When your property is graded correctly, water flows where it should. Your foundation stays dry. Your driveway doesn’t wash out every spring.
You avoid the headaches that come with poor drainage—no more standing water in your yard, no basement flooding during heavy rains, no erosion eating away at your landscaping. Proper grading means your property works the way it should from day one.
The difference shows up in what doesn’t happen. You don’t deal with water problems. You don’t have construction delays because the site wasn’t prepared right. You don’t face expensive fixes later because someone cut corners on the site prep.
Emerson Excavating and Trucking has been handling site preparation and grading projects throughout Greenfield and Saratoga County since 1997. We understand how the clay soil here behaves, how the seasonal weather affects drainage, and what it takes to get sites ready for construction.
When you need grading done in Greenfield, you want someone who’s worked with the local soil conditions and knows how to handle the challenges that come with this area. We’re a family business where Josh is present on almost every job to ensure quality—not just sending crews and hoping for the best.
We focus on building lasting relationships with customers, aiming to be your “excavator forever” by providing exceptional care and value rather than just cheap labor.
First, we survey your property to understand the existing conditions and what needs to happen. We look at drainage patterns, soil conditions, and how the finished grade needs to work with your project plans.
Next, we bring in the right equipment for your specific job. Whether it’s a residential lot that needs careful work around existing features or a larger site that requires moving significant amounts of material, we match the equipment to the task.
Then we execute the grading plan, paying attention to proper slopes for drainage, correct elevations for your project, and final surface preparation. We don’t just move dirt around—we create the foundation for everything that comes next.
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We work with both residential projects—new home construction, additions, driveways—and commercial site development. Each project gets the same attention to proper drainage and grade specifications, whether you’re building a single-family home or developing a larger property.
In Greenfield, we’ve learned that successful grading means understanding how water moves across your specific property. The clay soil here holds water differently than sandy soil, and the seasonal freeze-thaw cycles affect how grades perform over time. We factor these local conditions into every grading project we take on.
Our grading services include rough grading to establish basic shape and drainage patterns, and finish grading for precision work that prepares the final surface for concrete, landscaping, or paving.
We start by understanding where water naturally wants to go on your property and where it needs to end up. Proper drainage requires a minimum slope—typically 2% away from structures—but the specific grade depends on your soil type, property layout, and local drainage patterns.
In Greenfield, we also consider how the clay soil will handle water during different seasons. We use survey equipment to establish precise elevations and create a grading plan that directs water away from buildings and toward appropriate drainage areas. The goal is to work with your property’s natural characteristics while ensuring water moves efficiently without causing erosion or pooling.
Rough grading establishes the basic shape and drainage patterns of your site. This is where we move the bulk of the material, create the general slopes, and set up the foundation for proper water flow. It’s typically done early in a construction project, after excavation but before building begins.
Finish grading is the precision work that happens later—we fine-tune elevations, smooth surfaces, and prepare the final grade for whatever comes next, whether that’s concrete, landscaping, or paving. Both phases are critical, but they serve different purposes in the overall site preparation process.
Clay soil in the Greenfield area presents unique challenges because it holds water much longer than sandy soil and expands when wet, contracts when dry. This means we need to be more careful about drainage slopes and compaction methods.
During our seasonal freeze-thaw cycles, clay soil can shift and heave, which affects how grades perform over time. We factor this into our grading plans by ensuring proper drainage, using appropriate compaction techniques, and sometimes incorporating drainage materials that help water move through the clay more effectively. Understanding these local soil conditions is crucial for creating grades that work long-term.
Permit requirements vary depending on the scope of your grading project and local regulations. For major grading that changes drainage patterns or involves significant earth moving, you’ll typically need permits from the local building department.
We can guide you through what’s typically required for your type of project in Greenfield, though you’re responsible for obtaining the permits. We always coordinate with local authorities when needed and ensure our work meets all local requirements. Having permits in place before we start prevents delays and ensures your project meets all regulations.
Most residential grading projects take 1-3 days depending on the size, complexity, and soil conditions. A simple lot for new home construction might be completed in a day or two, while more complex projects involving significant drainage work or challenging terrain take longer.
Weather can affect timing, especially during spring thaw or after heavy rains when soil conditions make grading more difficult. We always prefer to wait for proper conditions rather than rush work that could cause problems later. We’ll give you a realistic timeline during our initial site visit based on your specific conditions.
Yes, we handle both residential and commercial grading projects throughout Greenfield and Saratoga County. Our residential services include site preparation for new home construction, driveway grading, septic system areas, and general lot improvements.
For commercial work, we’re expanding into larger site development projects and looking to add commercial and industrial snow removal services. Whether it’s a single-family home lot or a commercial development, we bring the same attention to proper drainage, grade specifications, and quality workmanship. Each project gets customized attention based on its specific requirements and intended use.
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