Grading
We regrade yards that hold water and grade lots and pads for what gets built next. Rough grade, final grade, cut and fill and compaction, out of Indian Trail.
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Site prep turns a raw lot into ground a builder can work on. We handle it from the first pass to the finished pad, out of Indian Trail in Union County. That starts with clearing the lot, then the cut and fill that shapes the site. The pad comes next, built level and compacted to the plan.
Cornerstone Excavation Group works for home builders, general contractors, developers and homeowners. We are 5.0-rated on Google and based in Indian Trail, on the east side of Charlotte. Commercial site development runs the same way at a bigger scale. Every job starts with an on-site look and a free estimate.
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Site preparation follows about the same order on most lots. A utility locate goes in before the first cut, and NC811 asks for three working days. We clear what is in the way, strip the topsoil and stockpile it for later. Then comes cut and fill, where high ground moves into the low spots until the site balances.
The pad goes in after that. We build it in lifts and roll each lift with a compactor. Your builder or a geotechnical engineer sets the compaction the plan calls for. Their testing lab takes the density readings.
Last we shape the first grade so water runs away from the pad. The lot is then ready for the footing dig and the concrete crew behind it. Final grading comes later, once the build is closed in. Builders bring site prep contractors in this early for that reason.
A building pad is a level, compacted base under a structure. We build house pads, plus pads for garages, sheds, mobile units and small commercial buildings. The pad sits a little high so water sheds off it instead of standing against the slab.
Some lots have extra material and some need more. Spoils from the cut leave on our trucks. When the lot runs short, we bring in fill dirt and stone. Stone in the right spots keeps a pad workable through a wet stretch.
Access matters as much as the pad itself. We can cut a temporary drive and set a stone entrance at the road. Trucks and trades then reach the work without rutting the lot. That also keeps mud off the street while the ground is open.
Most lots here sit on Piedmont red clay. Clay goes soft and slick after rain, so a wet week can stop the dirt work cold. East of Charlotte, Union County runs into the Carolina Slate Belt. Shallow rock turns up in some digs there, and we look for it on the site visit.
North Carolina requires an approved erosion and sediment control plan once a site disturbs one acre or more. NC DEQ asks for that plan about 30 days before the work starts. In Charlotte and Mecklenburg County, lots under an acre still need erosion control measures under the local ordinance. The owner, developer or builder usually signs the financial responsibility form and holds the permit.
Ground cover counts once the grading is done. NC DEQ gives 21 calendar days to stabilize graded slopes after a phase of grading wraps up. We can hydroseed the graded ground so it holds through the next rain. A lot that still sits wet after the build needs drainage work, which is a separate job.
Free estimates across the Charlotte metro, Union County and the York County side of South Carolina.
(980) 315-5707From the first call to the last load hauled off, here is how it goes.
Call or text (980) 315-5707 and tell us what the job is. We ask what the access looks like and when you need it done.
We come out to see the ground, the access and where the water goes. The visit and the estimate are free.
We set how the equipment gets in, where the material goes and what order the work runs in. Utility locates go in through NC811 before we dig, and any permit stays in the owner or builder's name.
The machines come in and the job gets done in the order we planned. Weather moves earthwork, so we tell you when the schedule shifts.
Spoils, brush and demolition material leave on our dump trucks. We grade the ground back before the equipment comes off the site.
Common questions about site prep across the Charlotte metro, Union County and the York County side of South Carolina. If yours is not here, call and ask.
We regrade yards that hold water and grade lots and pads for what gets built next. Rough grade, final grade, cut and fill and compaction, out of Indian Trail.
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We dig foundations and footings for new homes, additions, garages and outbuildings. We also trench for water, sewer and utility lines, then backfill and grade once the foundation is in.
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We clear lots and acreage across the Charlotte metro, with trees, brush, stumps and debris hauled off. The ground is left open and ready for the next phase of the job.
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We install underground utilities on the east side of Charlotte: water mains and service lines, sanitary sewer, storm drainage pipe and structures, and trenching for power, gas and telecom conduit.
Learn MoreHomeowners, builders and property owners have rated the work five stars on Google. Those jobs cover grading, land clearing, demolition cleanup, drainage and a retaining wall.
We come to the property, look at the ground and price the work from what is there. The visit and the estimate are free.
Clearing, grading, digging, utility lines, walls, ponds, drainage, demolition and hauling all come from us. One company handles each stage, so the site stays on one schedule.
We work out of Indian Trail in Union County, on the Mecklenburg County line. Charlotte, Matthews, Monroe, Waxhaw, Mint Hill, Concord, Fort Mill and Rock Hill are all in range.
Land clearing runs about $1,200 to $6,000 per acre in North Carolina. See 2026 published ranges by density, stump and haul-off add-ons, and mulching.
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What does land grading cost in North Carolina? Published ranges by the square foot, the job and the acre, plus what moves the price near Charlotte.
Read more →Tell us about the job on the form, or call (980) 315-5707. We will get back to you and set up a free look at the site.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.