Heard the term “land development” before, but never actually knew what it entails? At some point in your life you may have driven past a residential construction site, but have you ever thought about what it takes to get that land ready before you can start building homes on it? There is actually a whole process from the time a developer buys a piece of land to when the first house is actually built. And I’ve broken the very basics down below along with a video!

In this post we will be discussing:

1. “What Exactly is Land Development?”
2. The trades that make up Land Development:
   • Rough Grading
   • Wet Utilities
   • Dry Utilities
   • Street Improvements
   • Masonry Walls
   • Fencing
   • Finish Grading
   • Flatwork
   • Landscaping

FIRST, WHAT EXACTLY IS LAND DEVELOPMENT?

It’s the process of converting raw, undeveloped land into vertical construction-ready property. Now keep in mind, there are various purposes for which land is developed (i.e. agriculture, commercial, industrial, etc.), but our focus will be on “residential”.

WHAT TRADES MAKE UP LAND DEVELOPMENT?

#1 – ROUGH GRADING

Rough grading is the very first thing to kick off your land development. It’s the process of “roughly” shaping your site. With big machines the rough graders will move a lot of dirt around in order to create flat, leveled pads. During this time, the graders are also responsible for installing proper drainage to control/divert storm water that comes through your site. This is so your site won’t get flooded or damaged in any way. Storm water runoff is a BIG problem if you don’t take the proper precautions!

#2 – WET UTILITIES

Once the site is graded we then go underground! And the first thing that goes in the ground are the wet utilities. This process consists of three main utilities: sewer, storm drain, and water. Sewer is usually the deepest because you don’t want sewer seeping into your water line in case of a leak.

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#3 – DRY UTILITIES

The next set of utilities to go underground are called the dry utilities, which consist of: electric, TV, telephone, internet, and gas.

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#4 – STREET IMPROVEMENTS

Street improvements go in once all the utilities are in the street. These improvements consist mainly of curb & gutter installation and paving. Builders are anxious to get the streets in because the construction of the homes cannot begin until the fire department has access to them in case of a fire.

Also, the curb & gutter is a very crucial part of the building process because many other aspects of construction use it as a marker (i.e. street lights, meter boxes, sidewalks, etc.).

#5 – MASONRY WALLS

The next trade on our list is masonry walls. Although, this is something that doesn’t necessarily have to wait until after the street improvements. It can begin as early as the rough grading process. Builders use masonry walls for privacy purposes (simply known as “freestanding walls”). They can also be used for structural purposes known as “retaining walls”. Retaining walls hold big mounds of earth. You can also have a wall that fulfills both of these purposes. This is known as a “combo wall”, which consists of a freestanding on top of a retaining wall.

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#6 – FENCING

Just like the masonry walls, builders also use fencing. So what’s the difference? Well, it’s CHEAPER! So if the city or county will allow it, then this is definitely a highly-considered option for most builders. The fencing material can be vinyl, tube steel, “view walls”, or even wood (vinyl being the most common).

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#7 – FINISH GRADING

Once the houses are ready to begin, the finish grader will then come in to clean and prep the building pads prior to construction. He’ll fine-tune the final elevation by either removing or adding more dirt (anywhere between 1” – 2” typically).

The finish grader will actually come in about four different times at each lot to clean/grade the lots after each phase of construction. Believe it or not, construction generates a lot of dirt so it’s up to the finish grader to continuously haul off that excess dirt and regrade.

The finish grader is also responsible for prepping and making the subgrade for all the landscaping in the common areas throughout the tract. 

#8 – FLATWORK

All the concrete you see in the front yards is all done by the flatwork sub. That includes the driveway, walkways, porches, and steps. They can also pour the sidewalk and anything else that requires concrete (mailbox pads, electrical transformer pads, steps, etc.).

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#9 – LANDSCAPING

Landscaping is usually the last trade in. They install all the plants as well as irrigation. Your landscapers are critical in your home sales because they beautify your site and make your project look good! They can also install amenities at the models and common areas (such as playground equipment, benches, fountains, monuments, etc).

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Rough Grading Introduction (Post #2) >>