Restoration Timetables
While each restoration project is unique and has a very specific plan, there are general recommendations and pitfalls to beware of when implementing your wetland restoration. If you choose to hire a contractor, the one you select will be crucial to your restoration’s outcome. Poor planning and poor construction are the two most common reasons wetland restoration projects fail, and repairing a poorly constructed project is usually difficult and sometimes impossible.

The permitting process, project size, the kind of work you plan to do, and when contractors can schedule the work will influence your project’s timetable. You may easily spend up to a year planning the project and obtaining appropriate permits. An experienced contractor may not want to look at your site until you have your permits in hand; some contractors, however, may be helpful during the design phase. Earth moving under wet conditions is difficult and time consuming. A good contractor will set the project up in sequence, with all the "dry work" of site preparation and planning conducted first. Once you start restoring water levels you can’t turn back. Construction schedules depend on weather and site conditions. Some wetland soil types can only be worked on during the driest time of the year, while others are worked in winter when frozen ground can support heavy equipment. You may be able to avoid the cost of using large construction mats for the equipment to rest on if work is done during the right season.

Planting and seeding have timetables as well. Plantings occur in October and November before the ground freezes, or in April and May, after the thaw but before temperatures are high. If a spring planting is planned, seeds need to be "cold stratified" by the supplier. Avoid planting after May since small sprouted seedlings or transplanted plants become stressed or can dry up in summer heat before developing a good root system. Be prepared to plan around annual variations in local weather. Exceedingly dry years ease construction, but limit prescribed burns, while a wet year or warm winter can delay construction.

Selecting a Contractor
Perhaps the greatest potential for problems comes from the failure of the contractor to follow the plans. Before hiring anybody, carefully evaluate the contractor’s ability to meet your project’s needs. Seek recommendations of a company or individual from a local Wisconsin DNR or United States Fish and Wildlife Service office, or from a private conservation group with restoration experience. If few wetland projects have been constructed near you, check on firms that do engineering and earth moving for farmers. You should contact several contractors, tell them about your project and have them walk your site with you. Suggested questions include:
1. Do they have experience doing wetland restoration work? What types of projects have they completed? Have they worked with ponds, scrapes, ditch plugs, ditch recontours, drain tile removal, berms, control structures, etc.?
2. What kind of equipment do they have? Most contractors who do wetland work have low ground pressure (LGP) equipment (see Construction Terms on page 99). This "tracked" equipment (usually a backhoe and bulldozer with a wider than normal track) is less likely to compact the soil and can move in wet areas that would mire other equipment. Find out what type of support equipment the contractor uses. Dump trucks, graders, scrapers, and other equipment may be needed during a wetland restoration depending on the site. Each job is unique; some require several pieces of equipment, others require just one.
3. Is the equipment big enough to do the job? You will want equipment large enough to move earth quickly and efficiently. The less time spent during construction the better, especially during restoration of water levels. A contractor may claim that the hourly cost of a smaller machine is less expensive, however, a big machine may quickly prove a financial advantage by being able to work faster and more efficiently.
4. Can the contractor provide at least three references? Contact those references. If a contractor doesn’t give references, be cautious. There are plenty of others who are more than willing to offer references.
5. Can the contractor provide a firm price? Get it in writing. If the cost exceeds your budget, seek additional bids. Find out if you can save money doing some of the work yourself. Ask the contractor to suggest ways the project could be modified to meet your goals, save equipment time, and cost less. Some contractors may only bid wetland projects on a time-and-material basis (the longer it takes, the more it costs). You may be able to request a clause in your contract that caps costs at a given amount. This establishes the budget for your project and tells the contractor that he must keep track of time and not exceed the set price without your consent.
6. Will the contractor stay on your site until the job is done? You may be able to include a clause in the contract that the contractor must remain on site unless weather conditions require work to stop, or at the written request of the client. Some contractors have been known to drop a wetland job for a larger and more lucrative job, and as a result, it may take up to a year to complete the work.
7. Does the contractor use erosion and siltation control and earth stabilization methods? Find out what steps the contractor intends to take to prevent erosion and sedimentation, and how disturbed soils, especially slopes, will be stabilized.
8. Can the contractor steam clean the equipment before coming on site? If your site is relatively free of invasive species (e.g., reed canary grass or purple loosestrife) you want to ensure the equipment carries no unwanted invasive plant seeds into your wetland.

It is important that you communicate your ideas to your contractor so that you are working toward the same goals and carry the same mental picture of the project. Be open to learning from the contractor’s experience. A knowledgeable wetland contractor may have construction and design suggestions that benefit the project and save money. Make sure your contractor understands the conditions of your permits and has a basic familiarity with water and water law. Violations can result in unnecessary problems and even expensive fines.