If you're building your own home, you might think you can forego the excavation process. Unfortunately, that's not the case. If you leave out the excavation process, you could undermine the structural integrity of your home. This is especially true with regard to the foundation. Excavation helps prepare the building site for construction. There are actually several steps to the excavation process. If you're not sure what to expect from the excavation, read the list provided below. Here are five important steps you'll miss if you don't excavate before building your new home.

Remove Unwanted Vegetation

If you're building on an unimproved property, you'll want to start with excavation. You might think that excavation only involves digging, but that's not the case. In fact, the excavation process begins with clearing. During this phase, all the unwanted vegetation gets removed from the property. This includes weeds, dead brush, and unwanted trees. Excavation speeds up the removal process and ensures the complete removal of the vegetation. 

Mark the Construction Site

If you're getting ready to build your home, you'll need to mark the construction site. Marking the site gives the contractor a clear view of where your home will sit on the property. During the excavation process, the layout for your home will get staked out. This is where stakes are placed at each corner where your home will get built. During the excavation process, additional features might get staked out as well. Those features include sidewalks, driveways, and patios. 

Start the Initial Excavation

After the building site gets staked, the digging process will begin. This step is to make sure that roots and hidden debris get removed. Without this step, vegetation can penetrate the foundation once it's laid. This is also the step when the initial drainage system gets set up. In most cases, a layer of gravel will get placed over the excavation site. This is to allow proper drainage. 

Dig Sewer and Drainage

Once the main foundation work gets done, the excavation process will move on to the trenching process. This is when the trenches get dug for sewers and drain pipes. If the trench work doesn't get done correctly, your sewer and water pipes won't drain properly. That's why excavation is so important to the building process for your new home. 

Don't take chances with your new home. Follow the tips provided here to ensure proper excavation for your new home.