How we build a pad
It starts with the footprint: where the building goes, how big the pad needs to be and how high it should sit. The ground gets cleared of brush and trash. Then the dump truck brings fill and drops it on the pad site. The track loader spreads it out and packs it as it goes, building the pad up and shaping the top and sides.
When the pad is up to height, the top gets graded flat and the sides get sloped so water runs off instead of soaking in at the edges. Our photos show it: a fresh pad by the barns, the skid steer with a full bucket beside it. Your builder or slab contractor may have specs for the pad, so share them with us.
What affects a pad job
The amount of fill is the biggest factor. A taller pad or a bigger footprint takes more loads. How far the fill has to be hauled matters too. If there is good dirt on your land, maybe from a pond dig, that can change the plan. Access for the dump truck counts, especially when the ground is wet.
What is underneath matters. Much of the Delta sits on clay like Sharkey, which shrinks and cracks when it dries and swells when wet. That movement is something your builder and foundation plan should account for. Ask them what they want under the slab. We build the pad to match what you and your builder agree on.
Flood zones and height
A lot of Delta land is mapped in a flood zone. If your lot is one of them, the city or county floodplain administrator may set a minimum height for the floor, and your lender or insurer may ask for an elevation certificate. FEMA's flood maps show where your lot falls. Check before you settle on a pad height.
Even outside a mapped zone, flat ground holds water after big rains. Look at where water stood on the lot last spring. Your neighbors may know, too. It is cheaper to add a little height to the pad now than to fight water under the house later. If the yard around the pad needs to drain away, see grading and drainage.
Who it is for
Families building a house in the country or on a town lot that sits low. Farmers putting up a shop, barn or equipment shed. People setting a mobile home who need a pad up out of the wet. Churches and businesses that need a building site raised before the slab goes in.
Most pad jobs connect to others. The lot may need clearing first, a lane may need cutting in, and the yard will need grading once the house is up. If you want a pad for an arena or a big flat work area, see site and arena grading. Tell us the whole plan and we will help you sort the order.
