The following is provided by the City Of Edmonton Drainage Services Department. Although it is specific to the city of Edmonton, it is a useful reference for residential lot grading guidelines for the majority of the municipalities in the Edmonton area.
The Lot Grading is usually done in two stages. The Rough Grade Stage is generally the responsibility of the homebuilder and the Final Grade Stage is generally the responsibility of the homeowner.
ROUGH GRADE STAGE
FINAL GRADE STAGE
CITY OF EMONTON CONTACT INFO
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Rough Grade Stage
This stage includes backfilling the foundation walls and shaping of the lot to conform to the approved Lot Grading Plan, within acceptable tolerances. The Rough Grade Approval Procedure should occur within 18 months of the issuance of a building permit for a lot.
• Rough Grade Approval Process
1. The builder has the lot surveyed by an Alberta Land Surveyor, Professional Engineer or Registered Architect who prepares a Plan of Certification of As-built Grades (Lot Grading Certificate).
2. The Lot Grading Certificate is submitted to The City of Edmonton Drainage Services. Digital submissions are preferred and if paper versions are submitted they will be scanned. The builder must provide information for their preferred method of contact to receive a Lot Grading Inspection Report. The methods of contact are: fax, e-mail or mail.
3. A Lot Grading Inspector conducts a site inspection to verify that the lot is graded in accordance with the approved Lot Grading Plan. This is usually done within three working days from receipt of the certificate, depending on workload and weather conditions.
4. An Inspection Report is sent to the builder, indicating that the Rough Grade has been approved or that deficiencies exist.
5. If deficiencies exist, the builder must correct the deficiencies within 60 days and notify Drainage Services for a re-inspection. If the lot grading inspector has requested a re-submission of a Lot Grading Certificate to verify corrections or to provide additional information, a re-inspection can not occur until receipt of the new Lot Grading Certificate.
6. When the Rough Grade is approved, the builder and the property owner are both notified. Additional information, regarding final grading and the approval process, is also sent to the property owner.
NOTE: If a builder or a property owner chooses to proceed directly to final grading, they have the option to bypass the Rough Grade Approval Process and proceed directly to the Final Grade Approval Process.
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Final Grade Stage
This stage must be initiated by the homeowner within one year of the Rough Grade Approval. The rough grade has been left approximately 7 to 20 cm below final grade for topsoil placement. The topsoil should be smoothly spread out, compacted and ready for sod, liners, rocks etc. If rocks, wood chips or other decorative material is planned, the clay base (rough grade) must be raised to final grade before placing the decorative material. Rock or wood chips do not make up for the 7 to 20 cm of final grade, since surface water can flow through those materials.
The owner of a lot located adjacent to a lake (Stormwater Management Facility), walkway or ravine must comply with the terms and conditions of any registered easement, right-of-way, caveat or restrictive covenant registered in favor of the City of Edmonton.
• Final Grade Approval Process
1. The homeowner has the lot surveyed (on sod or topsoil) by an Alberta Land Surveyor, Professional Engineer or Registered Architect who prepares a Plan of Certification of As-built Grades (Lot Grading Certificate).
2. The Lot Grading Certificate is submitted to The City of Edmonton Drainage Services. Digital submissions are preferred and if paper versions are submitted they will be scanned. The homeowner must provide information on their preferred method of contact to receive a Lot Grading Inspection Report. The methods of contact are: fax, e-mail or mail.
3. A Lot Grading Inspector conducts a site inspection to verify that the lot is graded in accordance with the approved Lot Grading Plan. This is usually done within three working days from receipt of the certificate, depending on workload and weather conditions.
4. An Inspection Report is sent to the homeowner, indicating that the Final Grade has been approved or that deficiencies exist.
5. If deficiencies exist, the homeowner must correct the deficiencies within 60 days and notify Drainage Services for a re-inspection. If the lot grading inspector has requested a re-submission of a Lot Grading Certificate to verify corrections or to provide additional information, a re-inspection can not occur until receipt of the new Lot Grading Certificate. When the final grade is completed by a professional landscaper, the homeowner is responsible to notify the landscaper.
6. When the Final Grade is approved, the owner will be sent an approval report and a copy of the Lot Grading certificate.
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CITY OF EDMONTON CONTACT INFO
City of Edmonton
Drainage Services
Main Floor, Century Place
9803 - 102 A Avenue
Edmonton, AB
T5J 3A3
Phone: 780-496-5500 (24hr Voice Mail) | 780-496-5576 (8am - 4:30pm) | Fax: 780-496-2865
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RELATED LINKS
The Alberta Association of Architects
APPEGA
(Association of Professional Engineers, Geologists, and Geophysicists of Alberta)
Alberta Land Surveyors' Association
Edmonton Region Home Builders' Association
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Edmonton Current Weather Conditions
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