Residential Yard Grading – Edmonton & Area

Abalon Foundation Repairs has operated in the Edmonton Area for over 40 years. We continue to offer our experience in residential waterproofing and yard grading around window wells of residential homes and commercial buildings that find water seeping into low points where it does not belong, eventually into the basement.

Over the past three decades, we’ve developed a strong reputation in the Edmonton area, all thanks to our wide array of  drainage solutions and our commitment to properly addressing drainage issues by seeing the entire picture of how your home or commercial building is directing water (from your eaves-trough system to the grading of your yard, to the weeping tile and sump pump system outfitted under your home.)

As with Foundation Repairs, the key to solving the problem is taking a birds-eye approach to each homeowner’s unique drainage issues. Controlling the water draining around your home is one of the best first steps to direct water away from your foundation. It is the best way to help prevent future basement water seepage and prevent water from pooling around your home’s window wells, sidewalks, and areas that can direct water into your basement’s foundation.

Unlike other residential yard grading companies in Edmonton, Abalon Foundation Repairs offers a fully transferable warranty on every residential yard grading job we take on. This ensures our services are done correctly and will last for years.

Since 1970, the team at Abalon has repaired well over 40,000 basement foundations throughout Western Canada. We’ve been providing residential yard grading in Edmonton since 1981.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Does the city of Edmonton have by-laws or standards for residential yard drainage?

Yes, the city of Edmonton does have standards that homeowners are required to uphold. Edmonton’s bylaw that came into effect in 1997 requires property owners to now be responsible for their own lot grading. This puts the responsibility on developers when building on a residential lot, and homeowners because lots as far back as 1986 can still be retroactively enforced.

Will exterior drainage leave my driveway or home dirty or harm any trees or shrubbery?

The answer should always be no. We take great pride in leaving your property as clean as possible, and to take a conscious approach when grading around any older aged trees & sensitive shrubbery in your yard. Should we need to move any landscaping prior to re-grading your property, we will always notify the homeowner to plan on temporarily re-locating any items or to gently work around them to preserve their condition.

My window wells are filling up with water, why is this happening?

Typically, window wells will fill up with water when the vertical drain leading down towards a home’s weeping tile system gets clogged. This is caused by a detachment of that vertical drain, clogging that can occur from leaves, soil, or debris that gets trapped in window wells and clogs this drain. Home’s that don’t have window wells, and do have below grade windows or want to have below grade windows installed will require window wells to be installed, to prevent this debris from clogging the vertical drain. When this happens the water will overcome a window’s sealing and almost always leak through.

The solution for a window well full of water is to excavate by hand, down to the home’s weeping tile system and install a vertical drain to carry this water to a sump pump or away from your home through your home’s underground drainage system.

MORE INFORMATION: Edmonton commercial environmental soil remediation 

I have sidewalks around my home, can I still get yard grading done on my house without removing them?

In most cases, older sidewalks have settled and began tilting towards your residential home and become an impediment to the grade, and drainage around your property. In these cases, the removal and replacement of these sidewalks are always recommended to properly address the negative grade that is guiding unnecessary water towards your foundation. 

The proper approach we take is to neatly remove the concrete sidewalks around your home, to then properly address the grade to drain water away from your foundation. The next step is to either re-landscape the area around your home with beautiful new shrubs and trees, and decide if re-pouring a new sidewalk is within your budget or the placement of new sidewalk blocks, paving stones or brickwork is a more convenient and economical direction to take.

What does residential yard grading cost in Edmonton, Alberta?

The cost of your yard grading depends on a few factors:

• The size of your home’s yard that needs to be re-graded, and the degree of negative slope around your property.

• Access in and out of your property, including any tight access that makes it difficult to properly grade soil away from your home.

  The most important factor determining the cost of yard grading in Edmonton is to have an experienced foundation & drainage specialist personally evaluate your lot’s grading. In addition, a foundation specialist can give you detailed explanations of exactly why and how your yard’s grading can be addressed, as well as identify other solutions to your water seepage, and grading issues. This includes identifying any blocked or inefficient eavestroughs, window-wells issues, sump-pump discharges, and much more.

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Final Grading Services In Edmonton

Abalon has been providing grading services for over 20 years, and final grading services for residential and commercial properties have been a natural expansion for our landscaping and grading team. Our professional landscaping team will bring laser levels and stake out allowances for your home’s final grade to pass inspection with your city or county authority. We guarantee we will answer our phone and return to make adjustments until your final grade is approved. Abalon warranties all of our final grade and landscaping services and can provide a free estimate before our work starts.

Requirements for Final Grade in Edmonton: What is Final Grade?

Final grading is the final stage after rough grading a residential lot once the building or home is constructed. That involves the placement of screened topsoil on top of a rough-graded residential lot to conform with the city or county’s specific Lot Grading Plan. Final Grading provides the final layer of topsoil prior to landscaping materials being placed in a residential yard. Approved/Certified completion of the Final Grading is the responsibility and requirement of the homeowner. However, it may be completed by the developer or home builder.

Can I get my Deposit back for Final Grading when Building my home in Edmonton?

Yes, homeowners may receive their final grade/landscaping deposit back or request the deposit back from the home builder if they are too busy or still need to complete their final grading or landscaping requirements by a reasonable date. As the season gets busier, typically by the start of August… many final grading landscaping companies can get too busy to finish your home’s final grading. As the homeowner, you have the right to request this deposit back and contact a company like Abalon to complete your final grading professionally to achieve your final grade inspection by the city or county you live in. Abalon provides free estimates and evaluations for final grading services in Edmonton and Surrounding areas.

What is the cost of final grade services in Edmonton?

Final grading costs in Edmonton range from $1000 to $2500 for minor adjustments for final grades that failed inspection and need adjustments, all the way to $5,000 to $10,000+ for brand-new homes requiring final grade services. Depending on the size and complexity of your property and how it was left after the rough grading process, dealing with retaining walls, neighbours existing grades, if trees or bushes are required or other factors… final grading can range quite a bit. For a free estimate and evaluation by our professional team, call us today. Abalon offers final grade services from May to November depending on the weather, and we can deal with any final grading project requirement you have.

Why choose Abalon Foundation Repairs for residential yard grading?

Whenever you are price shopping for residential yard grading, it’s critical that you receive written estimates from multiple companies. You want to fully ensure what your unique problem is as a homeowner, and how the company will solve your problem as well as provide any applicable warranty. This way you’ll be able to accurately compare each quote to determine the best option for your home’s unique grading & drainage issues.