Laydown Yards
in Houston, TX

What is a laydown yard, and how is it different from a staging area?

A laydown yard is the outdoor space where materials, pipe, equipment and vehicles wait until they are needed. A staging area is where that material gets sorted and set up for the next step. On most sites they are the same yard with different bays. On a turnaround the yard also holds scaffold, exchangers and tool cribs. Keeping it running through the job is part of our jobsite support work.

What base is best for a laydown yard in Houston: crushed limestone or crushed concrete?

Both fit TxDOT Item 247, so both build a solid yard. Crushed limestone is a Type A base. Recycled crushed concrete is a Type D base, and it has to be free of rebar with no more than 1.5% deleterious material. Recycled concrete is stocked around Houston and often prices lower. The depth depends on the loads and the subgrade, and a geotextile fabric goes under either one. Haul roads to the gate use the same materials on our access roads page.

How much does a laydown yard cost in Houston?

There is no flat rate, because two yards on two tracts price differently. The drivers are the acres, the subgrade, and the base type and depth. Then come the fabric class, the haul distance, the drainage and detention, the truck exit and the restoration. We do not publish a price per acre, because a number given before the site walk is a guess. Ask for the free written estimate instead, with every line broken out.

Do I need a permit or a SWPPP for a laydown yard?

Often, yes. Disturb one acre or more and TCEQ TXR150000 calls for a written storm water plan and a posted site notice. Inside city limits, the Houston IDM counts gravel as impervious cover, so a rock yard can trigger detention. In a Harris County floodplain, storing equipment or materials, placing fill, and even fencing all count as development. Inside a plant, the owner's permit to work may apply on top of that. We line up the right ones on our SWPPP page.

How fast can you build a yard before a turnaround?

Gulf Coast turnarounds usually run in two windows: spring, from late February through May, and fall, from September through November. Start planning with us as soon as the date is set. Rain and soft subgrade drive the days, and plant badging takes time. The more lead time we have, the more sure the yard is ready before the first delivery.

What happens to the yard when the project or lease ends?

We pull the rock for reuse or haul-off, lift the fabric, regrade the subgrade, then place topsoil and seed. Under TXR150000, final stabilization means 70% of the native ground cover is back before the Notice of Termination. Many leases also require the tract to return to its original condition, so check your lease terms early. Removal and haul-off run with our other site services.