Land Grading in Markham — Yard, Driveway, Lot

We handle land grading in Markham from Unionville to Box Grove — yard re-grades, driveway prep, full lot grading for building permit sign-off, and drainage corrections that move water off your foundation instead of into it. Most Markham subdivisions were signed off on an approved lot grading plan, and the City still expects that plan to work decades later. When it stops working, we fix it. Call OCM Excavation at 416-317-3090 for a site visit.

Lot grading contractor Markham builders and homeowners call

If you’re building a custom home in Cathedraltown, putting an addition on a Berczy Village two-storey, or finishing a new build in Cornell Rouge, the City of Markham wants the lot graded to the approved plan before final occupancy. We work as the lot grading contractor in Markham on the dirt side of that process — cutting and filling to the surveyor’s elevations, swaling rear yards to side-yard discharge, and tying into the municipal drainage the subdivision was designed around. When the lot grading certificate signed by an OLS or P.Eng is the bottleneck on your CO, the grading work has to be right the first time.

What land grading actually means on a Markham property

Grading is the shaping of soil so water runs where you want it to — away from the house, off the driveway, into a swale, and eventually into the City system. On a Markham lot that usually breaks down into:

Rough grading — bulk earthmoving after excavation, foundation backfill, or demolition. Get the lot within a few inches of finish.
Finish grading — final cut/fill to design elevations, smooth enough for sod, interlock, or asphalt.
Drainage grading — swales, positive slope away from the foundation (typical 2% minimum across the first 2 m), redirecting downspouts.
Driveway sub-grade — proper slope, compaction, and granular base before paving or interlock.
Lot grading certificate prep — bringing the property back to the approved subdivision plan so the OLS can sign off.

Our process on a Markham grading job

We start with a walkaround — where is the water sitting, where is it supposed to go, and what’s the approved grading plan say. On older Unionville and Markham Village lots there may not be a plan on file, so we read the lot: low spots, foundation cracks, soft sod, ice patches in winter. On newer Cornell and Box Grove builds we pull the lot grading plan and shoot grades against it.

From there: bring in or remove soil, machine-shape to spec, hand-finish around the foundation and walkways, compact where structural, and tie in to existing swales and catch basins. Spoil hauling is handled under Markham’s Site Alteration By-law 2011-232 and Ontario’s Excess Soil Management framework. If your job pulls protected trees into play — DBH 20 cm or larger under Markham Tree By-law 2023-164 — we plan around the drip line or coordinate the permit with the City.

Markham neighbourhoods we grade in

Unionville — heritage district, mature trees, tight side-yard access. Mini-excavator and wheelbarrow work on a lot of these jobs.
Cathedraltown — estate lots, full-size machines, often re-grading after pool builds or landscape overhauls.
Berczy Village — 2000s subdivisions where original lot grading has softened over 20 years. Rear-yard swale re-cuts are common.
Cornell & Cornell Rouge — rear-lane housing means we can haul spoil through the lane instead of the front yard. Rouge corridor lots may trigger TRCA permit review under O. Reg. 41/24.
Box Grove & Greensborough — newer east-Markham subdivisions, engineered fill, lot grading certificate work for late-stage builds.
Markham Village — older mature lots, mixed access, drainage corrections around additions.

Drainage problems we fix in Markham

The calls we get from Markham homeowners usually start the same way: water in the basement after a heavy rain, a soft mushy spot in the rear lawn that never dries, ice forming across the driveway every January, or the back deck sinking on one side. The fix is almost always grading — re-establishing positive slope away from the foundation, cutting a proper swale, extending downspouts past the planting beds, and tying back into the original lot drainage. We don’t sell weeping tile when the surface grading is the actual problem.

Why Markham homeowners and builders call OCM

We’re an excavation contractor first. Grading isn’t a sideline for us — it’s what the machines do between the dig and the backfill. We show up with the right gear for the lot (mini-excavator for Unionville and Berczy side-yards, full-size for Cathedraltown), we know how Markham’s Building Standards expects the lot grading plan to be read, and we coordinate with your surveyor or builder so the certificate isn’t held up waiting on dirt. See our broader work as an excavation contractor in Markham or browse all service areas across the GTA.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a permit for land grading in Markham?

For a small re-grade on an existing residential lot, generally no standalone permit. Larger soil movement falls under Markham’s Site Alteration By-law 2011-232, and excess soil hauling falls under O. Reg. 406/19. New builds, additions, and lots in the Rouge corridor may also need TRCA review under O. Reg. 41/24. We confirm the requirements before we cut dirt.

What is a lot grading certificate and do I need one?

It’s a sign-off from an Ontario Land Surveyor or P.Eng confirming the lot has been graded to the approved subdivision plan. Markham typically requires it before final occupancy on new builds and many additions. We do the earthwork to hit those elevations so your surveyor can certify and the City can close the file.

How long does a typical Markham grading job take?

A standard rear-yard re-grade on a Berczy or Unionville lot is usually one to three days on site. A full lot regrade on a new Cathedraltown build runs longer depending on soil import volume. Weather and access are the biggest variables — a tight Unionville side-yard slows everything down.

Can grading really stop my basement from getting wet?

Often yes. A large share of “leaky basement” calls in Markham are surface water problems — negative slope toward the foundation, blocked or short downspouts, a soft spot beside the wall. Re-establishing positive slope and a working swale solves a lot of it. If the issue is below grade, we’ll tell you straight and scope the right repair.

Will grading affect my trees?

It can. Adding or removing soil inside the drip line stresses mature trees, and Markham Tree By-law 2023-164 protects trees with a DBH of 20 cm or larger. On Unionville lots especially, we plan grading around protected trees, hand-dig near root zones where needed, and coordinate any required permit with the City before the work starts.

Do you haul away or import soil for Markham jobs?

Both. Most jobs need some of each — strip the topsoil, cut high spots, import clean fill or screened topsoil for low areas and finish grade. All hauling is handled under Ontario’s Excess Soil Management rules and Markham’s Site Alteration framework, with proper tracking on where the spoil goes.

Get a quote on land grading in Markham

Call OCM Excavation at 416-317-3090 or request a free quote. We’ll walk the lot, read the plan, and give you a straight number on what it takes to grade it right — whether you’re solving a wet basement in Unionville or chasing a lot grading certificate in Box Grove.