Civil Engineering from Start to Finish

Our Civil Engineering services are focused on projects that require our services as soon as a property is acquired or is under contract. We primarily work on projects from the beginning, so we have more control on the design quality and end result. Our service packages typically include the following tasks below.

Feasibility Studies

Performed by a Licensed Professional Engineer, these studies will help uncover potential issues before a lot is purchased and before jumping into the design process. This includes:

Existing Conditions Surveys*

Once a decision has been made to proceed on developing a lot, we will send in our surveyors to survey the existing conditions of the lot. This survey measures the location of the property lines, topographic elevations of the land, location and diameter of existing trees, location of above ground and underground utilities, location of existing buildings and impervious areas. This measured information is then processed into a scaled drawing to be used by our Civil Engineering department for the design plans.

* This service is only provided as part of our Civil Engineering Plan Services, we do not provide standalone surveys at this time.

Tree Preservation Plans*

During the Topographic Survey, our surveyors will measure the Location, Diameter and Type (Deciduous or Evergreen) of each tree over a certain diameter in the project area. From there our ISA Certified Arborist will evaluate the species, condition, and recommendations for each tree to be preserved or removed.

* This service is only provided as part of our Civil Engineering Plan Services, we do not provide standalone surveys at this time.

Erosion & Sediment Control Plans

Erosion & Sediment (E&S) Control Plans delineate the project Limits of Disturbance (LOD) and are designed to control sediment from washing into neighboring properties during construction. These plans also tell the demolition contractor what can be removed with heavy machinery and what needs to be removed by hand (if outside the limits of disturbance or in a tree preservation area). Any project over 2,500 Square Feet (SF) in land disturbance in Northern Virginia, and any project over 50 SF in land disturbance in Washington DC will require an E&S Plan. Land Disturbance includes clearing limits, the area of improvements, driveway, construction access route, and material staging areas even if not all of those areas are not disturbed to bare soil. This is where a small project can easily cross the threshold for site plan and permit requirements.

Typical projects will have a Phase 1 E&S Plan for Demolition Activities showing existing features to be removed with Erosion Controls specified and a Phase 2 E&S Plan for Erosion Controls specified during construction of the proposed house or building.

Site & Grading Plans

For any proposed land improvements (house, pool, building, parking lot, etc.), it all starts with a Site Plan. From the initial site layout concept to detailed grading plans, we prepare the site layout drawings to turn your vision into reality.

Stormwater Management Design

With new land development (houses, buildings, etc.), any increase in impervious area will also increase the amount of water runoff. To comply with city, state, and federal stormwater regulations, we must detain and treat any proposed increase in stormwater with a “Best Management Practice” (BMP) such that the project has a net-zero impact on stormwater runoff rates. After we develop the proposed site layout plans, our civil engineers will calculate existing and proposed stormwater runoff rates on site and design a BMP solution to meet these stormwater management requirements. We also provide on-site construction support and inspection services.

DC Water Upgrade Plans

With proposed Renovations, Additions, and new Housing in Washington, DC, adding bathrooms and water supply fixtures will most likely require upgraded sewer & water utility connections. Your Architect and MEP Engineer will tell us the proposed water supply demand inside the building and we will handle the outside plans to meet those needs. We design DC Water Plans to propose these new connections from the building to public main. Then we submit to DC Water for review, approval, and permit to install the new connections.

DDOT Traffic Control Plans

Any Public Space work (past your property line) in Washington, DC will require an Occupancy Permit with DDOT and may require a Traffic Control Plan as part of the permit application. Public Space work includes material staging areas, construction projections into public space, and excavation for new utilities. We design Traffic Control Plans to be reviewed by DDOT to ensure that pedestrian and vehicle travel routes will be protected and rerouted through the temporary work zone in public space. In addition to the Traffic Control Plan deliverable in PDF format, we can also provide hourly consulting and permit assistance.

Limits of Disturbance Stakeout*

Once our Site Plans are approved along with the Land Disturbance Permit it’s time to schedule the Pre-Construction meeting with the county site inspector. Prior to this Pre-Con meeting, the Limits of Disturbance (LOD) needs to be staked out on-site to delineate the limits of clearing and grading per the approved plans. The construction crews will follow these stakes to place the silt fence line and typically will clear everything inside these limits. This is the first stakeout task in our construction stakeout service package.

* This service is only provided as part of our Civil Engineering Plan Services, we do not provide standalone surveys at this time.

House Stakeout*

Following the LOD stakeout and after construction crews have cleared the site, it’s time for the House Stakeout. For this service, we set 4 offset points around the proposed house location and issue a “cutsheet” with location and elevation information for excavation crews to start digging. The concrete crews will also use these points/stakes and cutsheet to set the house footers in the right location and elevation.

* This service is only provided as part of our Civil Engineering Plan Services, we do not provide standalone surveys at this time.

Brick Points Stakeout*

After excavation and as soon as the concrete footers are poured, we will stop by the site again to set masonry nails with bright colored flagging in the freshly poured concrete footers. These surveyed nails pinpoint exactly where the concrete crews will set the concrete wall forms. This is called a “Brick Points” Stakeout because these points are usually set where the finished brick edge will be.

* This service is only provided as part of our Civil Engineering Plan Services, we do not provide standalone surveys at this time.

Wall Check Surveys*

As soon as the concrete foundation walls are set, it’s important for us to perform a Wall Check Survey to confirm everything was placed in the right location before going vertical with framing. Some banks will require this service as part of the terms of their construction loan and some counties such as Arlington County will require this survey to be submitted for zoning approval before framing starts. Even if not required, we recommend this quality control survey for every project.

* This service is only provided as part of our Civil Engineering Plan Services, we do not provide standalone surveys at this time.

Final As-Built Surveys*

At the end of the project, we must perform a final as-built survey to certify that the house was built in the right location and under the maximum height limit according to the approved site plans. This is usually a requirement prior to issuance of the occupancy permit.

* This service is only provided as part of our Civil Engineering Plan Services, we do not provide standalone surveys at this time.