Here We Go! Another New Build!

Demo & Site Work

Here we go again! After months of planning and waiting, and waiting, and waiting, there is nothing better than getting the email from the City of Seattle that your building permit has been approved! Once I finish my glass of champagne (or two!), I get busy in earnest putting together the plan to get the building party started.

First off – Demolition! Time to remove the existing house (no love lost on this one) so we can stake the property for the new home and start digging. Before demolition, our city requires two things; asbestos testing so it is removed and disposed of properly, and rat abatement, which assures any critters that have taken up residence in your vacant property don’t scatter when the heavy equipment arrives. Once those are completed - Demo Day comes!

The structure is down in hours, but the clean-up and offload are a different matter!

Next up is rough staking for the new house so the digging can begin. Elevations are defined, and the excavation team begins creating a space for the basement, perimeter foundation walls, and slab. It is always hard to know what challenges will arise, so I just make sure I have a great team doing the work. Then I prepare for the worst and hope for the best. So far, it has always worked out. Some jobs are more expensive than others, but a foundation always gets poured.

As all the necessary players are doing this work, I will get busy with what is next:

Temporary power, waterproofing the concrete walls, prepping for gas installation, drainage, and meeting with my framer. I have about 4 weeks to get ready for our next steps.

Happy building!