Grading & Site Prep in San Francisco

It depends entirely on how much earth moves. Operators often bill $100–$300 per hour, or $0.08–$2.00 per square foot. A quarter-acre building pad with cut, fill, and compaction typically runs $4,000–$11,000, while general per-acre site prep ranges from $200 to $6,000. Importing or exporting soil is the biggest swing factor.

Usually yes if you're moving meaningful volumes of soil or altering drainage — most Bay Area counties require a grading permit in those cases. Structural building pads frequently also require engineered plans and a soils report with an engineer's sign-off. Check with your county before starting; thresholds vary.

Loosely placed fill settles over time, and settling under a foundation, slab, or driveway causes cracking and failure. Proper grading places fill in thin lifts and compacts each to a specified density so the ground stays put. For anything you're building on, compaction to spec isn't optional.

Very often, yes. Standing water and water running toward a structure are usually grading problems — the ground slopes the wrong way. Re-grading to establish positive drainage away from buildings, sometimes paired with drains or swales, is the standard fix and far cheaper than dealing with foundation or moisture damage later.

For a simple yard level, no. For building pads, driveways, or anything tied to a foundation or permit, working from a survey and target elevations is what keeps the job correct and inspectable. If you don't have one, we'll tell you when it's worth getting.