Gravel & Pad Prep
Gravel and pad prep is the residential service that lays a flat compacted base for what is about to sit on it — a new shed, a delivered hot tub, a trash and recycling enclosure, a small equipment pad — from $800 for a 10x10 shed footing to $3,000 for a multi-pad package on a larger property. A new shed is sitting in the driveway, delivery driver gone, and the only flat ground on the lot is the front walk. A hot tub delivery is scheduled for Friday and the previous tub left a soft mud crater behind. A trash enclosure has been sliding into the lawn since the last neighborhood haul. Handis builds the gravel pad that gives the shed, the tub, or the enclosure a dry, flat, drained base — over geotextile filter fabric because Puget Sound clay sub-base does not forgive its absence.
Service
How Gravel & Pad Prep Works
Five sequential steps from the on-arrival site walk through the homeowner walk and 30-day guarantee — the actual order we run on every Handis gravel pad so the pad drains and stays flat instead of sinking into clay sub-base.
On-Arrival Site Walk & Sub-Base Check
We walk the pad location with you, check the sub-base for clay condition (most Puget Sound lots are clay), confirm the access for gravel delivery, and verify the pad dimensions against what is about to sit on it (shed footprint plus margin, hot tub plus step-up, enclosure plus rolling clearance). The walk happens before any sub-base disturbance.
Sub-Base Grade & Drainage Slope
We grade the sub-base by hand or with a small skid steer where access allows — flat for a shed, sloped 1 to 2 percent away from any structure for drainage. Any organics (sod, roots, debris) come out so the pad sits on mineral sub-base. We do not engineer for soft spots that need over-excavation and structural fill — that routes to a contractor.
Geotextile Filter Fabric, Full Footprint Plus Margin
Nonwoven geotextile filter fabric goes on the graded sub-base — the full pad footprint plus a 6-inch margin on every side, with fabric edges overlapping if seams are needed. The fabric keeps the clay sub-base separated from the gravel above so mud cannot migrate up. Without the fabric the pad turns into a mud sandwich within one wet season.
Gravel in 2-Inch Lifts, Plate-Compacted Between Each Lift
5/8 inch crushed minus (or 1-1/4 inch base rock under a heavier load) goes down in 2-inch lifts. Each lift gets plate-compacted with a vibratory plate compactor before the next goes down — single-lift dumping leaves voids that settle later. Shed pads finish at 4 to 6 inches deep; hot tub pads at 5 to 7 inches deep.
Final Level Check, Homeowner Walk & 30-Day Guarantee
We level-check the pad with a 4-foot bubble level on the long axis and the short axis, confirm the drainage slope, walk the pad with the homeowner, and document the work for the 30-day workmanship guarantee. Sub-base failure unrelated to our compaction, weather damage, and load-cycle settlement from improper use are not workmanship issues and are outside the guarantee.
Gravel & Pad Prep Pricing
Final pricing depends on pad dimensions, gravel volume, sub-base condition, access for gravel delivery, and whether geotextile and filter fabric are already in place. Request a free estimate for an accurate quote.
Tell us what is going on the pad and where — we will quote the prep before delivery day.
Why Handis for Gravel & Pad Prep
Most gravel pad calls we get are timed against a delivery — a shed showing up on Saturday with a flat-bed driver who refuses to drop into mud, a hot tub delivered Friday with a crane that needs a level base, a trash enclosure that has been sliding into the lawn since the last neighborhood haul. The pad is the in-between work. Done right the first time, it lasts decades and the shed sits flat for the next forty years. Done wrong (no fabric, no compaction, no drainage slope), it sinks into the clay within one wet season and the shed ends up out of level by an inch on the long wall. We do it right the first time because the second time costs four times as much.
Estimate
Tell us about the pad — what is going on it (shed model and footprint, hot tub dimensions and full weight, enclosure size), the location, the access for a small truck or skid steer, the sub-base you know about, and the delivery date you are working against. We send a clear estimate that lists the gravel spec, the depth, and the install date.
Customer Reviews
Recent gravel and pad prep reviews from verified Seattle-area customers.
Hot tub delivery scheduled for a Friday, mud patch in the side yard where the old tub used to sit. Handis showed up Tuesday with geotextile fabric and 3 yards of compacted 1-1/4 minus base rock, plate compactor, finished a flat dry pad by end of day. Tub landed level and has not moved.
New 12x16 shed coming in on Saturday from Costco delivery. Crew built the pad on Wednesday — geotextile, 5 inches of compacted 5/8 minus, slight slope away from the back fence. Shed delivery driver said the pad was the flattest he had set on in months. Shed floor is dead flat at every corner.
Trash enclosure had been sliding into the lawn for two years. Handis built a 6x12 gravel pad tied to the existing driveway with a graded edge, plate-compacted. Bins roll back and forth on collection day without catching. Small project, huge quality-of-life improvement.
Generator pad for a 22 kW Generac. Handis built the 4x5 gravel base, plate-compacted, slight slope for the condensate. Generator installer did the gas and electrical the next week and said the pad spec was exactly right. They were upfront the install itself was contractor scope and would not touch it.
Section of our gravel driveway had rutted out where the runoff cuts across in heavy rain. Handis re-graded the section, laid geotextile (the original install had skipped it), refreshed with 5/8 minus and plate-compacted. Two atmospheric river events since — no re-rutting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Handis gravel and pad prep — pricing, scope, materials, drainage, scheduling, and what routes to a licensed contractor.