ABOUT THE CLIENT

The client specializes in residential earthwork and grading design, primarily for custom homes on rural and semi-rural lots, with additional experience in subdivision and urban infill projects.
They work extensively with San Diego County, Riverside County, and 37+ local jurisdictions, each with unique grading, drainage, and stormwater requirements.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

1. GRADING DESIGN & EARTHWORK

• Develop grading plans starting from topographic surveys
• Establish building pad elevations
• Design cut-and-fill grading with emphasis on balancing earthwork (minimizing import/export)
• Prepare earthwork quantity calculations (cut/fill volumes)
• Balance grading surfaces to meet residential grading permit requirements
• Design grading for:
  • Building pads
  • Driveways and access roads
  • Retaining walls (coordinating with structural engineers)

2. DRAINAGE & STORMWATER DESIGN

• Analyze existing drainage and ensure post-development flows match pre-development conditions
• Ensure no increase in runoff to adjacent properties
• Design site drainage systems including:
  – Swales
  – Drainage channels
  – Storm drains
  – Detention and retention basins
• Design drainage solutions to protect:
  – Neighboring properties
  – Septic disposal fields (OWTS areas)
• Prepare stormwater management plans and hydrology reports

3. HYDROLOGY & HYDRAULIC MODELING

• Perform hydrology calculations using:
  – Rational Method
  – NRCS methods
• Use EPA SWMM for runoff modeling and hydraulic routing
• Design detention systems to reduce flows to pre-development conditions
• Prepare technical calculations and documentation for agency review

4. PERMITTING & AGENCY COORDINATION

• Prepare residential grading plans for submittal to:
  – San Diego County
  – Riverside County
  – Multiple city jurisdictions
• Ensure designs meet agency-specific grading, drainage, and stormwater standards
• Respond to plan check comments and revise designs accordingly
• Coordinate with:
  – Surveyors
  – Geotechnical engineers
  – Structural engineers
  – Architects

5. SITE CONSTRAINTS & COORDINATION

• Interpret and apply:
  – Geotechnical / soils reports
  – Environmental constraints
  – Title reports, easements, and setbacks
• Design grading within:
  – Retaining wall height limits
  – Building codes
  – Zoning and setback requirements

6. REQUIRED SKILLS & EXPERIENCE

Technical Requirements

• Strong experience in residential grading and drainage design (not entry-level)
• Proven ability to balance cut/fill on residential projects
• Experience preparing permit-ready residential grading plans
• Solid understanding of Southern California grading and drainage standards
• Proficiency in:
  – AutoCAD
  – Civil 3D
  – EPA SWMM (required or strongly preferred)

KEY TRAITS (VERY IMPORTANT)

• Hands-on grading experience (not theoretical only)
• Ability to independently:
  – Start from topo
  – Develop grading & drainage designs
  – Balance earthwork
  – Deliver permit-ready plans
• Comfortable handling projects across multiple jurisdictions
• Detail-oriented with strong regulatory awareness
• Strong collaborator with multidisciplinary teams