What Backfill and Haul-Away Cost in New Brunswick

1 The pieces of the price

2 What's under your yard

The things nobody can see until the bucket goes in, and what to do about each before it does.

• A brook, lake or wetland nearby

  Any clearing, digging, fill or machine work within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland needs a provincial WAWA permit first. The 30 metres is measured from the top of the bank, on the ground.

  Before the dig: Measure before you book the machine. The landowner usually applies; a single alteration is $25.

• Free fill from somebody else's dig

  We found no provincial rule on trucking clean fill between private lots, and within 30 metres of water, placing fill needs a WAWA permit.

  Before the dig: Ask your municipality before you accept fill, and check the 30-metre rule.

• Buried lines

  Gas, power, cable and old private lines can sit anywhere in a yard. NB Power says its lines can be buried as little as one foot down.

  Before the dig: The contractor must have utilities located before digging (WorkSafeNB). Ask to see both tickets: Info-Excavation (3 working days' notice, valid to the end date on the request) and NB Power (five business days, valid 60 days, NB Power lines only). Mark private lines yourself.

• Rock

  We found no public source on how deep rock sits under any New Brunswick town, so nobody can promise a rock-free lot.

  Before the dig: Get the rock clause in writing before the dig: how it is found, how the breaker time is logged and what it costs per hour.

3 Before the first bucket

Tick them off as you go. Nothing here is saved or sent anywhere.

1. Book the footing and foundation inspection Before any backfill Regulation 2021-2 calls for an inspection on completion of the footings and foundations, before any backfilling begins. Ask your building department how it is booked.
2. Check the 30-metre rule Before anything is booked Within 30 metres of a watercourse or wetland, a WAWA permit comes first.
3. Agree where the spoil goes Before the dig Stockpiled on the lot for backfill, or trucked off: the quote should say which, with the load count.
4. Ask for a WorkSafeNB clearance certificate Before you sign Coverage is mandatory for employers with three or more workers, and a customer can be held responsible for an unregistered business's premiums.
5. Keep the 10% holdback When you pay The Construction Remedies Act requires the owner to retain 10% of the contract price for 60 days after substantial performance; ask a lawyer about the details.

4 Rules by place for this job

Near lakes and flood-prone or tidal watercourses

The province's guidelines do not allow infill to raise the grade within 15 metres of a lake, or within 30 metres of a flood-prone or tidal watercourse.

Fredericton

New water and sewer services are installed by the City's Water and Sewer Division; a site servicing plan goes in with the building permit, and the customer pays once the work is done.

Anywhere else

We found no excavation-specific rule for Dieppe, Sussex, Miramichi or other towns: ask your municipality or Regional Service Commission before the machine arrives.

What the written quote should name

• The backfill material and where it comes from
• When backfill happens relative to the inspection
• The number of loads out and their destination
• Whether any spoil stays on the lot
• Compaction and final grade

More on the work itself: Backfill & Haul-Away