Site prep and grading
Site prep and grading in Spokane, WA
Site prep is the earthwork before a foundation, a slab, a driveway, or a gravel pad. Grading is how that soil is shaped so water moves away from the building and the surface is close to the elevation a builder asked for. Spokane Excavation Co is a referral service. We do not grade lots.
Rough grade is not finish grade
Rough grade moves the bulk of the dirt and sets the general fall. Finish grade is the last few inches. It is easy to leave out of a quote. If a concrete crew or a post-frame builder is coming next, ask which grade the excavation price includes, and who is responsible if the surface is still high or low when they arrive.
Drainage matters as much as a flat spot. A pad that holds water against a future wall is a failed grade even if it looks level. Describe the slope you have now: which corner is high, and where water already runs in a storm.
What to measure, roughly
- Footprint of the building or the area to reshape.
- About how much the lot falls from one side to the other. A phone photo of the slope helps the contractor; you can mention that you have photos when they contact you.
- Where a machine can enter, and whether fences, septic lids, or overhead lines are in the way.
- Whether fill has to be imported, or extra soil has to leave.
Price, as a national estimate only
HomeGuide often places a typical backyard grading project around $1,000 to $5,000, and smaller jobs around $500 to $1,000. Steep lots, rock, and haul-off sit outside that casual range. Those numbers are national guidebook figures. Contractors working in Spokane, the Valley, Liberty Lake, and the north county set their own prices. Ask each one what the price assumes about soil and spoils.
If the grade is for a building pad, read the foundation and pole-building pad page so the quote separates digging from gravel. If trees are still standing, start with land clearing.
Questions
Straight answers
What is the difference between rough grade and finish grade?
Rough grade moves the bulk of the soil and sets the general slope. Finish grade is the last few inches, often with smaller equipment, so water leaves the building and the surface matches what the builder or paver needs. Ask which one is in the quote.
How much does site grading cost?
HomeGuide's national excavation overview often places a typical backyard grading job around $1,000 to $5,000, and smaller projects lower, sometimes in the $500 to $1,000 range. Those are U.S. estimates, not Spokane prices. Slope, fill dirt, rock, and trucking change the bill. We do not set prices.
Can the soil stay on my property?
Often, yes, if you have a place for it that does not block drainage or a neighbor's lot. Hauling soil away is usually a separate cost because it means trucks, dump fees, and time. Say in your request whether spoils can stay.
Referral service
Get free quotes
Describe the project. We share the request with up to three independent local contractors. They set their own prices. We do not perform the work.