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Civil Engineering

Grading Plans

Engineered grading plans showing existing and proposed contours, earthwork quantities, drainage patterns, and slope design — required for building and grading permits across Southern California.

What Is a Grading Plan?

A grading plan is an engineered drawing that shows how the existing ground surface will be reshaped to support new construction. It includes existing and proposed contours, finished floor and pad elevations, cut/fill quantities, slope design, drainage flow arrows, and erosion control notes. Grading plans are required by virtually every jurisdiction in Southern California before a grading or building permit will be issued.

Moment Engineering prepares grading plans that comply with the City of San Diego Land Development Code, County of San Diego Grading Ordinance, and municipal codes throughout Orange County and Los Angeles County. Our plans are coordinated with the project soils report, structural plans, and architectural site plan to ensure all disciplines align at plan check.

Civil 3D

Industry-standard grading design with surfaces, profiles, and earthwork volumes

2–4 Weeks

Typical turnaround from survey receipt to permit-ready plan set

50+ CY

City of San Diego grading permit threshold (varies by jurisdiction)

Need a Grading Plan? Get a fixed-fee proposal — typically within 24 hours.

Request a Proposal ✆ (619) 374-8677

Typical Investment

$4,000 – $10,000

Depends on site size, earthwork volume, and drainage complexity.

Fees vary by site conditions, scope, and jurisdiction. Request a proposal for a fixed-fee quote tailored to your project.

Scope of Work

What's Included

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Existing & Proposed Contours

Topographic surface modeling based on your land survey, with proposed finish contours designed to achieve the required pad elevations, drainage slopes, and property line setbacks.

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Earthwork Quantity Calculations

Cut and fill volumes calculated from Civil 3D surfaces. We design to minimize import/export where possible, balancing earthwork to reduce hauling costs and grading duration.

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Surface Drainage Design

Drainage flow arrows, percent slopes, swales, valley gutters, and area drains directing stormwater away from structures and toward approved discharge points.

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Slope Design & Stability

Proposed cut and fill slope inclinations per the soils report recommendations, with slope setbacks, keyways, and benching as required by the geotechnical engineer.

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Retaining Wall Layout

Wall locations, top and bottom of wall elevations, retained soil heights, and coordination with the structural engineer for wall design.

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Sections & Details

Cross-sections through critical areas showing existing grade, proposed grade, fill depth, and slope geometry. Standard grading details per jurisdiction requirements.

When You Need a Grading Plan

A grading plan is required whenever your project involves reshaping the ground surface. Here are the most common scenarios in Southern California.

New Home Construction

Building a new home or ADU requires a grading plan showing building pad preparation, driveway grades, and site drainage — even on relatively flat lots.

Grading Permits

Any project involving more than 50 cubic yards of cut or fill (in San Diego) or significant grade changes typically requires a separate grading permit with engineered plans.

Hillside Development

Steep lots require detailed grading design with slope stability considerations, retaining walls, and drainage control per the geotechnical report.

Commercial Sites

Parking lots, building pads, loading areas, and ADA-accessible routes all require grading design to meet code slopes and drainage requirements.

Pool & Hardscape

Swimming pools, retaining walls, and large patio areas often require grading plans to address drainage, setbacks, and earthwork.

Subdivisions & Tracts

Mass grading plans for subdivisions showing lot pad elevations, street grades, interim drainage, and phasing are submitted as part of the tentative map process.

Our Process

From Survey to Grading Permit

Survey & Data Collection

We review the topographic survey, architectural site plan, soils report, and any preliminary conditions of approval from the jurisdiction. Missing data is identified and requested upfront.

Design Development

Using Civil 3D, we create the existing and proposed surfaces, establish pad elevations, design slopes and drainage, and calculate earthwork volumes. The design is coordinated with the soils report and structural plans.

Plan Preparation

We prepare a permit-ready plan set with all required notes, details, sections, and calculations per the jurisdiction's grading plan checklist. Plans are PE-stamped and formatted for submittal.

Plan Check & Approval

We submit on your behalf and respond to plan check correction letters from the grading section, geotechnical reviewer, and drainage reviewer until the plans are approved for permit issuance.

Want to learn more about what a grading plans involves?

Read: What Is a Grading Plans? →

Related Services

Often Paired With Grading Plans

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Soils Reports

The soils report provides the earthwork and slope recommendations that the grading plan implements — they're submitted together for plan check.

Learn More →

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Hydrology Reports

Hydrology studies analyze the stormwater runoff generated by the proposed grading and are often required alongside the grading plan.

Learn More →

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Erosion Control Plans

Erosion control (SWPPP) plans are required during grading construction to prevent sediment discharge from the site.

Learn More →

Common Questions

Grading Plans FAQs

As a general industry reference, residential grading plans in Southern California typically run $4,000–$10,000; commercial projects generally range $12,000–$40,000+. Fees vary depending on site complexity, topography, and plan scope. These are general reference figures — your actual fee will be detailed in a fixed-fee proposal, which we provide after a brief project review. Contact us for a same-day quote.

Usually yes, if you're building a new structure. Even flat lots require a grading plan to show building pad preparation, finished floor elevation relative to the street, surface drainage away from the foundation, and driveway grades. The scope may be simpler than a hillside lot, but the plan is still required for permit.

A site plan (often prepared by the architect) shows the building footprint, setbacks, parking layout, and general site arrangement. A grading plan is an engineering document that shows elevations, contours, slopes, earthwork quantities, and drainage design. The grading plan is prepared by a licensed civil engineer and implements the vertical design of the site.

Yes. A current topographic survey with 1-foot contours, property boundaries, and existing improvements is the starting point for any grading plan. If you don't have one yet, we can recommend a licensed land surveyor.

Plan check timelines vary by jurisdiction. City of San Diego Development Services typically takes 4–8 weeks for initial review. County of San Diego and Orange County jurisdictions vary. We submit complete plan sets to minimize correction cycles and help track the review through approval.

Yes. Responding to plan check corrections is included in our scope. We address comments from the grading reviewer, drainage reviewer, and geotechnical reviewer, revise the plans, and resubmit until the plans are approved.

Need a Grading Plan?

Ready to move dirt? Tell us your site address and project scope and we'll scope the grading plan and send a proposal with timeline and fee — typically same day.

Request a Proposal ✆ (619) 374-8677