New Pole Building Sitework in Bechtelsville, Berks County, PA

Pankey Nelson

11 minutes ago

5 min read

Newly built pole building with 2 garage doors and a window in the peak. It is cream colored, with blue trim, and has a concrete floor. Next to it is the side of a house. Behind the building are trees, and the sky is blue with many fluffy clouds. K+L Construction, site work, new build

Not enough storage space? Sometimes the answer isn't a bigger house—it's a new pole building.

For this property in Bechtelsville, Berks County, PA, the homeowners needed more storage and were considering their options. They weren't sure whether a traditional garage or a pole building made more sense, so they called us before making a decision.

That gave us the opportunity to look at the property, talk through what they needed, evaluate the available space, and help them figure out which option made the most sense for their property and budget. In the end, they chose a pole building.

And then K+L got to work on what we specialize in:

getting it right from the ground down, so you can build with confidence from the ground up.

Helping the Homeowner Choose the Right Building

The area beside a house, where a pole building will be installed. There are flags for the pole building location. In the back yard are tables with umbrellas. Trees line the yard, and the sky is very blue.

Before any dirt was moved, we came out to look at the property and talk through the project.

A traditional garage and a pole building can accomplish similar goals, but the construction process and overall cost can be very different.

For this property, a pole building made sense because it offered the storage space the homeowners needed while keeping the project simpler and more cost-effective than a traditional garage.

Once the decision was made, our job was to prepare the site so the building company could come in and do their part.

Helping the homeowners with expert information prior to finalizing build decisions is one of the things we like about being involved early in a project.

Sometimes the best time to bring in your excavation contractor is before you've decided exactly what you're building.

Building the Site Up for the New Pole Building

The location chosen for the new building was right next to the house.

The new pole building needed to sit at a finished elevation that worked with the existing house and driveway, so we needed to build up the low area and create a stable, level pad.

We brought in several loads of suitable fill and built the area up in stages, compacting as we went with a trench roller.

This part of construction isn't particularly exciting to look at, but it's important for the construction and longevity of the building.

When the project is finished, nobody sees the work beneath it.

And that's exactly how good sitework should be.

Planning Ahead for the Electrical

A construction worker core drills through the foundation of a house, to run a conduit over to the new pole building. K+L Construction, site work contractor

While preparing the site, we also planned for one of the things that would eventually need to connect the new building to the existing house: electricity.

We core drilled through the house and installed conduit so the electrical service could be run to the new pole building.

Taking care of this while the site was being prepared meant the necessary pathway was already in place rather than trying to figure it out after everything was finished.

It's a small detail, but it's part of thinking through the project as a whole instead of treating each step as its own isolated job.

The Pole Building Goes Up

A new two story pole building, cream colored, with blue trim, two garage style door openings as well as a window in the peak. K+L Construction, site work contractor

Once the site was properly prepared, the pole building company came in and constructed the building.

This is the part where the project really starts to look like something. All that dirt work, grading, filling and compacting suddenly has a purpose.

After the building was up, we returned to continue our part of the project.

We delivered the stone needed for the concrete base, which the building company installed as part of their preparation for the concrete floor.

With the building standing, it was time to turn our attention back to the property itself.

Finishing the Site Around the New Building

VIew of new pole building from the back, showing the grading around it. K+L Construction, site work contractor

Close-up view of the walkway between house and pole barn, with fresh grading and stone laid over the area between the doors. K+L Construction

A new building shouldn't look like it was simply dropped into the middle of the yard.

We wanted the finished site to feel intentional and connected to the rest of the property.

First, we added a small stone parking area beside the new pole building. This gave the homeowners enough additional space to park one more vehicle without having to create a much larger paved area.

We also added extra stone between the house and the new building. The homeowners plan to install a walkway there in the future, so the stone gives them a solid base to work from when they're ready.

In the meantime, it keeps the area clean and mud-free.

Final Grading: Making the New Building Belong

Distant view of a new pole building from the back, showing fresh grading to smooth the built up area in line with the yard. The sky is very cloudy, and the trees are very green. K+L Construction, site work contractor

Once the major construction was complete, we finished grading from the pole building out into the existing yard.

This is where a lot of the visual difference happens. We wanted the new building, parking area and surrounding yard to transition naturally into one another.

We brought in topsoil where needed, finish graded, and seeded and strawed the lawn.

And because we're apparently incapable of leaving well enough alone, we even added an extra flake of straw underneath each downspout.

Why? Because newly seeded soil and concentrated rainwater aren't exactly best friends.

The extra straw helps protect the fresh seed from being washed out while the lawn gets established.

It's a little thing. But those little things add up.

“I Didn't Think It Could Look This Nice.”

Image of a two story house with a new two story pole building to the left. There are trees in the background, and a blue sky with white clouds. K+L construction, site work.

When we finished the project, the homeowner looked at the finished property and said: “I didn't think it could look this nice.”

And honestly, that's exactly what we want to hear.

Because sitework isn't just moving dirt from Point A to Point B.

It's about understanding how a new structure fits into an existing property, getting it right from the ground down, thinking ahead about what's coming next, and leaving the entire property better than we found it.

We may specialize in the ground down, but in all our decisions and processes we consider the whole build, what it will look like, and how long it will last.

Why Good Pole Building Sitework Matters

Side view of a newly constructed pole building, showing stonework from the near side, and stones piled on the far side, ready to be used for a parking area. Trees in the background, and a blue sky with some white clouds.

A pole building might have a simpler construction process than a traditional garage, but that doesn't mean the site preparation is something to overlook.

The building still needs a properly prepared, stable area to sit on.

Good sitework makes everything that comes afterward easier.

And when it's done well, you shouldn't have to think about it again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a pole building need site preparation?

Yes. Even though the pole building may be constructed differently from a traditional garage, the site still needs to be properly prepared to ensure a solid, long-lasting build. Depending on the property, that may include clearing, excavation, grading, fill, compaction, stone, drainage and utility preparation.

Can K+L help prepare the site before I choose between a pole barn and a traditional garage?

No! The foundation for a pole building is not the same as a garage. It's important to choose what you're going with first before starting any sitework.

The site of a new build, with basement excavated and foundations set. A working is checking the project. There are piles of fill dirt waiting to be put in alongside the foundation and basement walls when they're finished. There are trees in the background, and a blue sky with fluffy clouds. K+L Construction

More K+L projects involving site preparation, grading and building from the ground down:

Proudly Serving Berks County and Surrounding Areas

A woman in a white sundress riding a brown horse through a green field, with trees along the edge of the field, and a man in t-shirt and jeans walking alongside her. K+L Construction

K+L Construction provides excavation sitework, construction services, basement excavation, foundation drainage, water management, concrete, utility installation, grading, and site preparation throughout Bucks County, Berks County, Montgomery County, Lehigh County, and neighboring communities throughout Southeastern Pennsylvania, including Boyertown, Bally, Fleetwood, Kutztown, Oley, Topton, Bechtelsville, Reading, Pottstown, Quakertown, and more.

Whether you're planning a new pole building, garage, addition, or other property improvement, we can help you figure out what needs to happen from the ground down to make the project work.