Excavation & Grading in Greenwood, MO
We're an excavation and grading contractor working in Greenwood, MO. We build house and shop pads, grade lots so rain leaves the yard, trench sewer and water lines, and dig basements for new homes. Greenwood sits about 20 miles south of our Grain Valley yard. We're licensed and insured, and every quote starts with a visit to the site.
Excavation & Site Work Services in Greenwood
What Soil Conditions Mean for Your Project
The upland ridges around Greenwood carry Macksburg, Sharpsburg, and Sampsel soils. Under the topsoil is a firm clay subsoil that drains slowly and holds water near the surface from late fall through spring.
On a flat lot, water only leaves if the grade gives it somewhere to go. We set fall away from the foundation before seed or sod goes down. We also keep loaded equipment off saturated clay, because subgrade that passes one day can fail after rain.
Permits and Site Rules in Greenwood
Greenwood runs grading through the City Engineer.
Before grading. Development needs an approved erosion control plan and a grading permit, and the stormwater plan must carry a licensed engineer's signature.
On site. Sediment controls go in before grading starts, finished slopes generally stay at 3:1 or flatter, and lots are seeded and mulched or sodded before occupancy.
Larger sites. Disturbing an acre or more also takes a state land disturbance permit from Missouri DNR.
We set the controls and grade to whatever plan the city approves. Greenwood City Hall at 816-537-6969 can answer questions about a particular lot.
Why Greenwood Builders and Landowners Work With Us
Areas We Work Near Greenwood
Beyond Greenwood, we work across Lee's Summit, Lone Jack, Lake Lotawana, and Grain Valley, plus the acreage between Greenwood and Lone Jack.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work outside Greenwood city limits?
Yes, on acreage in unincorporated Jackson County as well. There, a county site development permit generally applies once a job moves 100 cubic yards or more. Lots off city sewer need a septic system designed by a Missouri professional engineer, so we grade around the planned absorption field.
Who provides water and sewer for a new Greenwood lot?
The city runs the sanitary sewer. Water comes from Jackson County PWSD #12 on the Jackson County side of town or Cass County PWSD #6 on the Cass County side. We trench and backfill both lines once the connection points are set.
Why does water sit in my Greenwood yard after rain?
Usually the yard is too flat for a slow-draining clay subsoil to shed water. Regrading so the ground falls away from the house and toward a swale or the street fixes most cases.
Can you dig in the street for a sewer or water connection?
Yes, with a city permit. Greenwood requires a permit from the City Clerk before anyone opens a street or alley, and the street has to be repaired to its prior condition.
Can you build a pad for a new home or shop?
Yes. We strip topsoil, bring the pad to the planned elevation, and check it with GPS before the slab crew arrives. Our guide to prepping a shop or pole barn site covers how far a pad should run past the building.