A home site that passes inspection
Grading is required by code to pass inspection on a home site — and it's required to get power installed. We build the pad to the rules, the first time.
Every state has different rules, but they all require positive drainage — water must run away from the home and not sit under it.
You also want your site reasonably level, usually no more than a 2-foot slope from any end of the home to another. Most sites require a french drain and possibly extra fill dirt — and fill dirt must always be compacted.
We have a knowledgeable, experienced team, so you don't have to hire another contractor and hope they don't mess it up.
- Stick-built house pads
- Modular home sites
- Mobile & manufactured home sites
- Garage, shop, and barn pads
What your home site needs
Every state's rules have to be confirmed individually, but these are the grading requirements nearly every home site has to meet.
Positive drainage
Water must run away from the home and not sit under it. Every state requires it.
Reasonably level
Usually no more than a 2-foot slope from any end of the home to another.
Slope or french drain
Dirt sloped away from the edge of the home out 10 ft with a 5" minimum fall — or a french drain on the exact edge: 1 ft wide, 18" deep, drain pipe, filled with gravel, no dirt on top.
Crowned or sloped underneath
Crowned under the home if the site is level, or sloped to one side smoothly and consistently if it's on a hill.
Compacted fill
Most sites need some extra fill dirt, and fill dirt must always be compacted.
Footers
All homes require dirt or concrete footers. Basic footers can be dug to frostline and set without concrete where allowed.
Tennessee also requires that all tree limbs over the top of the home be removed. Clearing is part of what we do.
When the dirt can't be sloped away 10 feet, a french drain goes on the exact edge of the home instead.
- 1 ft
- Wide
- 18"
- Deep
- None
- Dirt on top
What's on you as the owner
We handle the dirt work. A few things have to be squared away with the county and the property first.
- Get the building permit
- Check with the county on where the home can be placed and any special rules for your lot
- Get the soil tested, if your county requires it
- Have someone probe for septic and well
- Trace any existing buried lines on the property — 811 only locates to the edge of the street
What drives the price
It's impossible to price every site the same — there are too many variables. We walk your site and give you a real number for the work.
- Rocky soil
- Off-level site
- Steep hills
- Difficult site to get in or out of
- Extra fill dirt needed
- French drain required
- Concrete footers required or requested
- Heavy clearing or tree work
Home site questions
What does “positive drainage” mean?
Water must run away from what you build and not sit under it. Every state requires it for a home site. Generally that means dirt sloped away from the edge of the home out 10 feet with at least a 5-inch fall — or a french drain installed instead.
When do I need a french drain?
When the ground can't be sloped away from the home, and on most home sites. A proper french drain goes on the exact edge of the home: 1 foot wide, 18 inches deep, with drain pipe, filled with gravel, and no dirt on top.
Why does fill dirt have to be compacted?
Uncompacted fill settles, and whatever is built on it settles with it — footers shift, slabs crack, and homes go out of level. Fill dirt must always be compacted, so we compact every site that gets fill.
How level does a home site need to be?
Reasonably level — usually no more than a 2-foot slope from any end of the home to another. Under the home, the ground is crowned if the site is level, or sloped smoothly and consistently to one side if it's on a hill.
Is grading required before a mobile or modular home can be set?
Yes. Grading is required by code in order to pass inspection, and it's required to be able to get power installed to the home.
Do I need dirt or concrete footers?
All homes require one or the other. Basic footers can be dug to frostline and set without concrete where that's allowed. Concrete is sometimes required or requested, and it costs extra. We'll tell you which your site needs.
What do I need to take care of before grading starts?
As the property owner, you'll need the building permit and should check with the county about where you're allowed to build and whether there are special rules for your lot. You may also need a soil test and to have someone probe for septic and well.
Do I need to locate buried lines before you dig?
Yes. Any existing buried lines on the property must be traced so we don't hit them when digging. Note that 811 will only locate up to the edge of the street, not onto the property itself.
Do you only do home sites?
No. We clear land, import and compact fill, grade pads for houses, garages, shops, and barns, level yards, cut in driveways, and pour slabs, footings, patios, and sidewalks. If it involves moving dirt, shaping land, or building the base layer, we've got you covered.
Get your site inspection-ready
Tell us about your lot and what you're building, and we'll walk the site and give you a real number.
Rather talk? Call423-608-5805
Ready to break ground?
Tell us about your site and we'll come out, walk it, and give you a real number for the work.