When we chose to live off grid it was a daunting decision on exactly what and how we were going to prioritize projects. They were all important obviously. From Water, to Shelter, and more importantly access. Access is to the property is the most important and going in on the decision to buy this particular property was just how we were going to build an off grid driveway.
Months before were to drive up on the property we had contacted a company who specializes in cutting in driveway’s in are area. Putting a date on the calendar is also crucial because companies that do this are busy little beavers and it’s hard to get them to your off grid property. Time, Gas, Workforce, and Access have to all line up perfectly which it’s why it’s important NOT to procrastinate. Even with the work being scheduled, it was one week behind schedule.
Get references and make sure you are getting estimates that match the scope of work being done. Our driveway is 475 feet long so make sure you compare that costs with other long driveways.
In Northern Arizona, cutting in the driveway shouldn’t take more that 3 hours. You are paying for Gas, and Hourly time. So any debris, rocks, boulders that you can remove will save you money. Having a precise plan is helpful also. You don’t want to be designing your driveway with the Heavy Equipment Operator standing there waiting for you to make a decision. Time is money.
Get everything in writing! Get a receipt when the job is completed.
After your driveway is cut, it will probably look horrible. Be patient. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your Homestead or Off Grid Property. It takes awhile for dust and your driveway to get compacted down.
Things to watch for: Irrigation, erosion, and diverting water you DONT want in an area. We cut a drainage ditch next to the driveway (parallel to the driveway) so water can flow down our driveway and NOT on it.