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Serving Highland, CA and surrounding areas. (909) 737-6516
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Asphalt is only as good as what sits under it. We grade and excavate residential and commercial sites in Highland so your new driveway or paved surface has a base that lasts.
Grading and excavation in Highland reshapes and prepares the ground before paving begins - cutting high spots, filling low spots, establishing proper drainage slope, and compacting the subgrade so the surface above has a stable, level foundation to rest on. Most residential driveway prep jobs take one to two days.
If you are planning a new driveway, replacing a failing one, or adding a paved surface to your property, grading is not optional - it is the step that determines whether your investment holds up. In Highland, where expansive clay soils shift with every wet season, a properly prepared base is the difference between pavement that stays flat and pavement that cracks and sinks within a few years. Once the site is graded and compacted correctly, the concrete curbing and sidewalks or asphalt surface goes down on ground that will not move underneath it.
If you notice standing water collecting near your home after a storm, your yard or driveway is not draining correctly. In Highland, where a single heavy rain can dump a lot of water quickly, poor drainage can lead to foundation erosion and moisture problems over time. Regrading the surface to create the right slope is the direct fix.
If you want a new asphalt driveway, parking pad, or paved area, grading and excavation are the necessary first step - not optional extras. Laying asphalt over uneven or unprepared ground leads to cracking and settling within a few years. Starting with proper site prep means your new surface will hold up.
If parts of your driveway have sunk, tilted, or developed noticeable dips, the base beneath has likely shifted or settled. Expansive clay soil and dry-season shrinkage are common culprits in the Inland Empire. Regrading and recompacting the base before repaving is the right way to fix the underlying problem.
If you can see bare soil washing away, ruts forming on slopes, or sediment collecting at the bottom of your yard after rain, your property's grading is not managing water effectively. This is especially relevant for Highland homeowners on hillside lots near the foothills, where slope erosion can accelerate during intense storms.
We handle site grading and excavation for residential driveways, private access roads, small commercial lots, and new construction paving projects throughout Highland and the surrounding Inland Empire communities. Our work covers full excavation with material haul-off, regrading existing surfaces that have settled or shifted, drainage slope correction, and compacted base preparation before paving begins. For properties where site prep is part of a larger paving project, we coordinate the grading phase directly with the asphalt crew so the transition from prep to paving is seamless - no gap, no scheduling confusion.
When a project requires drainage solutions alongside grading - like a french drain, swale, or catch basin to manage water moving off the mountains - we can incorporate that work into the site preparation phase rather than treating it as a separate job. Addressing drainage and grading together is almost always more efficient and produces a better long-term result than fixing one without the other.
Full excavation, grading, and base compaction for homeowners installing a new asphalt or concrete driveway from scratch.
Suited for properties where water pools near structures or flows in the wrong direction due to an improperly sloped existing surface.
For driveways or lots where the existing surface has failed due to base erosion or soil movement and needs the subgrade rebuilt before resurfacing.
Grading and excavation for larger parking areas, private roads, or commercial lots requiring proper drainage slope and load-bearing base construction.
Highland sits in the San Bernardino Valley, where soils commonly include expansive clays and sandy alluvial deposits. Expansive clay swells when wet and shrinks when dry - that repeated movement shifts a poorly prepared base and cracks pavement from below. A contractor working in this area needs to assess the soil type before deciding how deep to excavate and whether any unstable material needs to be removed and replaced. Northern parts of Highland rise toward the San Bernardino Mountains, and properties on those sloped or terraced lots face additional drainage and erosion demands that flat-lot homes in the valley floor do not.
Highland receives relatively little annual rainfall, but when storms arrive - especially during El Nino years - they can be heavy and fast. That means drainage slope is not a minor detail here; it is critical infrastructure. Homeowners in Redlands and Loma Linda deal with the same drainage pressures across this stretch of the Inland Empire. A properly graded surface moves water decisively away from your foundation and off the driveway - so when the next storm rolls through, it is not a problem at your house.
We visit to assess your existing grade, soil conditions, drainage patterns, and equipment access. You get a written estimate covering excavation depth, material removal, and base work included - all before any commitment.
We handle permit applications if required for your project scope. Before any digging starts, we coordinate utility locating - California requires it. You may see temporary flags or paint marks on your property.
The crew brings in equipment and removes material, cuts high spots, and shapes the ground to the planned grade. Excavated soil is either stockpiled for reuse or hauled away. Most residential sites are shaped within a day.
Once the ground is shaped, we compact the subgrade and any gravel base layer. If a permit requires a compaction inspection before paving, we schedule that. We confirm drainage direction with you before the asphalt crew takes over.
We respond within one business day, handle permits, and make sure the ground is ready before any asphalt goes down - call or send us your project details.
(909) 737-6516We know the expansive clay and sandy alluvial soils common across the Highland and San Bernardino Valley area. That means we assess what is actually under your property before deciding how deep to excavate - not just how deep looks right from the surface.
Every grading job we do establishes a drainage slope that moves water away from your home. We confirm the direction with you at the end of the job, so you are not guessing whether the finished surface will drain correctly when the first winter storm arrives.
California requires paving and grading contractors to hold a state-issued license, verifiable through the CSLB online database. We handle permit applications and coordinate inspections so the paperwork does not slow down your project.
We do not skip compaction verification to save time. Proper subgrade density is what the National Asphalt Pavement Association identifies as one of the most critical factors in pavement longevity - and it is a step that homeowners cannot see once the asphalt goes down.
Good grading is invisible when it is done right - you just end up with a driveway that stays flat, drains correctly, and does not develop cracks from below. That invisible quality is what we work toward on every job in Highland.
After the site is graded, concrete curbing and sidewalks define the edges and transitions of your paved surface.
Learn MoreFrench drains, swales, and catch basins that work alongside your graded surface to manage Highland's seasonal storm water.
Learn MoreHighland's soils and drainage demands make proper site prep non-negotiable. Call today and we will assess your property and give you a written quote - no obligation.