Residential Grading in the Bay Area & Eastern Sierras
Good grading is the part of a project nobody notices, until water runs toward the house, a patio settles or a driveway holds puddles. Harris Excavation grades lots, yards and building pads for homeowners and builders across San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and the Eastern Sierras. We cut to plan and check grade with a laser, so the finished surface sheds water the way it should.
We’re a licensed general engineering contractor (CSLB #1117960) with over 8 years of experience in California.
Our Grading Services
- Yard regrading for drainage that slopes water away from your foundation. Residential drainage
- Building pads for new homes, additions and ADUs. Footing and foundation excavation
- Driveway, parking pad and walkway subgrade, with base rock placed and compacted
- Base prep for pavers, patios and artificial turf, laser-sloped so it drains
- Slope and hillside grading, including retaining wall backfill
- Rough and finish grading for builders on new construction. Residential site preparation
- Commercial grading for developers and general contractors. Commercial services
How We Grade a Site
Layout and Target Grades
We start from your grading plan, survey or a site walk and set the target elevations. On smaller jobs without a plan, we measure the existing slopes, mark the high and low spots and agree with you on where the water should go.
Cut, Fill and Compact
We cut the high areas, fill the low ones and place fill in thin lifts, compacting each one so the ground doesn’t settle later. When your project has a soils engineer, we schedule compaction testing with them as we go.
Check and Finish
We check grade with a rotary laser throughout, then fine-grade to the plan so the surface is ready for base rock, concrete, pavers or landscaping. See our layout equipment.
Grading That Keeps Water Away From Your House
Most drainage problems we see start with grading: soil that slopes toward the foundation, low spots that hold water, or patios poured flat. The California Residential Code generally calls for the ground to fall at least 6 inches within the first 10 feet away from a foundation. We regrade to get that fall where the lot allows, and add swales, area drains or a French drain where it doesn’t.
Grading Permits
Whether you need a grading permit depends on your city or county, how much soil moves and whether the work changes drainage. The rules differ across our area: Pacifica limits grading in its October 1 to April 30 wet season, Cupertino doesn’t allow permitted grading on weekends, and Mono County projects plan around a fall grading cutoff. We’ll tell you what your project needs and work to your permit’s conditions.
Recent Grading Projects
- South San Francisco front-yard grading: grading, drainage and base prep for artificial turf and pavers
- San Jose grading and drainage: a regrade for a home with foundation settlement, so water now flows away from the house
- San Mateo drainage and grading: 350 LF of drain pipe and a new base parking pad
- San Jose turf subgrade repair: new base, laser-sloped and compacted for an above-ground pool
Grading FAQ
What’s the difference between rough and finish grading?
Rough grading moves the bulk of the soil to bring the site close to its planned elevations. Finish grading is the final pass that sets exact slopes and smooths the surface for base rock, concrete or landscaping.
Do I need a grading permit?
It depends on where you are and how much soil moves. Many small yard regrades don’t need one, while larger cuts and fills, hillside work and changes to drainage often do. We check with your city or county before we start.
How much does grading cost?
It depends on the size of the area, site access, how much soil comes in or goes out, and what goes on top. Our guide to property grading costs covers typical ranges, and every estimate we send is free and in writing.
How long does grading take?
Most residential regrades take a few days. Larger site grading is scheduled around the project’s phasing, and your estimate includes a timeline.
Do you grade in the Eastern Sierras?
Yes. We grade in Mammoth Lakes, June Lake, Bridgeport, Bishop and across the Eastern Sierras, with schedules built around snow and seasonal cutoffs.
Get a Grading Estimate
Tell us about your property and what you’re grading for. We’ll review your plans or walk the site and send a clear written estimate. We follow up on every request within one business day.