Grading means to remove or deposit soil (cut or fill). It is usually done to construct a building pad or a driveway. Grading is regulated because it can cause serious problems when not done properly:

• Newly exposed soil can erode easily, moving from areas where you want it (e.g., on the hill behind your house) to areas where you don't want it (e.g., up against your house, in a street or creek, or on a neighbor's property).
• If soil placed under a building is not dense enough or if the density varies too much, the building may settle and suffer damage.
• Excessive grading causes loss of natural vegetation and damages other natural resources for years to come.
• Even minor grading can change the way water drains across your property, which can cause erosion problems for a neighbor (and liability for you).

Grading permits are required for all but the smallest earth-moving operations so that these problems can be prevented. Even when a permit isn't required, you should still use great care in grading to preserve your own property and to protect adjoining properties and public roads.

If your project includes grading for a driveway and/or a building pad, you should determine how much grading will be done before you apply for your house permit. This means you need to design your driveway, decide how your house will sit on the lot, and determine how much soil will be moved. As a rule of thumb, a permit is required to move over 50 cubic yards (or enough to fill a medium-size bedroom.)

To apply for a grading permit, you must submit an application and two sets of plans. If complicated, the plans may need to be prepared by a licensed engineer (call our grading plans examiner at 781-5600 for more information on plans). Your permit will be issued once your plans have been approved and land use requirements have been met. Grading on slopes of 10% or more is reviewed for its impact on the environment. This may involve additional processing time and extra requirements (mitigation measures) for your project. For additional information on permit processing, see our "Guide to Construction Permits."

In most cases, grading projects require a report from a licensed engineer verifying that the grading work was done correctly. To do this, the engineer must inspect certain grading operations and perform soils tests. Therefore, you need to engage an engineer before you start grading. Be sure the engineer knows that his/her report must verify all of the following:

• That the grading was done according to the approved plans, including the location and extent of grading, and the finish slopes of cuts and fills.
• That areas where fill is placed have been properly prepared (vegetation removed, keying and benching where required).
• The fill has achieved at least 90% relative compaction throughout its depth.

• Where a building pad is created, the pad is "suitable for its intended use" (i.e., to support a residential structure). This is particularly important when the building is partly on cut and partly on fill. You must submit this written statement before you can pour your foundation.

On minor grading projects, a building inspector may inspect slope preparation before fill placement. Please call Building Inspection for more information.

To get a permit for grading that is already complete ("as-built"), you follow the same procedure as for all other grading projects. However, you may have to pay violation fees in addition to permit fees. And, if your plans are approved, you must then excavate, remove and/or replace soil as directed by your engineer. This will allow the engineer to evaluate the grading and ensure that it meets all county requirements. You will also need to perform all mitigation measures required by land use and environmental regulations. If for some reason your plans cannot be approved, you may need to partially or completely restore the site to its original state.

Final Grading Approval

As mentioned above, a county inspector or your engineer must inspect your project before any fill is placed. Your engineer will tell you what other observations and tests are necessary during grading operations. You must also schedule a final inspection with our department. a building inspector and, in some cases, an environmental specialist, will check all of the following:

• Grading must be complete and meet the approved plans.
• Areas where soil was exposed must be revegetated.
• Mitigation measures and other special requirements listed on your permit must be complete.
• The engineer's final report must provide all required information (see "Before you Start Grading" above).

County ordinance defines October 15 to April 15 as the rainy season. Grading during this time is particularly vulnerable to erosion. Therefore, to grade during that time, you are required to install special protective measures to minimize damage. You must submit erosion and sedimentation control plans prepared by a licensed civil engineer with your grading plans. Before October 15, you must install the erosion control features shown on your plans and have them inspected by a building inspector.