Newberry sits in the southwest corner of Alachua County, on the karst side of the Cody Scarp. Ocala Limestone sits within a few feet of the surface here, and the Floridan aquifer is unconfined. That geology rewards a contractor who has seen it, and it punishes one who hasn’t.

That’s the starting point. What comes after it is where local knowledge matters.

The problem features in this ground aren’t always in the top few feet. Solution cavities, raveled zones, and soft soil pockets tend to sit in the limestone and the loose soil just above it, so a shallow look at a site can miss them. Add the wet season, when perched water tables rise well above the regional aquifer, and a dig that looked simple on paper can turn into rock, soft ground, or standing water by the second day.

Along SR 26, the US 27-41 crossing, and the CR 337 parcels around town, we’ve excavated pads, ponds, ditches, and driveways on ground that doesn’t behave like the sandy fill most people expect from Florida.

On Track Land Management LLC works Newberry’s limestone-influenced ground. We plan for what’s under the surface before we dig.