Excavation & Grading in Oak Grove, MO | ICON Grading
We're an excavation and grading contractor working in Oak Grove, MO. We build shop and pole barn pads, gravel driveways, and ponds, grade lots that drain, and clear and trench for new homes. Our yard is about 10 miles west in Grain Valley, so Oak Grove is core territory for us. We're licensed and insured, and we walk the site before we quote it.
Excavation & Site Work Services in Oak Grove
What Soil Conditions Mean for Your Project
The uplands around Oak Grove are Macksburg, Sharpsburg, and Sampsel soils, with high-clay subsoils that swell when wet and drain slowly. On slopes toward the creeks, Snead soils sit on shale 20 to 40 inches down.
On a job, that means wet trenches and soft subgrade from late fall into spring, and shale in some cuts on sloped lots. We schedule heavy grading for drier stretches, build pads and drives in compacted lifts, and adjust for what freezing weather does to clay subgrade when work runs into winter.
Permits and Site Rules in Oak Grove
Oak Grove's erosion control rules apply to smaller jobs than the state's.
Inside city limits. Any development needs an erosion control plan, and uncovering 10,000 square feet or more needs a land disturbance permit.
Over 500 cubic yards. Grading at this size needs a grading plan, with erosion control and storm drainage built to KC Metro APWA 5100 and 5600.
One acre or more. Sites this size also need a Missouri DNR land disturbance permit.
We build the erosion control and grading to the approved plan. For permit questions on a specific lot, call the City of Oak Grove at 816-690-3773.
Why Oak Grove Builders and Landowners Work With Us
Areas We Work Near Oak Grove
Beyond Oak Grove, we work across Grain Valley, Blue Springs, Lone Jack, and Odessa, plus the rural roads around Bates City.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you work on acreage outside Oak Grove city limits?
Yes. We work in town and on rural property on both the Jackson County and Lafayette County sides. In unincorporated Jackson County, moving 100 cubic yards or more of earth generally needs a county site development permit.
Can you build a pad for a pole barn or shop?
Yes. We strip topsoil, cut and fill to grade, and compact the pad in lifts. Our guide to site prep for a shop or pole barn covers pad size and elevation.
What should I know about septic before grading a rural lot?
In Jackson County, lots created after 1995 need at least 3 acres for an on-site system, designed by a Missouri professional engineer. Lay out the house pad, driveway, and septic field together before grading so fill and equipment stay off the absorption area.
When is the best time of year to grade in Oak Grove?
Late summer through fall is usually the most workable stretch for clay. Spring is the hardest, since rain and perched water keep subgrade soft for days at a time.
Do you build and repair ponds around Oak Grove?
Yes. We dig new ponds, clean out silted ones, and repair leaking dams. Dam cores are built from compacted clay in lifts so the pond holds water.