really you have little control in what happens off your property in a situation like this.

Nobody blasts without a permit anymore. Foundations are typically dug out, unless they are slabs, which just require leveling.

Construction happens all the time. Most jurisdictions have remediation requirements in effect for earth moving acitivities.

Check with the county or city and see what they say, but above all, quit worrying and acting like it is the end of the world. They are going to build a few new houses near you. It's life.

I've seen multi home tracts clean as a whistle while others looked like landfills during construction. Noise and dust are inevitable, but i doubt you will be affected as far as personal property damage unless they accidently cut shared utility lines. A clean development not distruptive to the surrounding residences is up to the experience of the builder/developer.

How close are will they build to your property? If they're anything like the people who live on either side of me, you'll find yourself in a constant state of annoyance. Not the end of the world, but defintely the end of your peaceful existence. They cut down all the trees that were planted on the property line and let them fall onto my property. They tore up part of my drive in the process of removing an existing drive and sidewalk. The vibrations from the pile drivings were bad enough to crack the plaster. And the workers block my drive on a daily basis. I definitely understand your worries!

All of the preceding is true -- especially that you have no control over what the neighbors do. Nonetheless, you did present some valid concerns.

If you are truly concerned about the environmental impact, contact your local Evironmental Impact office (some areas combine that with Conservation issues). I doubt that you will find any recourse to preventing the building, else the builders wouldn't have gotten their permits. There WILL be changes in wildlife and drainage issues; frankly the drainage is of more immediate importance. However, unless you are working closely with your local government, it is unlikely that you can influence any changes.

Foundations are structured according to the soil and the type/size of building. Nearby structures should not be affected other than by noise, vibration, and dust. All of this is beyond your control, although noise and vibration usually come under local regulations (such as requiring silence before 6a).

How much dust occurs is directly dependent on the soil type and the weather. A build in clay-ey soil during a drought will likely produce a great deal of dust; a build in a gravelly area which has regular rains will produce very little dust. You have no control over either occurance. In both cases, dust occurs primarily as vehicles traverse the area [not as crews actually buil] and if the area is heavily wooded, the trees will block most of it from blowing onto your area.

If you are concerned about dust affecting your children, please remember that dust and dirt have been a part of life for several millenia... if they don't already have a physical ailment, they likely won't be affected. OTOH, I sure hate having to do a complete house cleaning every day just to get up what dust has come in, so I can recommend that you keep doors and windows closed, use the HVAC to circulate air and change the filters *often*. Make sure everyone uses the doormats, and -when the dust is really, really bad, brush off clothing before coming in.

Eastgate has a good point -- if you are right beside the build, issues having nothing to do with dust will likely be more irritating. I had one neighbor spend *3* years doing a house remodel, during which time piles of lumber and containers of trash sat on and over the property line, and the street was blocked with delivery trucks and crew vehicles. OTOH, there is presently a 5-house build beginning a block away, and due to the care of the builder [along with a lot of trees] we wouldn't even notice if it weren't for the occasional truck hauling stuff in or out.

If you have a well make sure the runoff from the building sites are properly controlled and any septic systems are placed correctly. Remember, all design documents are available for you to see at the building department. Check out the local noise regulations to see what hours they can work. Protect your trees and plantings and mark your property line. Consider buying the adjacent lot.

The amount of disruption depends on the builder--and your own attitude.

Of course, check issues surrounding septic etc. mentioned above.

But expect more traffic, dust and some delays.

I build nothing but infill. And, except in the cases where I have built next to engineers, construction workers and homebuilders, there were always "issues." From the neighbour who felt it was his Godgiven right to park on the street within one foot of our driveway, so as to impede construction vehicles, to the old lady with a broom who went to work on the street every time we had the audacity to pump out the excavation to the street catchbasin, to the neighbour who pulled out survey pins that were in "his" driveway (which wasn't), to the neighbour whose a/c unit was two feet onto our property and had to be moved....well, you get the idea.

Last year, a 4600sf home was built next door (6ft. from the property line). Except for an occasional glance over, it bothered me not a whit. However, twice I did call municipal inspectors on two other nearby builders who made no attempt to keep the streets clean. A couple of $500 fines made all the difference!

If i was living next to a site where our property was damaged, unsafe practices, and interferring with quaity of life all due to the lack of responsibility by the builder, subs, and even the potential homeowner, they would definetely see "attitude".