What Should You Do When You Hit Rock?

Whether you're putting in a wine cellar, digging a bunker, adding a pool or doing any other excavation in your yard, there's always the risk that you might hit rock. That can add delays and inconveniences to your project. To minimise the hassles, take a look at these tips.

Plan Ahead

When it comes to earthmoving and excavation, surprises can always happen, and you don't necessarily know what's underground until you start digging. So that you're ready, you should try to plan ahead to some degree.

If you are doing the work yourself, take a look at some geological maps to get a sense of the rock in your area. If you are hiring a professional to do earthmoving and excavation, talk to them about what happens if they hit rock.

For instance, will they need to stop the project? Do they have the heavy machinery to break through rock? Do they charge by the hour or by the volume of rock removed? Questions like that can help you create a worst-case-scenario budget for your project.

Consider a Core Sample

Whether you are working on your own or hiring a professional, you may want to get a core sample before you start the project. A core sample is basically a sliver of earth cut out of the area where you plan to work. It shows all of the layers so you can see how much sand, clay, rock, rubbish, or other materials you are likely to bump into during the excavation.

Hire a Professional

If you are working on your own and you hit rock, you should hire a professional. Companies that specialise in earthmoving and excavation have the skills and experience to deal with everything from bedrock to mounds of soil. Depending on the nature of your project, these professionals may be able to blast the rock or break it with heavy equipment and then haul it away.

Work Around It

For both DIY excavation and professional work, if you hit rock, you may want to just adjust your plans. For instance, let's say you hire an excavation company to dig a hole for a pool. That company just has basic excavation equipment, and they unfortunately don't have what you need to remove rock.

As a result, you can pay another company to come in and help, or you can adjust your original plans. For instance, in this case, you may want to put in a pool that is slightly raised rather than completely inground. Similarly, if you were working on a bunker and you hit rock, you may just want to relocate it.