Grading and drainage in San Bernardino
Verdemont Excavation passes grading and drainage jobs to one licensed earthwork contractor. Here is how the work and the permits go.
Building pads on flat and sloped lots
A pad is the level, compacted ground a house, garage or ADU sits on. On a flat valley lot it is mostly clearing, leveling and compaction, typically $4,500 to $8,000. On the foothills of Highland, Yucaipa, Loma Linda and the mountain communities it is a cut and fill job: the uphill side is cut back, the downhill side is filled in lifts, and a soils engineer tests compaction as it goes. Those pads typically run $6,000 to $14,000.
Most cities around here follow the grading appendix of the California Building Code, which generally requires a permit once a job moves more than about 50 cubic yards, cuts or fills more than a couple of feet, or changes drainage. A new pad almost always crosses one of those lines.
What grading and drainage cost
| Job | Typical range | What moves the price |
|---|---|---|
| Machine and operator, hourly | $185 to $325/hr | Machine size, attachments, how hard the ground digs |
| House or garage pad, rough grade and compaction | $4,500 to $14,000 | Cut and fill volume, hillside keyway, soils report |
| Drainage swale or French drain, per linear foot | $35 to $95 | Depth, gravel and pipe spec, outlet to the street |
| Driveway cut and base rock | $3,000 to $9,500 | Length, grade, base thickness, curb cut permit |
| Lot clearing and fire break, per acre | $1,800 to $6,500 | Brush density, slope, chipping versus haul-off |
Every row comes from the full cost guide.
Drainage that keeps water off the foundation
Winter storms in the Inland Empire are short and heavy. Water that sheets across a yard toward the house finds the slab, the crawl space or the neighbor. Swales, French drains and regrading carry it away. Drainage work typically runs $35 to $95 a linear foot depending on depth, gravel and pipe, and where the water can legally go.
Lots below a burn scar from the Old Fire or the 2024 Line Fire need extra attention, since burned slopes shed water and debris far faster. For county rules on unincorporated parcels, see San Bernardino County Building and Safety.
- 1
Site walk
The contractor checks slope, soil and where water goes now.
- 2
Plan and permit
A grading plan if the job needs one, and the city or county permit.
- 3
Rough grade
Cut, fill and compact in lifts, with tests on structural fill.
- 4
Drainage
Swales, drains and outlets set to the plan.
- 5
Finish and sign off
Final grade, compaction report and inspection.
Grading questions we hear
How much does it cost to grade a lot in San Bernardino?
A flat house or garage pad runs $4,500 to $8,000. Hillside cut and fill pads run $6,000 to $14,000. Smaller jobs are priced by machine hours at $185 to $325 an hour.
Do I need a grading permit?
For a building pad, or anything over about 50 cubic yards of cut or fill or that changes drainage, usually yes. Cities issue their own; unincorporated areas go through the county.
What is compaction testing?
A soils technician tests each layer of fill to confirm it is dense enough to build on. The report goes to the building inspector before the foundation is poured.
How much does a French drain cost?
Typically $35 to $95 a linear foot depending on depth, gravel, pipe and the outlet. A curb drain to the street usually needs city approval.
Towns where this comes up most: Yucaipa, Highland, Lake Arrowhead, Loma Linda.
Get grading or drainage priced
The address, the job and a photo or two. One licensed contractor calls within one business day.