Grading & Land Leveling in Spartanburg, SC

Grading on Spartanburg clay

Cecil soil is common on the Piedmont uplands of South Carolina: a loamy top layer over deep red clay. On an old field where the topsoil has washed away, the surface is already clay loam. That changes how the ground grades and what grows on it afterward.

Clay graded wet smears, ruts and will not compact. Clay graded too dry will not compact either. We grade when the ground is workable and tell you plainly when waiting a few days is the better call. Topsoil is stripped and stockpiled before rough grading, then spread back at finish grade so the yard has something to grow in.

Lot grading for a new house

On a new lot, the grade is set from the plans. The ground falls away from the foundation on every side. Swales between houses carry water to the street or the back of the lot, not into the neighbor's yard. The pad and the drive are set at heights that work with the road and the lots around them.

Most lot grading is done to a builder's schedule, in two visits: rough grade with the pad, finish grade after the house is up. See house pad construction in Spartanburg for the pad itself, or our main grading and land leveling page for the method.

Permits before the machine starts

Spartanburg County runs a land disturbance permit through its Public Works engineering office. Its application covers small jobs as well as large ones, and lists lot grading among the work it applies to. Inside a city, ask that city as well. Larger jobs can also need state stormwater coverage through the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. Rules change, so check with the county before work starts.

Public lines are marked through South Carolina 811 before any digging. Private lines such as wells, irrigation and power to outbuildings do not show on that locate, so point them out. Our site preparation checklist for South Carolina lists the rest.

Regrading or a drain?

Water standing in a yard is usually a grading problem first. If the ground falls toward the house, or a flat spot has nowhere to send the water, regrading gives it a path. A drain is for water moving through the ground. Read French drain vs regrading to see which fits your yard. For everything else we do in the county, see the Spartanburg service area page.