Land Grading

What is Land Grading and Why is it Important?

Land grading is the leveling of land by either spreading out dirt or adding in more dirt to create an even surface – it is also one of the most important components of a construction project.

Once the land is cleared, this intrinsic step must take place as it helps prevent possible future damage caused by water drainage issues and erosion. It is important to remember, as well, that even if your property is already built, we can still work to ensure these issues don’t occur.

Solving Drainage Issues

Most times when construction is taking place, the ground is not a level surface throughout. Therefore, the land must be graded correctly in order to ensure that water will be channelled away from the building or structure – after all, you wouldn’t want your basement flooding, would you?

A proper team, like the proficient group at Osborne Construction, will ensure that the area is properly marked out and that proper drainage channels are created. This ensures that in the future when heavy rainfall occurs, the water will flow away from your structure, as opposed to pooling within or around it.

Land Grading front yard

TYPES OF DRAINAGE PATTERNS

Rear to front drainage diagram
Split Drainage Diagram

Most drainage types can be recognized by two different patterns; ‘Rear to Front Drainage’ and what’s known as ‘Split Drainage.’ For split drainage builds, the front of the property is drained to the municipal road in front of the property whereas the rear of the lot is drained towards the rear of the property.  A portion of the rear drainage will naturally enter onto neighboring properties that use rear to front drainage.  Please note that rear to front drainage lots will handle larger volumes of water due to flows from neighboring lots.

Apron Swales:

Typically 3 to 5 meters from the back wall of the house on the lot. This swale runs parallel to the back wall of the house across the width of the property and connects to the side yard swales to direct water to the road.

 

Sheet Drainage:

All lot surfaces are designed and constructed to water in a particular direction away from the house which in known as the slope or grade.  Sheet drainage allows for rainwater to flow to a lower elevation with the ground absorbing some of the rainwater as it flows.  This is also know as infiltration.

Sheet Drainage Example
Sheet Drainage Example

Sheet Drainage:

All lot surfaces are designed and constructed to water in a particular direction away from the house which in known as the slope or grade.  Sheet drainage allows for rainwater to flow to a lower elevation with the ground absorbing some of the rainwater as it flows.  This is also know as infiltration.

Connected Swales Example

Connected Swales:

For urban subdivisions the lot sheet drainage is mostly directed to swales on the common property line.  A swale is a “V” shaped channel in the ground that connects the sheet drainage flows and efficiently directs water to an appropriate outlet, whether that be a public road or other infrastructures.

Eavestroughs and Downspouts:

Rainwater and melted snow falling onto the roof of a home is collected by eavestroughs and directed to the ground directed by downspouts.  Downspouts may be connected into the storm sewer or may drain directly onto the property.  If downspouts are not connected to the storm sewer, they should run into an extension pipe and/or splash pad to keep water moving away from home.

Eavestroughs and downspouts
Eavestroughs and downspouts

Eavestroughs and Downspouts:

Rainwater and melted snow falling onto the roof of a home is collected by eavestroughs and directed to the ground directed by downspouts.  Downspouts may be connected into the storm sewer or may drain directly onto the property.  If downspouts are not connected to the storm sewer, they should run into an extension pipe and/or splash pad to keep water moving away from home.

Solving Erosion Issues

If interior flooding wasn’t bad enough, improper grading can also lead to erosion of the land that is surrounding your building, and also the land your building is built on. Steep slopes, and even small bumps in the land, can lead to an unstable foundation that eventually erodes due to various environmental factors such as excess water or wind.

Osborne Construction assures you that our team properly compacts the surface area in order to limit the risk of erosion.

Why Osborne Construction is Best for the

Proper grading takes a high attention to detail, thorough knowledge of the surface matter, and expertise in the area of drainage systems. Our team has years of knowledge and experience and is happy to provide you with a fast and efficient service. We are both licensed and insured, and we offer many services that combine well with grading such as excavation, retaining walls, stump removal, and land clearing.

Our specialists inspect every worksite and create accurate slopes that help to keep water away from the building and prevent erosion of the foundation. If you are unsure if your property is draining properly, please contact us and we will be happy to come out and evaluate your property. 

Shauna
Shauna
15:50 21 Jan 22
Mark is very professional and knowledgeable. He explained to my husband Brian what was happening in our side yard and... why our basement flooded. He was very patient - as we had many questions and were out of province. Very trustworthy and easy to work with. If you need excavation work done - 100% recommend Mark and his crew.read more
Zac Young
Zac Young
17:30 16 Dec 21
Osborne Construction completed an external basement repair, involving concrete pad removal, trenching, foundation... repair, waterproofing and parging. Mark was responsive through the full process to a changing scope as the work proceeded and we felt the quality of work was strong throughout. We expect to have Mark's crew completing more work for us soon and expect others will find their work quality and good value as well.read more
Barb Van Giessen
Barb Van Giessen
00:00 13 Dec 21
Mark and his team came to our place to rebuild a retaining wall, install a fence and lay a concrete pad. They were... very responsive and friendly. I enjoyed hearing them chatting and laughing together.Mark did a good job of letting us know what was going on. The only reason I did not give them 5 stars a few things took longer than we planned. Some of that was because of supply issues.The work was done very well and you can tell the guys are experts at their field.read more
David Ritcey
David Ritcey
12:33 04 Dec 21
Mark and his team helped to transform our backyard. They helped us to design a layout that was ideal for our family and... stay on budget. They were friendly, kept us up to date with our project and very easy to contact. We will definitely use them again and recommend them to anyone looking for an outdoor upgrade.read more
Koral Kliewer
Koral Kliewer
23:28 24 Oct 21
Overall good experience. Mark provided detailed pricing and we had no surprises in the end. We had a couple minor... scheduling delays but we’re related other issues out of Mark’s control. He was always available via text or call and responded in a timely manner. Would recommend their services to anyone looking.read more
Frantic Dancer
Frantic Dancer
19:21 21 Jun 21
June 2021 - Just had Mark do a 2 day job for me fixing a leak on the corner of my house. Excellent job. You will find... Mark knowledgeable, eager to please, thoughtful and precise which is rare in his line of employment. I highly recommend you contact him for your needs.read more
dave wilson
dave wilson
21:31 16 Dec 20
had them waterproof my foundation to eliminate a wet basement issue. squeezed their equipment into my backyard and dug... up the entirety of my back foundation. waterproofed, new weepers. did an excellent job. very professional and thorough. if i had known how easy and reasonable it was going to be i would have done it years ago. very happy with the work. would certainly recommend them.read more
s simpson
s simpson
23:17 19 Oct 20
After having three previous contractors guess what is causing a leak through my garage wall, Mark determined in 10 min.... where and how the leak was occurring. By simply placing a small twig in a hole at the base of the front wall, he was able to demonstrate very quickly the primary entry point of rainwater. Because of his expertise, the work was completed at 1/4 the cost of other estimates and on time. Steve (Waterloo)read more
Lisa Fletcher
Lisa Fletcher
00:43 09 Oct 20
Great job redoing sidewalks and courtyard, exceeded my expectations. Easy to work with, great communication, on time... and on budget.read more
Don Campbell
Don Campbell
10:52 30 Sep 20
Marc and I installed a large geothermal system in the fall of 2019. The hard, hard clay made it take longer than either... of us expected, which led to some scheduling conflicts. Marc handled this well and got everything finished with only a small delay. He was well prepared, worked long hours and at times went above and beyond to ensure a professional result. I would happily recommend Marc to anyone looking for light-duty excavation services.read more
Sandra Schizkoske
Sandra Schizkoske
11:31 23 Sep 20
We hired Mark to remove our inground pool and he did an excellent job. He finished on time and on budget. He rebuilt... our walk way and it came out better than we expected. We were very happy with him and his worker.read more
Denton Daley
Denton Daley
23:32 14 Sep 20
This was the best service hands down. They protected our property while driving over our lawn to get to the backyard. ... They took the utmost care and ensured we didn't have any worries with their work. I highly recommend Osborn Construction for any residential excavation!read more
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Client Testimonials

"Mark and his team did a great job on our new landscaping project. They dug out and prepared new flower beds for planting, prepared sidewalks for flagstones, and helped with drainage issues on the driveway. Their expertise and attention to detail are just what we needed so we could do the next steps of the project ourselves. I would highly recommend this business for any exterior work!"

Dan & Kathryn C.

Mark and his crew completed the work on my property on time and on budget. Their expertise really showed when planning my project, scheduling everything, and working carefully in a tight space. I'm really happy with the results, and would gladly work with Mark again in the future!

Allen H.

Osborne construction did an excavation, fill, and concrete job on over 5500sqft of driveway and patio space around my home. He finished on schedule, and left the job site clean and ready for the next phase. They're easy to communicate with, and are very knowledgeable. I would highly recommend them. !

Alex D.

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