How to Estimate the Cost of Site Preparation for Your Next Project

We have bad news for you: There is no stock formula for accurately determining site preparation costs for construction, power or solar projects. Unique site conditions, project requirements and local regulations are all contributing factors to the overall cost of site preparation and access. Unfortunately, the site access costs from your last project don’t translate to the next. The terrain could be wildly different, there might be protected species in the location or the temporary road may need to be a different length.

If you can’t copy and paste from your last project, or if you have never dealt with site preparation, how do you estimate the costs?

We have good news! You don’t have to do it on your own. The United Rentals team has decades of experience with site access solutions across a broad range of industries and locations, so you can rely on our deep knowledge to get a quality proposal to incorporate into your overall project budget.

What might be included in a site preparation estimate?

One of the biggest challenges of estimating site access costs is knowing what you might encounter. Through meetings, research, site visits and other strategies, we determine what your project might need, including materials, equipment, installation, environmental activities, removal and restoration and project management.

Materials

Depending on the terrain, access requirements and other factors, the materials you might need to purchase or rent for your project include:

• Ground protection mats and aggregate to create temporary roads
• Temporary bridges
• Trackout control mats and transition mats
• EPZ grounding mats for utility projects

Equipment

For site clearing, you might need to account for grubbers, graders and other types of machinery. A remote location access typically needs a heavy equipment budget for installing and removing mats and temporary bridges.

Installation

Once the ground has been cleared, a crew might need to lay construction mats for temporary roads. This could include leapfrogging mats for cost efficiency, so it’s not always as simple as a linear calculation. Having an experienced crew is critical for this step because damage to mats during the installation process can increase costs.

Environmental activities

Almost every project comes with environmental requirements, such as Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) compliance, draining and erosion control solutions or endangered species protection.

Removal and restoration

Once the project is complete, the work isn’t over. Your estimate will probably include line items for things like removing temporary roads and bridges to leave no trace, planting to restore impacted areas and controlling erosion for landscapes that have been altered.

Project management

All of these activities take time and require careful planning and coordination to stay within the estimated budget, which is why project management is built into the quote.

Factors that can influence site preparation costs

How does an estimator get to an accurate quote? A lot of factors may impact the equation, including the terrain, weather, project requirements, environmental requirements and project location.

Terrain

Challenging terrain often comes with a higher price tag. Creating a temporary road in a relatively flat, cleared area for a solar installation looks very different from accessing a pipeline in a mountainous area, even if it’s the same mileage.

Weather

A project that runs through the course of a year has to be safely accessed through a range of weather conditions. It is important to account for the firmness of the ground as the seasons change.

Project requirements

The frequency of travel, types of equipment and weight of materials will influence the costs of a site access project. A wind farm might need specialized mats to support the weight of cranes lifting large turbines, while a utility project might require an equipotential zone to protect workers on the ground from electric shock.

Environmental requirements

Protected species, invasive species, stormwater pollution prevention and other environmental considerations will impact the scope and cost of a site access project. Understanding these as much as possible early in the estimating phase will help ensure the most accurate quote.

Project location

A project in a remote location typically requires more resources than one that is closer to a permanent road. If you have to traverse wetlands or streams, the access solutions become more complex.

How to determine costs for site preparation

Unless you already have a lot of experience in this area, you will likely need to bring in professionals who have experience with various terrains and project types and have the expertise to gather all the information they need to provide accurate estimates.

These professionals can help you determine:

• Which access solutions are required to balance safe access with cost efficiency
• Whether to rent or buy materials
• How long the project will take
• The expected costs for your optimized solution

Get your next quote with United Rentals

We know how important it is to have predictable costs for a construction or utility project, and it all starts with site access. Our team will work closely with you to truly understand your needs so you can be confident that your quote is as accurate as possible.

Contact United Rentals today to get a quote for your next construction project and to learn more about the types of ground protection mat rentals we offer.