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CREW REFERENCE GUIDE

100 Essentials Every
Excavation Crew Needs

The complete checklist for excavation and construction crews. Safety gear, hand tools, power tools, survey instruments, jobsite supplies, and vehicle maintenance items — all field-tested in the Sierra Nevada by a working foreman and certified structural welder.

100
Essential Items
6
Categories
10+
Years in the Field

Every crew I have ever run has dealt with the same problem: you are 40 minutes from the nearest supply house, half the mountain pass has no cell service, and somebody forgot the marking paint. This list is what actually rides in the truck, sits in the gang box, and stays on the trailer. Not a catalog. Not a wish list. One hundred items that cover an excavation crew from first-light layout to end-of-day maintenance, organized by the way you actually use them.

I put this together from running crews in Truckee, California — high-altitude dirt, frozen ground half the year, rocky subgrade, and short work windows. If your crew can handle Sierra conditions with this kit, you can handle anything.

Category 1

Safety & PPE

18 items. Non-negotiable. If your crew does not have every one of these on site, you should not be breaking ground. Period.

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18 ITEMS

Head-to-Toe Protection

Start with a vented hard hat rated ANSI Z89.1 Type I — suspension systems matter more than the shell. Class 2 or Class 3 high-vis vests, depending on whether you are working near traffic. Composite-toe boots with a waterproof membrane (I run through a pair of Keen or Danner boots every season). Leather or mechanics' gloves for general work, plus heavy-duty cut-resistant gloves for handling steel and pipe. Impact-rated safety glasses, tinted and clear. Over-ear hearing protection for anyone working near a compactor, breaker, or saw.

Hard Hats Hi-Vis Vests Safety Boots Work Gloves Safety Glasses Hearing Protection Face Shields Dust Masks / N95s Sun Protection First Aid Kit Fire Extinguisher Reflective Cones

In the Sierra, you also need cold-weather layers that fit under a vest without restricting movement. I keep a spare set of dry gloves and socks in a sealed bag in the cab. Frostbite is a real risk when you are hand-digging around utilities at 6,000 feet in January. Also carry rain gear rated for heavy work — a cheap poncho will shred in 20 minutes on a real site.

Category 2

Hand Tools

22 items. The backbone of every crew. These are the tools that get picked up first and put down last. Most live in the gang box or on belt clips.

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22 ITEMS

Digging, Measuring, Prying

Flat-blade shovel and pointed shovel — minimum one of each per crew. A pick mattock for rocky ground (and it is almost always rocky ground up here). A 4-foot level, torpedo level, 25-foot tape measure, and 100-foot tape. Chalk line. Plumb bob. Pry bars in two sizes. A framing hammer for stakes. Utility knives with extra blades. Pipe wrenches in 14-inch and 24-inch. Channel locks. Adjustable wrenches. A hacksaw for quick metal cuts. A good set of cold chisels. Wire brush. And a sturdy bucket for hauling small parts.

Flat Shovel Pointed Shovel Pick Mattock 4' Level Torpedo Level Tape Measures Chalk Line Plumb Bob Pry Bars Pipe Wrenches Utility Knives Hacksaw

Buy the $40 level, not the $12 one. A bad level wastes more money in rework than the price difference ever saved. Same with tape measures — cheap tapes stretch and the hook goes loose. Stanley FatMax 25-foot is what I have carried for years. It takes a beating. See more hand tool picks on the Tools page.

Category 3

Power Tools & Equipment

16 items. The force multipliers. Cordless has taken over most jobsites, but you still need a generator and corded backup for all-day demolition work.

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16 ITEMS

Cut, Drill, Compact, Drive

Rotary hammer (SDS-Plus for anchors, SDS-Max for concrete removal). Reciprocating saw — indispensable for cutting pipe, rebar, roots. Circular saw for form work. Angle grinder with cutting and grinding discs. Impact driver and hammer drill. A plate compactor and jumping jack for backfill. A portable generator (minimum 3,500W) for corded tools and site lighting. Cordless work light for trench and manhole work. A concrete vibrator for pours. And a cutoff saw for asphalt and hardscape.

Rotary Hammer Recip Saw Circular Saw Angle Grinder Impact Driver Plate Compactor Jumping Jack Generator Work Lights Cutoff Saw

I run DeWalt FLEXVOLT 60V for almost everything cordless. The batteries handle cold better than most competitors, which matters when you are starting work at 20 degrees. Keep spare batteries charged and warm — cold kills lithium output fast. Full breakdown of my tool loadout on the Tools page and heavy iron on the Equipment page.

Category 4

Survey & Grade Control

12 items. This is where good crews separate from average ones. If you cannot hold grade, nothing else matters.

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12 ITEMS

Layout, Elevation, Control

Rotary laser level with a detector and a clamp for the grade rod. A builder's level (optical auto-level) with a Philadelphia rod for quick shots. GPS rover system with data collector for machine control and staking. A 100-foot steel tape for long measurements. String line and line levels for trench grade. A slope board and batter boards for foundation layout. Hub stakes and tacks. And a good field book — waterproof — for recording benchmarks, offsets, and control points.

Rotary Laser Laser Detector Builder's Level Grade Rod GPS Rover String Line Batter Boards Field Book

For utility locating, I rent ground-penetrating radar (GPR) through DirtPrep when the job calls for it. Always start with an 811 locate request at least 48 hours before breaking ground. Pothole by hand or with a vacuum excavator inside the tolerance zone. Never trust paint on the ground alone — verify with as-builts and probe carefully. See the Parts page for survey accessories and consumables.

Category 5

Jobsite Supplies

20 items. The consumables and small goods that keep a job moving. Run out of marking paint and you lose half a morning. These stay stocked on the truck at all times.

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20 ITEMS

Mark, Stake, Fasten, Secure

Inverted marking paint in white, orange, blue, red, and green (match APWA color codes). Wooden hub stakes and lath — buy them by the bundle. Flagging tape in multiple colors. Rebar caps (OSHA requirement on any exposed rebar). Zip ties in multiple sizes. Duct tape and electrical tape. PVC glue and primer if you are running any pipe. Ratchet straps and bungee cords for securing loads. Caution tape and barricade fencing for open excavations. A water jug and cooler — dehydration is a real safety issue, not a comfort one. Trash bags for site cleanup. Lumber for shoring and form work. Pencils and permanent markers. A site binder with plan sheets, permits, and the SWPPP.

Marking Paint Hub Stakes Lath Flagging Tape Rebar Caps Zip Ties Duct Tape PVC Glue Ratchet Straps Caution Tape Water / Cooler Site Binder

I keep a small parts bin on the truck with extra rebar caps, hose clamps, wire nuts, and pipe fittings sorted by size. Saves more trips to the supply house than anything else on this list. Check the DIY page for storage and organization builds I have done for crew trucks.

Category 6

Vehicle & Equipment Maintenance

12 items. Breakdowns on remote Sierra sites can kill half a day or more. A stocked truck and a basic maintenance kit keep iron running and crews working.

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12 ITEMS

Fluids, Filters, Fixes

Hydraulic fluid (a gallon minimum on the trailer). Engine oil for your fleet. Coolant. A grease gun with extra cartridges — grease every pin and pivot daily, not weekly. Spare fuel filters and a fuel filter wrench. A tire plug kit and portable air compressor. Jumper cables or a jump pack. A basic socket set (metric and SAE). Spare hydraulic hoses and fittings for your most common machines. Absorbent pads and a spill kit for any fluid leak — required under most stormwater permits. And a logbook for daily equipment inspections.

Hydraulic Fluid Engine Oil Coolant Grease Gun Fuel Filters Tire Plug Kit Jump Pack Socket Set Spill Kit Inspection Log

The grease gun is the single most neglected maintenance item I see on crews. A $12 cartridge of grease prevents a $4,000 pin replacement. Grease daily, no exceptions. If your crew treats the grease gun like a suggestion, your iron will tell you about it — expensively. Browse the Equipment page for more on what I run and maintain.

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COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked

What PPE is required on an excavation site?
At minimum: hard hat (ANSI Z89.1), high-visibility vest (Class 2 or 3), steel-toe or composite-toe boots, work gloves, and safety glasses. Add hearing protection near heavy equipment, and a face shield for cutting or grinding. In cold climates like the Sierra Nevada, insulated waterproof boots and layered hi-vis gear are critical from October through April.
What hand tools does an excavation crew use every day?
A flat-blade shovel, pointed shovel, pick mattock, 4-foot level, 25-foot tape measure, chalk line, torpedo level, and pry bar are the daily essentials. Most foremen also carry a plumb bob, string line, and a good utility knife. These get used on nearly every task from setting forms to grading subbase.
What survey equipment do you need for excavation grade control?
A rotary laser level with detector and grade rod covers most residential and light commercial work. For larger or precision-graded projects, a GPS rover system with a data collector provides real-time cut/fill guidance. A builder's level (automatic optical level) with a Philadelphia rod is still useful for quick elevation checks and verifying benchmarks.
How do you locate underground utilities before digging?
Always start with a one-call locate request (811 in the U.S.) at least 48 hours before breaking ground. For additional verification, rent a ground-penetrating radar (GPR) unit to scan for unmarked lines. Potholing with a vacuum excavator or hand-digging within the tolerance zone is standard practice. Never assume markings are complete — confirm with as-builts and probe carefully.
What maintenance items should a crew truck carry?
Hydraulic fluid, engine oil, coolant, a grease gun with extra cartridges, tire plug kit, jumper cables, ratchet straps, and a basic socket set. A fuel filter wrench and spare fuel filters for your equipment fleet are worth carrying too. On remote Sierra sites, a breakdown can kill half a day — a stocked truck saves real money.

Written by Errol Kerr — excavation foreman and certified structural welder based in Truckee, CA. These are the items I actually carry, stock, and use. No affiliate padding, no filler.