Grade work and land grading in East Tennessee

What grade work is

Grading means cutting high spots, filling low spots and setting the slope of the ground. A good grade sends rain away from the house, keeps a yard from turning into a pond and gives a pad, a drive or a garden a flat, solid start.

When you need it

• Water pools against your foundation or in the yard after rain.
• You want a flat spot for a shed, a play area, a garden or parking.
• The ground slopes toward the house instead of away from it.
• A lot is uneven and needs shaping before anything else happens.

How we do it

We come out and walk the property with you. We look at where water comes from, where it goes now and where it should go. Then you get a written number. On the day, our own crew brings our own Caterpillar 265 skid steer and, when the job calls for it, the Caterpillar 305 mini excavator. We move the dirt, shape the slope and pack it so it holds.

What affects the price

The size of the area, how much dirt has to move, whether fill has to come in, how steep the lot is and how easy it is to get a machine in. Skid steer time starts at $125 an hour and the mini excavator at $135 an hour. Your final price depends on the site visit.

Grading on East Tennessee ground

Red clay sheds water when it is shaped right and holds it when it is not. That is why grade matters so much here. Heavy rain will find every low spot, so we set a slope that carries water off instead of letting it sit. On hillside lots we work with the slope rather than fight it. Some grading or land-disturbance work needs a permit from the county or city, so check with yours before a bigger job.