4 Reasons Why You Should Hire a Professional Excavator Operator

Before laying pipe, fiber optic cables, or digging up anything underground, you will need to excavate. Attempting to do this yourself can be very dangerous and even illegal. Hiring a professional excavation contractor to handle your project is the best way to avoid fines and ensure that the job is done correctly. Here are four reasons to hire a professional before renting a bobcat and attempting to excavate on your own.

1. Excavator operators have special equipment

The right professional excavator operator will have a full arsenal of digging equipment to allow for safer and quicker execution. At Stan’s, we operate specially-crafted marsh excavators built to glide across water in even the hardest to access areas.

Specialty crane arms may also be necessary to navigate certain obstacles, and these should only be used by trained professionals. A professional excavator operator also might have access to special construction-grade, heavy-duty equipment that require certain licenses.

2. Excavation is too dangerous to take on by yourself

Digging a pit of any size can be lethal if not done properly. Some dangers of excavation that you may be unaware of include:

• Contact with a buried or overhead power line can result in electrocution
• Pits can collapse if there is a heavy weight like a bobcat sitting on the edges
• Striking a buried gas line can cause a flammable gas link

3. Less risk of property damage

Professional excavators know exactly how to safely clear a dig site of any obstacles and avoid spilling dirt, bumping into things, or causing any damage. You may think that the only thing you need to do prior to excavating is call your public utilities companies. However, there are several regulations that only professional excavators have been trained to look out for, like specific environmental concerns and local laws. 

4. Soil unpredictability

Many who attempt to DIY excavate assume the soil they walk on will be the same soil they dig up. However, this is not always true. Depending on the area, sand, muddy soil, or rocky soil can be closer to the surface than expected. This is a problem because digging through multiple types of dirt can be difficult. Especially rocky soil that is hard to lift or break up. 

Excavating without a professional also runs the risk of overly wet or muddy soil sliding right out of the bobcat bucket, and sandy or muddy pits are easily collapsible. Professional excavation contractors, like those at Stan’s, know exactly how to test the soil that will be dug up and comprehend its overall content. With several years of experience in marsh excavation, our professionals are highly skilled in navigating the extremely wet and unpredictable marshlands of Louisiana. Contact us today to request a quote!