Site Prep and Lot Grading Estimate Template
A site prep estimate should quantify clearing and stripping by area, cut and fill by cubic yard, import or export of material by load, compaction and testing, and erosion control — with stated allowances for rock, groundwater, and unsuitable soils, and exclusions for anything below the surface nobody has verified. ShowTheReceipts turns the approved estimate into an invoice with change orders referenced back to it.
Quantities block
- Clearing and grubbing — by area, with disposal method
- Topsoil stripping and stockpile — by area and depth
- Cut — cubic yards
- Fill — cubic yards, from stockpile or imported
- Import / export haul — by load or yard, with distance stated
- Rough grade — by area, to a stated tolerance
- Finish grade — tighter tolerance, separate line
- Compaction and testing — by lift, testing by others or included
Site infrastructure lines
| Item | Basis |
|---|---|
| Construction entrance | Per install |
| Silt fence / inlet protection | Per linear foot, plus maintenance |
| Temporary drainage / dewatering | Per event or day |
| Gravel base / road stone | Per ton, delivered |
| Culverts and driveway pipe | Per unit installed |
Allowances — priced, not hoped
Rock excavation, groundwater/dewatering, unsuitable soils, buried debris — each with a unit rate that applies if encountered.
An allowance turns the four most common surprises in dirt work into a pre-agreed process instead of an argument in a muddy driveway.
Exclusions
Permits and engineering by others, private utility locates, hazardous or contaminated material, retaining structures requiring design, work outside the surveyed limits, and final landscaping.
Terms
Mobilization stated separately, progress billing on multi-week work, change orders written and approved before continuing, and a stated standby rate for delays caused by others.
What not to do
- Don’t quote cut and fill without stating whether the site balances
- Don’t leave rock and water unpriced — they’re common, not exotic
- Don’t assume responsibility for private utility locates
- Don’t quote a finish-grade tolerance you can’t hit with the equipment you own
Frequently asked questions
How do I estimate cut and fill honestly?
From a survey or topo where one exists, and from stated assumptions where it doesn't — 'assumes balanced site, no import required' is a defensible assumption; silence on the point is not. Import and export are the two biggest swing costs on any lot.
What allowances should be in every estimate?
Rock, groundwater, unsuitable soils, and buried debris. Each with a stated unit rate that applies if encountered. This turns the four most common surprises from a fight into a pre-agreed process.
Should erosion control be included?
As its own line — silt fence, inlet protection, construction entrance, and maintenance for the duration. It's usually a permit condition, it's inspected, and it needs upkeep, which means it's a real cost with a schedule attached.
Who is responsible for the utility locate?
State it. You call the public locate; private lines — irrigation, invisible fence, septic, low-voltage, previously abandoned services — are the owner's to identify. Damage to unmarked private lines is the most common site-prep dispute there is.