Preparing Property in Kinder and Allen Parish

What we can do with a piece of Allen Parish land

We build for our own account as well as for customers, so we tend to think about property in terms of what it could become rather than just the task in front of us.

General walkthrough — not a specific customer project

What site work for a multi-unit or RV site generally involves

Developing land for more than one unit is a different exercise from preparing a single homesite. The pieces that get underestimated are almost always the ones underground or under the surface.

• —Lay out the whole site before moving dirt — pads, roads, parking and utility runs interact, and fixing the order later is expensive
• —Get the drainage plan settled first. More impervious surface means more runoff, and it has to go somewhere that is not your neighbor
• —Build internal roads on a proper base. Traffic that turns and reverses repeatedly is harder on a surface than through traffic
• —Trench utilities before the surfaces go down, not after
• —Set pad elevations relative to the roads so water never runs toward a unit
• —Confirm what Allen Parish requires for the specific use before committing to a layout — that is the parish's answer to give, not ours

Questions about working in Allen Parish

Do you take on projects this far from Lake Charles?

Yes, within reason. Allen Parish is outside our home parish, so travel is a genuine cost and the scope needs to justify it. A development-sized project fits well. A one-hour job does not, and we will tell you that honestly rather than quietly building it into a number.

Would you look at land I am considering buying?

Gladly. We have been in real estate for more than 25 years and we are actively looking for property ourselves, so evaluating what a tract needs to become usable is something we do regularly. Tell us it is a pre-purchase look so we come prepared for that conversation.

Can you handle a project in phases?

Often that is the smart way to do it — clear and rough-grade now, build later, expand after that. Phasing works best when the whole plan exists from the start even if only part gets built, so the early work does not have to be undone.

Do you buy property in this area?

We are always looking at land and homes, including income-producing property. If you have something you would consider selling, that is worth a separate conversation.

How do you price travel on a job out here?

It is part of the estimate and we will point to it rather than hide it. If several pieces of work can be grouped into one mobilization, that generally gets you the best value.