Site Prep & Grading in Columbus, OH

What's included

• Lot clearing & strip-outBrush, roots, sod, and topsoil stripped and stockpiled so you start on clean, stable subgrade instead of organic material that settles.
• Cut and fillDirt moved and balanced to the elevations your plans call for, placed in compacted lifts so the fill holds and does not sink under the slab.
• Rough gradingThe building pad, driveway, or parking area shaped to within tolerance and ready for base and concrete.
• Finish gradingThe final surface graded smooth, sloped away from structures, and set up clean for concrete, asphalt, sod, or seed.
• Drainage shaping & swalesPositive slope, shallow swales, and fall lines built in so surface water leaves the site instead of pooling against your foundation.

How the job goes

1. Walk the siteWe look at access, existing grade, soil, drainage, and where the dirt has to go. You get a straight, written number after we have actually stood on the ground.
2. Clear and stripBrush and organic topsoil come off first. Building on topsoil is a settling problem waiting to happen, so we get down to stable subgrade.
3. Move the dirtCut the high spots, fill the low spots, and compact the fill in lifts. This is where a level, load-ready pad is made or lost.
4. Grade and shapeRough grade to elevation, then finish grade for drainage. We leave the fall going away from the house and off the site.
5. Final checkWe confirm the pad is to grade and the drainage works before we pull the equipment off. The next trade shows up to a site that is ready.

Signs you need it

Site prep is easy to underestimate until the problems it prevents show up. You need real grading work when you see or plan for:

• A new build, addition, garage, or shop that needs a level, compacted pad
• Standing water or soggy spots in the yard after every rain
• A driveway or parking area that needs base prep and slope
• A lot that has never been touched and needs clearing and rough shaping
• Water running toward the house instead of away from it
• A slab, patio, or pole barn going in that needs a proper subgrade first

Local to Columbus

Central Ohio soil runs heavy on clay, which holds water and moves with the seasons. That makes grading and drainage more important here than in sandier parts of the country, not less. We grade with Columbus-area clay and freeze-thaw in mind, building in the slope and swales that keep water off your foundation through a wet spring and a hard winter. Whether you are in Columbus proper or out in Dublin, Delaware, Hilliard, or the surrounding communities, we read the fall of your specific lot and grade it to drain.

What it costs

There is no flat rate for grading, because no two lots move the same amount of dirt. The number comes down to how much material has to be cut or filled, whether fill has to be trucked in, the soil you are working with, how the equipment gets in and out, and how much clearing has to happen first. A small driveway regrade is a modest half-day job. Balancing a full building pad, clearing a raw lot, and hauling material off is a bigger one. That is exactly why the estimate is free and done on site instead of over the phone. We stand on the ground, see what actually has to happen, and hand you a written number for your project, the scope in plain terms, and a straight answer on timeline before you commit to anything. No lowball to win the job and no surprise change orders once the machine is running.