No water pooling around your foundation. No soggy yards that never dry out. No expensive drainage fixes six months after construction.
Your site gets the right slope from day one. Water flows away from structures toward proper drainage areas. The ground stays stable under your foundation because someone who understands Salem’s soil conditions handled the prep work.
You move forward with construction knowing the groundwork won’t cause problems later. That’s what happens when grading gets done by people who’ve worked this terrain for years and know what actually works.
Emerson Excavating and Trucking started as a logging business in 1997, so we’ve been working Salem’s terrain longer than most contractors have been in business. Josh runs the day-to-day operations with his son as partner since 2022.
Josh is on-site for almost every job. Not because we don’t trust our crew, but because we’re building something here – relationships with customers who call us back for their next project instead of shopping around again.
We transitioned to full-time excavation in 2020, which means we understand both the land clearing side and the grading requirements that follow. Salem’s rolling terrain and weather patterns create specific challenges that generic approaches don’t handle well.
First, we walk your property and assess what you’re working with. Existing drainage patterns, soil conditions, any obstacles we need to work around. This tells us exactly what equipment we need and how to approach the job.
Next, we clear any vegetation or debris that’s in the way. If you need land clearing, we handle that first. Then we start moving earth – creating the proper slope and elevation to direct water away from structures toward appropriate drainage areas.
Every pass with the equipment is planned to build the grade your project needs. We’re not just pushing dirt around. We’re creating drainage patterns that work with Salem’s terrain instead of fighting against it.
Finally, we fine-tune everything and clean up completely. You get a site that’s ready for construction with proper drainage that actually works. No debris piles left behind for you to deal with.
Ready to get started?
Site evaluation and drainage assessment specific to your property. We look at how water naturally moves across your land and work with those patterns instead of against them.
Complete vegetation clearing if needed, including stump grinding that actually removes the entire stump system. Half-done stump removal causes foundation problems later, so we do it right the first time.
Proper slope creation using the right equipment for your specific job. We’re not bringing a massive bulldozer to grade a small residential lot, and we’re not trying to handle large sites with equipment that’s too small.
Salem’s terrain requires careful attention to drainage planning. We grade your site so water flows away from your foundation toward appropriate drainage areas. Poor drainage decisions during grading cause expensive problems months later.
Complete debris removal and disposal according to local regulations. Trees get chipped or recycled, stumps get ground up and removed, and rock gets sorted for reuse or disposal. You get a clean site ready for the next phase of your project.
Most residential grading projects in Salem take 1-3 days depending on the size of the area and complexity of the drainage work needed. A typical house lot with moderate clearing usually takes about 2 days – one day for clearing and removal, another day for grading and final cleanup.
Heavily wooded lots or properties with challenging terrain take longer. Properties that just need basic grading without much clearing might be done in a single day. Weather conditions also affect timing since we can’t grade effectively in muddy conditions.
We’ll give you a realistic timeline upfront after seeing your specific site conditions and understanding the scope of work needed.
Rough grading establishes the basic slope and elevation across your property. This is where we move the bulk of the material and create the overall drainage pattern. We’re setting up the foundation for proper water flow and establishing the general contours your site needs.
Finish grading is the final pass that creates the exact elevations and smooth surfaces needed for your specific project. This might be preparing for a foundation, creating the base for a driveway, or getting ready for landscaping installation.
Most residential projects need both. Rough grading handles the heavy lifting of moving earth and establishing drainage. Finish grading creates the precise surface conditions your next phase of construction requires.
Permit requirements depend on the scope of your project and local regulations. Simple residential grading often doesn’t require permits, but larger projects or work that affects drainage patterns might need approval from the town.
If you’re grading as part of new construction, the grading work is typically covered under your building permits. Salem and Washington County have specific regulations about tree removal, wetlands, and erosion control that we’re familiar with.
We can help you understand what’s needed for your specific project. When permits are required, we work with your contractor or engineer to ensure the grading meets all specifications and local requirements.
Proper drainage starts with understanding how water moves across your property naturally, then working with those patterns instead of against them. Salem’s terrain and soil conditions mean drainage planning can’t be generic.
We typically aim for a minimum 2% slope away from structures, but the exact grade depends on your site conditions. We also look at where the water needs to go – whether that’s toward the street, a natural drainage area, or retention system.
Our experience with Salem area properties helps us spot potential drainage issues and address them during the grading process rather than after problems develop. We create slopes and direct water flow to prevent pooling around foundations and soggy areas in your yard.
Josh is present on almost every job to ensure quality control. We’re not a large operation where you never see the owner – we’re building relationships with customers who want to work with the same people for future projects.
We started as a logging business in 1997, so we understand both the land clearing requirements and the grading work that follows. Many contractors subcontract one or the other, but we handle both phases which means better coordination and fewer problems.
We’ve been working Salem’s terrain long enough to understand what works and what doesn’t in this area’s soil and weather conditions. That local experience shows up in drainage solutions that actually work and grading that prevents problems instead of creating them.
We match the equipment to your specific job requirements. Each project gets the machinery that’s appropriate for the site size and scope of work needed. We’re not trying to use the same approach for every job.
A residential foundation excavation needs different handling than a commercial site preparation project, and we adjust our methods accordingly. We own our equipment, which means we can respond quickly and aren’t dependent on rental availability.
Our operators understand how to use the right equipment for Salem’s terrain conditions. Whether that’s precise work around existing landscaping or larger-scale site clearing, we have the machinery and experience to handle it efficiently.
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