What Is a Grading Plan?
A grading plan is an engineered drawing showing how the land around a building will be shaped — existing and proposed elevations, slopes, and exactly how water drains away from structures and off the site.
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What it shows
Contours or spot elevations for both existing and finished grades, the building pad elevation, driveway and parking slopes, retaining walls, swales, and drainage structures. Every number on the sheet tells the contractor where to cut, where to fill, and where water goes.
Why cities require it
Grading affects neighbors, streets, and storm systems. A bad grading plan sends your runoff onto the adjacent lot or overwhelms the gutter. Cities review grading plans to confirm slopes are buildable, drainage stays on site or reaches an approved outlet, and erosion is controlled during construction.
How it relates to drainage studies
The grading plan shows the shape of the land; the drainage study proves the math behind it — how much water that shape has to handle. The two are usually prepared together by the civil engineer and submitted as a package.
The bottom line
A grading plan is the instruction manual for your dirt work. Get it engineered, get it approved, and the site drains the way it is supposed to for decades.