Google and Sitework?

[royalelephant]

I'm planning on re-configuring the navigation for my little site, and I was wondering what was the best method to release this new version on my site.

I use a lot of includes, so I need to have the server working on the new pages for me as I change and check them. Can I create a directory on my present site and keep Google and the other SEs from indexing and counting it as a live entity?

When I have completed my work and I will move the directories to the main/root and remove the old directories.