What does sitework mean in construction?
Sitework is the construction outside a building’s footprint that prepares and finishes a site: demolition and clearing, grading and earthwork, underground utilities, paving, curb and sidewalk, site concrete, erosion and sediment control, and landscaping. It is also called site development or civil site work, and it is often bid as its own package of pay items.
Sitework scopes and the units each is measured in
- Demolition and clearing: pavement removal in square yards (SY), sawcut in linear feet (LF), removed structures by each.
- Underground utilities: storm, sanitary and water pipe in LF by size and material; manholes, inlets and valves by each.
- Paving: surface area in SY, asphalt in short tons, base course in cubic yards (CY) or tons.
- Curb and sidewalk: curb in LF by type, sidewalk in square feet (SF) or SY.
- Site concrete: pads, walls and footings in CY from the detail dimensions.
- Erosion and sediment control: silt fence in LF, inlet protection by each, seeding and blankets in SY.
Where sitework ends and building work begins
The contract documents set the boundary, often at a utility connection point near the building wall. Read the specifications and the bid schedule’s item list before measuring so each quantity lands in the right package.