Grading and leveling in Queen Creek

Grading shapes the ground so water goes where it should: away from the house, into a retention basin, or off the lot by design. Around Queen Creek, it also means a grading permit and engineered retention.

What Queen Creek's checklist asks for

The town's Grading and Drainage Plan Review Checklist and its Grading & Drainage Notes include these requirements:

• A grading permit. The notes say plainly that a grading permit shall be required.
• Sealed plans. Each sheet is sealed, dated and signed by the registered civil engineer who prepared it.
• Retention for the big storm. Basin cross-sections show the ponding depth from the 100-year, 2-hour design storm.
• Shallow, gentle basins. Retention basins are 4 feet deep at most, with side slopes no steeper than 6:1.
• Drywells with care. Drywells taking runoff straight from pavement need a separate interceptor chamber, and a drywell's design drainage rate can't exceed 0.1 cfs until percolation tests are done.
• Clear of basins. Water, sewer and fire lines may not pass under retention basins.
• Floodplains. Plans in a FEMA 100-year flood zone also go to the county flood control district for approval.
• One acre or more. Those projects submit a state AZPDES Notice of Intent before getting the grading permit.

Common grading jobs

• Lot grading before a pool, wall or addition, so the new work doesn't send water toward the house.
• Regrading a backyard where water ponds against the slab or a block wall.
• Building or reshaping a retention basin to the depth and slopes on the plan.
• Leveling for pads: see pads and site prep.

Costs

Angi's Phoenix guide lists standalone yard grading and leveling at $415 to $6,720, leveling at $5 to $15 per cubic yard, and a machine with operator at $105 to $260 an hour. A plan with engineered retention adds design and permit costs on top. See costs.

Dust

Grading kicks up dust, and both counties regulate it. In Maricopa County a dust permit is required at 0.10 acre (4,356 square feet) of disturbed surface. Pinal County requires a site permit application with a dust control plan for development activities of 0.1 acre or more. Details on the permits page.