Grading design
Stormwater Management for a Multi-Phase Project
Outcome
Delivered accurate, construction-ready Stormwater plans and profiles.
Efficient Stormwater Design for 143-Acre Development.
Read full case studySite Grading Design & Drafting Services
Existing and proposed grading, spot elevations, contours, pad and finished-floor elevations, parking and accessibility slopes, and cut/fill balance, delivered in Civil 3D/DWG to your templates and layers.
1,500+
Weekly converted files
5,000+
Jobs completed monthly
185+
Active Clients
350+
Engineers
Certification: 
9001:2015 
27001-2022 
19650-1:2018 
14001:2015 
45001:2018
9001:2015 27001-2022 19650-1:2018 14001:2015 45001:2018 
What We Deliver
What Our Site Grading Design Services Include
Grading design is the civil work that shapes and slopes the ground surface, using spot elevations, proposed contours, finished-floor and pad elevations, and slope callouts, so a site drains correctly and meets accessibility and code requirements.
| What we deliver |
|
|---|---|
| Output formats | Autodesk Civil 3D and AutoCAD (DWG), DXF, DGN, PDF, to your title block and layer standards. |
| Best for |
|
| Typical turnaround | To be finalized based on operational review and project scope. |
Quality, Measured
Grading Design Delivery Track Record *
Numbers our clients hold us to, measured across every drawing and model we deliver.
98.5%*
On-time delivery
Drawing sets delivered on the schedule agreed at project kickoff, so your permit submissions and downstream project timelines stay on track.
98%*
Drawing accuracy
Verified against internal QC checklists and applicable code requirements before a set ever reaches your desk.
95%*
First-time client approval
Drawing sets approved by architecture firms on the first review round, with minimal revision cycles needed.
<0.5%*
Revision request rate
Requests for rework after delivery, a reflection of the accuracy built into the drafting process from the start.
Based on internal production and QA data, January-June 2026.
What Grading Design Covers
What Grading Design Covers
Rough and finished grading
To your finished-floor and pad elevations.
Slope and accessibility design
Parking-lot cross-slopes and ADA-compliant walking surfaces.
Cut/fill and earthwork balance
Quantity and volume reports to optimize import/export.
Retaining-wall grading coordination
Top - and bottom-of-wall elevations tied into the surface.
Grading details and sections
To your standards
Grading ties into the rest of your site package. For the pipes, inlets and detention that handle runoff, see Stormwater Design. For erosion and sediment control, see ESCP. For the full coordinated package, see Land Development Design.
Why Gsource
Why Civil Firms & Developers Outsource Site Grading Design to Gsource
Earthwork Optimized, Cut/Fill Balanced
We produce cut/fill quantities and balance the surface from your survey data, so you control import/export and site cost.
Direct Employees Only, No Subcontractors
Every drafter and designer is a direct Gsource employee. Your project stays within one accountable organization.
Standards-Integrated, Your Civil 3D Templates
We grade with Civil 3D feature lines, grading objects, and surfaces to your templates and layer standards. No reformatting.
Honest Scope: You Hold the Seal
Design and drafting from your survey data; your licensed engineer of record reviews and seals. ISO 9001 QA, $2M E&O, NDA on every engagement.
Case Studies
Site Grading Plan Case Studies
Client identities protected under NDA. Project details verified.
Grading design
Paving Plan & Profile Design for Residential Development
Outcome
Reduced construction delays through clear and accurate documentation.
Optimized Paving Plan & Profile Design for 120-Acre Residential Development.
Read full case study Grading design
Smart Grading Solution for Large-Scale Site Development
Outcome
Achieved balanced grading design with minimal earthwork wastage.
For a large-scale 130-acre development, a grading plan helps to balance earthwork, maintain natural terrain, and ensure compliance with local regulations.
Read full case studyTestimonials
What Civil & Development Leaders Say
“
Their grading sheets matched our Civil 3D template from the first pilot. No reformatting, and our engineer sealed without rework.
Principal Engineer
Civil Consulting Firm, US
“
Reliable turnaround and clean cut/fill reports. They work like part of our team.
VP of Engineering
Fortune 500 Industrial Manufacturer, US Midwest
Clients are anonymized under NDA.
Flexible Engagement Models
Engagement Models for Grading Plan Drafting
Project-Based
Clearly defined deliverables and fixed-scope milestones.
- Scope
- Clearly defined deliverables
- Timeline
- Fixed
- Pricing
- Per project
Best for
Discrete, well-scoped projects with defined endpoints.
Retainer / FTE
Ongoing technical support and on-demand expertise.
- Scope
- Prepaid monthly
- Priority
- Faster turnaround
- Pricing
- Prepaid blocks with expiry metrics
Best for
Firms with rolling production needs and variable monthly volume.
Most popular
Dedicated Team (POD)
High-volume, multi-disciplinary, long-term integration.
- Scope
- Full-time, client-aligned team
- Priority
- Consistency & deep project familiarity
- Pricing
- Fixed monthly per resource
Best for
Enterprise program requiring deep familiarity with your standards.
Hybrid Model
Adaptive workflows & complex, evolving project requirements.
- Scope
- Core team + on-demand support
- Priority
- Flexible scaling & balanced turnaround
- Pricing
- Monthly base + variable billing
Best for
Firms with a stable core program plus unpredictable spikes.
How Our Site Grading Design Services Work
1
Standards & Data Onboarding
Adopt your CAD/Civil 3D templates and layers; sign NDA; confirm the survey/topographic surface you will provide.
2
Pilot Grading Sheet
A first grading plan for your team to validate against your standards.
3
Full-Scale Production
Senior-led grading, cut/fill balancing, and detailing on your submittal calendar.
4
QA & Multi-Stage Review
Documented ISO 9001 checks (slopes, ADA, elevations, earthwork) against your standards; failures reworked before delivery.
5
Delivery & Handoff
Native Civil 3D/DWG output with earthwork reports, index, and delivery log, ready for your engineer of record to review and seal.
Frequently Asked Questions
A grading plan, also called a site grading plan, is a civil engineering drawing that shows how a site will be shaped and sloped, using spot elevations, proposed contours, finished-floor and pad elevations, and slope callouts, so the site drains correctly and meets accessibility and code requirements. Gsource produces grading plans to your CAD standards from your survey and topographic data.
Our grading design includes existing and proposed grading, spot elevations and slopes, proposed contours, finished-floor and pad elevations, parking-lot and ADA slope design, cut/fill and earthwork balance, retaining-wall grading coordination, and grading details, all to your CAD standards.
Grading design shapes the ground surface (elevations, slopes, and cut/fill), while stormwater design handles the pipe networks, inlets, and detention that convey and store the runoff the graded surface sheds. We deliver both as separate services; grading defines the surface and stormwater the conveyance system. For construction-phase erosion control, see our ESCP page.
Yes. We produce cut/fill quantities and earthwork balance with volume reports from your survey surface, so you can optimize import and export and control site cost.
Yes. We design finished surfaces to accessibility slope limits and parking-lot cross-slope requirements, and we check them at QA before delivery.
No. Gsource produces the grading design and drafting; your licensed engineer of record reviews, adopts, and seals. We provide the production capacity, not the engineer of record.
No. Gsource works entirely from the survey and topographic data you provide. We do not perform field survey, staking, or grading inspection.
Yes. Standards onboarding is the first step: we grade with Civil 3D feature lines, grading objects, and surfaces to your templates, layer conventions, and QA checklist, so deliverables drop straight into your workflow.
Pricing is structured by engagement model (project-based, retainer/FTE, dedicated POD, or hybrid), scoped to your volume and site complexity, rather than a fixed public rate.
Every engagement is covered by an NDA and ISO 27001 information-security protocols, and you own all deliverables and IP from day one. Gsource uses direct employees only, no contractors or subcontractors.
Keep Your Grading Production On Schedule
We’ll scope your sites and standards, walk through similar programs, and share a vendor onboarding pack within one business day of a mutual NDA.
NDA available on request · ISO 27001 protocols for large-file scan data · $2M E&O insurance · MSA-ready
Typical First-Call Agenda
- 1Sites, volume, and complexity
- 2CAD/Civil 3D standards and templates
- 3Survey/topographic data you will provide
- 4Timeline and submittal calendar
- 5NDA, MSA, insurance, ISO documentation