Prepare an overgrown garden for a construction site

Thanks for your tips about the fleece. I’ll check that depending on how the roots look.

well, that’s why we’re putting gravel on top. If we didn’t do that, we really wouldn’t have any space for vehicles in front of the house, which obviously isn’t possible during the construction phase…

how much do you think I should excavate for the roots and the gravel that will later be paved on? About 40 cm or so?

I would also consider the tip to roughly sieve it and keep as much topsoil as possible.
Is there a device you can rent from the hardware store for a weekend or should we just see how it goes?
I’m asking because we’ll probably be doing this on a weekend with friends with an excavator and tractor, and it should probably go quickly so we don’t hold them up for too long. You don’t want to spoil the mood. ;-)

The substructure for driveways is excavated 60-80 cm deep or deeper if the soil is not load-bearing. Your buddy with the excavator should know this. But only for the yard. If it becomes a garden, just not that deep.