Demolition & Site Preparation
Clearing, Excavation & Grading
Land clearing, excavation, fill, grading and erosion control that prepare a site to the engineered plans for foundations, drainage and paving.
Overview
Site preparation turns a lot into a building site. Vegetation is cleared, unsuitable soil is removed, fill is brought in and compacted, and the ground is graded to the elevations and drainage paths the civil engineer designed. Everything built later – the slab, the driveway, the drainage – depends on this work being done to plan.
Specialist site-work trade partners perform clearing, excavation and grading under our supervision. We work from the survey, the grading and drainage plan and the geotechnical report, and coordinate compaction testing so the building pad and fill are documented before foundations begin.
Erosion and sediment control is part of the work from the first day: silt fencing, inlet protection and stabilized construction entrances that keep soil on the site and out of streets, storm drains and neighboring properties.
Who it’s for
- New homes on wooded or undeveloped lots
- Lots that need fill to reach required floor elevations
- Additions, pools and outbuildings that need excavation and pad preparation
- Commercial sites preparing for building pads, parking and utilities
- Properties regrading to correct drainage problems
What’s included
Typically included
- Utility locates and marking of trees, setbacks and protected areas before work begins
- Installation and maintenance of erosion and sediment controls
- Land clearing, grubbing and stump removal within the work area
- Stripping of topsoil and removal of organic or unsuitable soils as the geotechnical report recommends
- Excavation for foundations, utilities, pools and drainage structures
- Placement of fill in lifts and compaction to the specified density
- Coordination of compaction testing with the testing laboratory
- Grading to the engineered elevations, slopes and swales
- Final grading prepared for landscaping, sod or paving
Common exclusions
- Tree removal permits and mitigation fees where required, passed through at cost
- Removal of protected or specimen trees, which may need separate approval
- Dewatering systems when groundwater is encountered, priced if needed
- Rock excavation or removal of buried debris, assessed and priced when found
- Surveying, geotechnical investigation and civil engineering, coordinated as separate scopes
Every proposal lists its own inclusions and exclusions in writing.
Materials, design options & upgrades
How pricing works
Site preparation is priced per project, built from quantities: area to clear, volume of material to remove, volume of fill to import, and the extent of erosion control. Those quantities come from the survey, the grading plan and the geotechnical report, which is why accurate site information matters before pricing.
When conditions differ from the reports – unexpected muck, buried debris, high groundwater – we document them and price the change before proceeding. On a complete project, site preparation is part of the overall budget.
What changes the cost
- Vegetation density, tree count and stump removal
- Volume of unsuitable soil to remove and fill to import
- Required finished floor and pad elevations
- Soil conditions and groundwater from the geotechnical report
- Site access for equipment and trucks
- Erosion control requirements and maintenance
- Number of compaction tests specified
- Tree protection, permits and mitigation
If this work is part of a larger project, it’s priced within that project’s budget — please don’t add separate estimates together. Read the pricing guide.
Typical stages
Layout and protection
Utilities are located, the work area and protected trees are marked, and erosion controls are installed.
Clearing
Vegetation, stumps and debris are removed from the work area.
Excavation and removal
Topsoil and unsuitable material are removed as the geotechnical report recommends.
Fill and compaction
Fill is placed in lifts and compacted, with testing at the specified intervals.
Grading
The site is graded to the engineered elevations and drainage paths, and the pad is checked against the plans.
Stabilization
Disturbed areas are stabilized, and the site is handed over for foundations or utilities.
What affects the schedule
- Rainfall and ground saturation, which can stop earthwork
- Tree removal permits and site plan approvals
- Fill material availability and trucking
- Compaction testing schedules and any retesting
- Conditions that differ from the geotechnical report
Questions & answers
Why does my lot need fill?
Fill may be needed to reach required floor elevations – often driven by flood zone requirements – to replace unsuitable soils, or to create positive drainage away from the building. The civil engineer and geotechnical report set how much and what type.
Can you save the trees on my lot?
Many can be protected with fencing and careful grading around their root zones. Trees inside the building footprint or required grading usually cannot, and local tree rules may require permits or replacement.
What is compaction testing?
A testing laboratory measures the density of fill as it is placed to confirm it meets the engineer’s specification. The results are documented for inspections and support the foundation design.
Start here
Planning clearing, excavation & grading?
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.