Why We Shoot Grade Before Quoting: Double B's Approach to Driveway Drainage

Double B Excavations & Grade LLC

USING TOOLS AND TECHNOLOGY TO PREDICT AND PLAN

Ever notice how water seems to have a mind of its own?

Especially when it comes to driveways, water doesn't always flow where you'd expect.

That's why we never just eyeball a drainage problem or guess at a solution.

Those kinds of shortcuts often lead to expensive fixes down the road.

At Double B, we believe in getting things right the first time.

That's why before we even give you a quote, we bring out our transit tool to shoot grade on your driveway.

Sounds fancy, right?

Don't worry - it's actually pretty simple.

We're just making sure we understand exactly how water wants to move across your property so we can give you the most effective, cost-efficient solution.

Let's talk about what we typically see out here.

Water pooling on driveways isn't just annoying - it can really cause problems over time.

When water sits there, it seeps into any little crack or weak spot.

Then winter hits, that water freezes and expands, and before you know it, you've got bigger cracks and more damage.

A lot of folks think the only fix is to tear out the whole driveway and rebuild it higher.

And sometimes, that's what other contractors might quote without really checking things out.

But here's the thing - often that's like using a sledgehammer to hang a picture. Way more work (and money) than you actually need.

This is where our grade shooting really pays off.

We might find out that only certain sections of your driveway are causing the problem.

Or maybe the water just needs a clear path to run off into a field where it can naturally drain away.

You can't know for sure until you measure it properly.

Once we have our measurements, we can work with what nature's already trying to do.

Water always wants to flow downhill - we just need to give it the right path.

Sometimes that means adding a few strategic drainage points.

Other times, it might mean adjusting just one section of the driveway.

Here's a real example: On this long driveway we recently looked at, our transit showed us that most of the surrounding ground was actually higher than the driveway.

Instead of recommending an expensive rebuild to raise the entire thing, we could see that some well-placed drainage solutions would solve the problem for a fraction of the cost.

This kind of targeted fix does more than just save you money today.

It gives you a solution that's going to keep working year after year because it's based on the actual layout of your property.

No guesswork, no overkill - just smart solutions that make sense for your specific situation.

This attention to detail?

It's just how we do things at Double B.

We've invested in the right tools and training because we believe every job deserves to be done right the first time.

Sure, we could probably work faster by skipping the grade shooting and just giving quick estimates.

But that's not how we built our reputation in Knox County.

Our transit tool isn't just a piece of equipment - it's part of our promise to you.

A promise that we'll take the time to understand your property's unique challenges and find the most effective solution, not just the quickest or easiest one.