Build Update 2: Prepping Driveway & Slab Sites

By Graham Mann | Published: 9/30/2025

Build update 2 covers driveway grading, slab site prep, gravel base compaction, and lessons learned from early foundation work.

This is part 2 of my Nova Scotia(/blog/why-i-decided-to-build-my-own-home-in-nova-scotia) build series. Catch up on Build Update 1: Site Prep & Materials(/blog/build-update-1-site-prep-ordering-materials-and-finalizing-drawings-and-layout) if you missed it. --- If you remember from the last post, last I'd left the property we'd done some clearing and started to prepare for building. The site plan looked like this: !Site plan showing driveway, drainage ditches, and slab locations for two shed buildings(/images/build-update-2-prepping-driveway-slab-sites-6.png) The steps before building looked something like: 1. Get excavator on the property to ditch the top and left sides (dotted line on the plan above) 2. Get driveway put in 3. Get gravel pads for power shed and larger shed placed, levelled, and compacted Ditching In the top corner (top left on site plan above) of the neighbouring property, the previous owner had put a brush pile, intending to burn it, but never getting around to it. T...

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