Local. Family Owned. Trusted.
Land Grading & Site Prep in Lincolnton, NC
Quick answer: Tiny Trail Landscaping grades, levels, clears and preps land across Lincolnton and Lincoln County: yard regrading to fix drainage, lot clearing, building pads for houses, garages and barns, and gravel and paver driveways. Estimates are free. Timing depends on the size of the job.
- Family-owned by Lincolnton natives Ivan & Kaylor Garcia
- Insured
- Lincoln, Catawba & Gaston counties
Grading that gets water moving the right way
Grading reshapes your land so it's level where you need it and slopes where water needs to run. Done right, it keeps water off your foundation, stops erosion and pooling, and gives a building, paver patio or lawn a stable base.
That matters here. Lincoln County's Piedmont red clay drains slowly and holds water after heavy rain, so a yard with the wrong slope stays soggy and sends runoff toward the house. Clay also has to be compacted correctly, or it settles and the low spots come back.
Tiny Trail is a Lincolnton family business started by brothers Ivan and Kaylor Garcia. Because we also do hardscape and landscape installs, we can grade the site and then build the wall, paver patio or lawn on it.
Land grading & site prep services
- Yard grading and leveling: fix low spots, uneven ground and a yard that slopes toward the house.
- Drainage grading: swales and corrected slopes that carry water away from foundations, driveways and paver patios.
- French drains and drain pipe: French drain and drain pipe installation for wet spots that grading alone won't fix.
- Lot clearing: remove brush, small trees and debris so the land is ready to grade or build.
- Building pad prep: cut, fill and compaction for houses, garages and barns.
- Excavation and backfill: for foundations, utilities and landscaping, with careful backfill and compaction.
- Driveway and private road construction: new gravel driveways, paver driveways, and regrades that shed water and resist ruts.
- Demolition and site cleanup: tear down sheds or old structures, haul off debris and leave a clean site.
- Finish grading for sod, seed or landscaping: a smooth final grade so the lawn and beds go in right.
More on our grading services, plus retaining walls for slopes that need holding back.
How a grading job works
- Walk the property. We check slope, water flow, soil, trees and equipment access. Estimates are free.
- Written plan and price. You get the scope (what gets cleared, cut, filled and compacted) and the price before any work starts.
- Utilities and permits. NC811 marks underground utilities before digging, as North Carolina requires. If more than one acre will be disturbed, North Carolina generally requires an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan (NC DEQ). On jobs over 1 acre, we work with an engineer on erosion control.
- Clear and rough grade. Brush and debris come out, then we cut high spots and fill low ones.
- Compact and fine grade. Fill is compacted so it doesn't settle, then fine-graded to the final slope.
- Stabilize and clean up. The site is left ready for building, gravel, sod or seed, and debris is hauled off.
Grading & site prep projects
A few photos from Tiny Trail jobs:
What our customers say
Great team of professionals. Hard working, fair priced and always easy to communicate with.
Land Grading & Site Prep FAQs
Will grading fix water pooling in my yard?
In most cases, grading is the first fix. Reshaping the slope so water runs away from the house and off the low spots solves a lot of pooling. Some sites also need a swale, a French drain or drain pipe. We install French drains and drain pipe, and we'll tell you if your yard needs one.
Do I need a permit to grade my land in Lincoln County?
Small residential yard grading often doesn't need a separate permit, but it depends on the location and scope. In North Carolina, disturbing more than one acre generally requires an approved erosion and sedimentation control plan. Check with Lincoln County for your property. Whether Tiny Trail handles the permit depends on the job.
Can you clear and grade a lot for a new house, garage or barn?
Yes. We clear the lot, then cut, fill and compact a building pad for a house, garage or barn so your builder has a level, stable base. We can also put in the driveway, gravel or pavers.
When is the best time to grade a yard in North Carolina?
Dry stretches are best, because wet clay is hard to work and compact properly. We schedule around rain so the job is done right.
Do you haul in fill dirt or haul off extra soil?
Yes. We haul fill dirt in and haul extra dirt off, priced by the yard. Many sites balance cut and fill on the property; others need dirt brought in or taken away.
What areas do you serve for grading?
Lincolnton and all of Lincoln County, plus Denver, Maiden, Cherryville, Hickory, Newton, Gastonia, Shelby and the greater Charlotte area.
Service area
Lincolnton · Lincoln County · Denver · Maiden · Vale · Crouse · Cherryville · Hickory · Newton · Catawba County · Gastonia · Bessemer City · Shelby · Lawndale · Waco · Charlotte area
Tiny Trail Landscaping is based in Lincolnton, NC. Serving Lincolnton, Hickory & the surrounding area.
Get your land ready
Send us the address area or town, what you want the land to do, and a few photos. We'll set up a time to look at it. We'll get back to you as soon as possible. Estimates are free. We accept cash, check, or card.