TIGHT ACCESS EXCAVATION — GOLD COAST & BRISBANE

Tight side-access work is what we get called for more than almost anything else on the Gold Coast. Most suburban blocks — Robina, Mermaid Waters, Burleigh Waters, Helensvale, Mudgeeraba estate streets — have a 900–1100mm side gate, a paved path, an air-con condenser to dodge and a neighbour's fence to protect. The 5-tonne excavator that the rough-and-tumble blokes turn up with simply doesn't fit.

Our 1.7-tonne machine fits through a clear 900mm gap and is the workhorse for tight pool digs, retaining trenches and drainage runs. For sub-900mm we sub-hire a 1.0-tonne mini, which fits through a 750mm gap with the cabin stripped. For sub-750mm — yes, we've worked them — we crane the machine over the house. Always quoted up-front.

The trick to tight-access work isn't just the machine, it's the spoil-out plan. A 1.7T excavator can dig 4–6 cubic metres an hour but moving the spoil through a side gate by mini-loader relay or wheelbarrow is the rate-limiter. We plan the spoil corridor before the dig starts: ground protection mats over lawn, plywood over paving, silt fencing on slopes, a clear path to the front street where the tipper waits.

We protect what we touch. Ground protection mats stay down for the full job. Tracks are cleaned before they roll back over a driveway. Air-con units, gas meters and pool pumps are taped, padded and photographed before we start. If a fence panel needs to come out for access, we coordinate with the neighbour and put it back better than we found it.

Cost difference vs open access is real and we're upfront about it. A standard open-access pool dig is one day on a 5T machine. The same dig through a 900mm gate is 2–3 days on a 1.7T machine with a mini-loader spoil relay. That doubles the day rate. Sub-750mm crane-in adds another $1,500–$3,500. We quote it clearly so there are no surprises.

Most jobs we do with tight access are pool excavations and retaining wall trenches. Other tight-access work: drainage trenches behind houses, demolishing rear pool surrounds, removing failed garden walls, stripping topsoil for a backyard re-turf, and excavating slabs for granny flats and studios. If you can fit a wheelbarrow through, we can usually fit a machine.