we take on commercial site work.
House, Garage and Pole Barn Pads
A building pad is the level, shaped ground a structure sits on, and it has to be built to the size, grade and elevation the building needs. We build pads for houses, detached garages and pole barns. Garage and pole barn pads are some of the most common requests we hear from property owners, and they are a good example of work where getting the dirt right at the start saves headaches later.
Full Site Prep
Bigger projects need more than a pad. Full site prep can include clearing the lot, stripping topsoil, cutting and filling to reach grade, shaping drainage, and setting up the site for utilities and foundations. Because clearing, grading, utilities and foundation digging are all work we do ourselves, you are not coordinating a string of separate excavation contractors.
Commercial Site Work
We want more commercial site work, and we take it on: grading for parking areas, building pads, and the stormwater and underground work that goes with them. When a commercial site needs catch basins and stormwater installed along with grading, that is work we can price and schedule as one package. See underground utilities and stormwater for that side of the work.
Working for Builders and Developers
A large share of our work is for area home builders, where the schedule drives everything. Our crews are used to working inside a builder's production schedule, and that experience carries over to developers and commercial owners who need their site ready on a timeline.
Permits and Township Requirements
Requirements differ from one township and county to the next. Some places require a permit to move dirt, and some sites need a stormwater permit, even when the building itself is a separate approval. We are not the permit office, so ask your township early and tell us what they require. It is far easier to plan around a requirement at the start than to stop a job halfway.
What to Have Ready When You Reach Out
- The address or parcel location and the county it is in
- What you are building: a house, garage, pole barn or commercial building, and roughly how large
- Whether the site is already cleared, or still wooded or overgrown
- Any plans, stakes or site drawings you already have
- Your target start date
If you do not have all of that yet, that is fine. Send what you know through the contact form and we will help you figure out the next step.
Where We Work
Valley Brook Services provides site preparation across the 14 counties we serve in Western Pennsylvania and Northeast Ohio, from our base in Wampum, PA. Find your area below, or see our full service area page.
- Lawrence County, PA
- Beaver County, PA
- Butler County, PA: Cranberry Township, Zelienople
- Mercer County, PA
- Allegheny County, PA: Wexford
- Armstrong County, PA
- Venango County, PA
- Clarion County, PA
- Crawford County, PA
- Washington County, PA
- Westmoreland County, PA
- Trumbull County, OH
- Mahoning County, OH: Boardman, Poland
- Columbiana County, OH
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. House pads, garage pads and pole barn pads are all part of our site preparation work.
Yes. We take on commercial site work, including grading, building pads and the stormwater and underground work that goes with it.
It depends on the township and the project. Some areas require a permit to move dirt and some sites need stormwater permits. Check with your township, and tell us what they require.
Yes. Our site work service area includes Trumbull, Mahoning and Columbiana Counties in Ohio, along with our Pennsylvania counties.