Complete project · Commercial
Site Development
Engineer-designed site development – clearing, utilities coordination, stormwater, grading and paving – managed as one project through final inspection.
Overview
Site development turns raw or previously used land into a buildable, drained, accessible site. In Florida that usually means managing water: stormwater ponds or retention areas, grading that moves water where the engineer intends, and fill or elevation that suits the flood zone. It also means utilities, driveways, parking and the approvals that cover all of it.
The work is built to a site plan designed and sealed by a licensed civil engineer. If you already have an approved site plan, we review it, price it and build it. If you are earlier in the process, we coordinate the surveyor, civil engineer and geotechnical consultant so the design is grounded in real site data.
We manage the site as one project: permits and pre-construction meetings, clearing and erosion control, utility coordination with providers, grading and stormwater construction, paving and striping, testing and final inspections, with one point of contact throughout.
Who it’s for
- Owners preparing a commercial parcel for a new building
- Developers who need a site ready for vertical construction
- Businesses expanding parking, access drives or stormwater capacity
- Owners with an approved civil site plan who need a builder to execute it
- Projects where site work and building construction should be managed together
What’s included
Typically included
- Coordination of boundary and topographic surveys and geotechnical investigation
- Civil engineering coordination for grading, drainage, stormwater and utilities, or review of your plans
- Site and environmental permit coordination with the applicable agencies
- Clearing, grubbing, erosion and sediment control
- Excavation, fill placement, compaction and grading to the engineered plan
- Stormwater ponds, retention areas, inlets and piping as designed
- Coordination of water, sewer, power and communications with utility providers and licensed contractors
- Curbs, paving, sidewalks and striping
- Compaction and materials testing, inspections and as-built coordination
Common exclusions
- Utility provider fees and work the provider performs itself
- Off-site road improvements unless included in the scope
- Wetland mitigation or environmental remediation, handled by specialists if required
- Vertical building construction, unless combined with a new construction project
- Final landscaping beyond what the site plan requires, unless added
Every proposal lists its own inclusions and exclusions in writing.
Materials, design options & upgrades
How pricing works
Site development is priced from the civil plans and the geotechnical report. Before those exist, we can give a broad range based on site size, existing conditions and intended use. Once the engineer’s plans are drawn, we price quantities – earthwork, piping, structures, paving – and the contract price is set from that defined scope.
Because soil conditions underground are never fully known, the scope and contract describe how unsuitable soils, buried debris or unexpected groundwater will be handled if found, and those items are priced as change orders. When site work is part of a whole new-construction project, it is priced within that project’s budget rather than as a separate estimate to add on top.
What changes the cost
- Site size and amount of clearing
- Volume of fill or excavation and soil suitability
- Groundwater levels and stormwater requirements
- Utility extension distances and provider requirements
- Paving area, curbing and pavement section
- Erosion control and environmental permit conditions
- Testing and inspection requirements set by the engineer and jurisdiction
Typical stages
Site data and feasibility
Surveys and soil investigations are coordinated, and we review them with you to identify constraints and an early budget range.
Civil design or plan review
The civil engineer prepares the site plan, or we review your approved plan for constructability and cost.
Permits and mobilization
Site and environmental permits are secured, erosion control is installed and pre-construction meetings are held.
Clearing and earthwork
Clearing, excavation, fill and compaction are completed to the engineered grades, with testing as required.
Utilities and stormwater
Stormwater structures and piping are built, and utility work is coordinated with providers and licensed contractors.
Paving and final inspection
Curbs, paving and striping are completed, followed by final inspections and as-built documentation for the engineer of record.
What affects the schedule
- Site plan and environmental permit approval timelines
- Rainfall and hurricane season, which affect earthwork and compaction
- Utility provider scheduling for connections and inspections
- Availability of suitable fill and testing
- Coordination with any building construction that follows
Services within this project
- Survey Coordination
- Site Plans & Civil Engineering
- Geotechnical Investigations & Soil Testing
- Permit Coordination
- Clearing, Excavation & Grading
- Hauling & Debris Removal
- Retaining Walls & Site Drainage
- Asphalt & Parking Lots
- Pavers, Driveways & Walkways
- Landscape Design, Planting & Sod
- Irrigation
- Landscape Lighting
- Fences & Gates
Questions & answers
Do I need a civil engineer for site work?
For commercial site development, yes. Grading, drainage and stormwater design are engineered and sealed by a licensed civil engineer, and permits are based on those plans.
Why is a geotechnical report important?
It describes the soils and groundwater beneath the site, which shapes earthwork, foundations and pavement design. Pricing without it carries more uncertainty.
Can you coordinate with the utility companies?
Yes. We coordinate applications, schedules and inspections with utility providers and their requirements, and sequence that work with the rest of the site.
What happens if bad soil is found?
The geotechnical engineer advises on removal or treatment, and the work is documented and priced as a change order for your approval.
Start here
Tell us about your project.
A short form — three steps, a few minutes. Share plans or photos if you have them. We’ll review it and follow up using the contact details you provide.