How to Prepare Your Land for Building a New Home in St. George, Utah

By the team at Beehive Rental & Sales — Serving Southern Utah's contractors and homeowners since 1994.

Washington County is one of the fastest-growing regions in the United States, and thousands of new homes are built here every year on raw land that needs significant preparation before the first foundation forms go in. Whether you are an owner-builder taking on your dream home or a small contractor managing site prep for a client, understanding the full land preparation process — from soil testing to foundation prep — is essential to staying on schedule and on budget.

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Quick Answer: Preparing raw land for home construction in St. George, Utah, involves six phases: due diligence (soil and survey), permitting (4–6 weeks), site clearing (excavator, skid steer), rough grading (box blade, compactor), utility trenching (trencher, mini excavator), and foundation prep (excavator, compactor). BeeHive Rental & Sales at (435) 628-6663 provides all site prep equipment on daily, weekly, and monthly rental terms.

Key Takeaways

• •Due diligence first — Test your soil for caliche and expansive clay before designing a foundation; Southern Utah soils create unique engineering challenges
• •Permitting takes 4–6 weeks — Building departments in St. George, Hurricane, and Washington require plan review, and rushing this step creates expensive change orders later
• •Equipment rental makes financial sense — For a single home build, renting excavators, skid steers, compactors, and trenchers from BeeHive Rental & Sales costs a fraction of buying or hiring a sub for each phase
• •Timeline reality — Plan 4–8 weeks for complete site preparation in Southern Utah, depending on terrain complexity and permitting
• •Browse BeeHive's full construction equipment inventory to plan your site prep project

Phase 1: Due Diligence — Know Your Land Before You Design

The biggest and most expensive mistakes in new home construction happen before a single shovel hits the ground. Due diligence isn't glamorous, but skipping it leads to foundation failures, drainage disasters, and budget overruns that can add $20,000–$100,000 to a project.

Soil Testing

St. George sits on some of the most geologically complex soils in Utah. Before your engineer designs a foundation, you need a geotechnical soil report. Here is what to look for:

Caliche: A calcium carbonate hardpan common throughout Washington County. Caliche can be inches below the surface or feet deep. It is rock-hard, impervious to water, and impossible to dig with standard equipment. When an excavator hits caliche, progress slows dramatically and equipment costs go up. Knowing caliche depth before you bid the project prevents cost surprises.

Expansive clay: Some areas of St. George (particularly in Washington Fields and parts of Hurricane) have clay soils that expand dramatically when wet and shrink when dry. Expansive clay exerts thousands of pounds of pressure on foundations, cracking walls and shifting slabs. If your soil report shows high plasticity index (PI) values, your engineer will specify deep footings, post-tensioned slabs, or structural mitigation — all of which affect cost and schedule.

Sand and gravel layers: Areas near the Virgin River and Santa Clara Creek may have loose sand and gravel that provides poor bearing capacity. These soils may require over-excavation and engineered fill.

How to get a soil test: Hire a licensed geotechnical engineering firm. They will drill test borings at multiple points on your lot, analyze the soil in a lab, and produce a report with foundation recommendations. Cost: $2,000–$5,000 depending on lot size and complexity. This is not optional — it's the cheapest insurance against a six-figure foundation problem.

Topographic Survey

A licensed surveyor will map your lot's elevation changes, existing features, and property boundaries. The topographic survey serves multiple purposes:

• •Foundation elevation — Establishes the building pad height relative to the street, utilities, and drainage paths
• •Drainage design — Shows where water flows during storms so your engineer can design proper grading
• •Cut and fill calculations — Determines how much soil needs to be moved, which directly affects equipment needs and cost
• •Property line verification — Confirms exactly where you can build relative to setback requirements

Cost: $800–$2,500 depending on lot size and terrain complexity.

Zoning Verification

Before you invest in design and engineering, verify that what you want to build is allowed on your lot. Contact the planning department in your city to confirm:

• •Zoning designation — Determines what can be built (single-family, multi-family, etc.)
• •Setback requirements — Minimum distances from property lines to the building footprint
• •Height limits — Maximum building height varies by zone
• •Lot coverage — Maximum percentage of the lot that can be covered by structures
• •Parking requirements — Number of off-street parking spaces required
• •Hillside overlay — Additional requirements if your lot is in a designated hillside area

Utility Availability

Confirm that all required utilities are available and accessible to your lot:

• •Water — Contact the city water department or water district to confirm a water connection is available. Verify the tap fee (one-time connection charge), which can run $3,000–$15,000+ in Washington County.
• •Sewer — Confirm sewer availability and connection fees. Some lots in unincorporated areas require a septic system instead.
• •Natural gas — Contact Dominion Energy to confirm gas availability and meter set fees.
• •Electricity — Contact Rocky Mountain Power for electrical service availability and transformer proximity.
• •Internet/communications — Verify providers and whether conduit needs to be run to the lot.

If any utility requires an extension (running a water main to reach your lot, for example), the cost can be significant — sometimes $10,000–$50,000 or more. Know this before you buy.

Phase 2: Permitting — The Bureaucratic Phase

Every city in Washington County requires a building permit before construction can begin. Here is what to expect.

Building Department Contacts

Required Documentation

• •Complete building plans — Architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing drawings stamped by licensed professionals
• •Geotechnical report — Soil testing results with foundation recommendations
• •Topographic survey and site plan — Showing the building footprint, setbacks, utility connections, grading plan, and drainage
• •Energy compliance — Utah has adopted the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC); plans must demonstrate compliance
• •Structural engineering — Foundation design, framing, and lateral load calculations (especially important in high-wind areas of Washington County)

The Review Process

Once submitted, a plan reviewer examines every aspect of the plans for code compliance. The first review almost always generates comments — questions and required changes that you must address before the permit is issued. Budget for at least one round of revisions.

Pro tip: Don't wait for the permit to plan your site work. Use the plan review period to line up your equipment rentals and schedule deliveries of fill material, gravel, and utilities. The day your permit is issued, you should be ready to mobilize.

Phase 3: Site Clearing — Remove What's in the Way

Once the permit is issued, physical work begins.

Equipment Needed

What Needs to Be Cleared

Vegetation removal: Native desert vegetation in Washington County often includes mesquite, creosote, tumbleweeds, and scattered juniper. An excavator with a thumb attachment can grab and pile brush quickly. A skid steer loads the debris into a dump trailer for disposal.

Existing structure demolition: If the lot has an old structure, foundation remnants, or other man-made features, they need to come out. An excavator handles most residential demolition. Concrete from old foundations can be broken up with a hydraulic breaker attachment on the excavator.

Topsoil stripping: In areas with decent topsoil (uncommon in St. George but present in some Washington Fields lots), strip and stockpile the topsoil for later use in landscaping. A skid steer with a bucket handles this efficiently.

Rock removal: St. George lots frequently have large surface rocks and buried boulders. An excavator is essential for extracting rocks that a skid steer can't handle.

BeeHive Rental & Sales carries excavators and skid steers in multiple sizes, so you can match the equipment to your lot conditions. Call (435) 628-6663 to discuss your site and get a recommendation.

Phase 4: Rough Grading — Shaping the Building Pad

Rough grading transforms raw, cleared land into a level building platform at the correct elevation.

Equipment Needed

Establishing the Building Pad

Set elevation benchmarks. Using the topographic survey and the grading plan from your building plans, establish the finished floor elevation and the pad elevation. The pad must account for the thickness of the foundation, slab, and sub-grade materials.

Cut and fill. A skid steer with a box blade is the workhorse for residential grading. Cut high spots by scraping soil away and push it into low spots. The goal is a level pad at the specified elevation, with drainage slopes directing water away from the building footprint.

Drainage slopes. The finished grade around the home must slope away from the foundation at a minimum of 6 inches in the first 10 feet (5% slope). This is a code requirement and a critical defense against water intrusion. Southern Utah may be dry most of the year, but monsoon storms in July and August dump massive amounts of water in short periods.

Compaction. Fill material must be placed in lifts (6–8 inch layers) and compacted to 95% modified Proctor density (the standard specified by most geotechnical engineers for building pads). A vibratory roller or plate compactor achieves this. Each lift is compacted before the next layer is placed.

Compaction testing. Most building departments require a compaction test (performed by a testing lab) to verify that the pad meets the specified density. The testing firm sends a technician who takes nuclear density gauge readings. A failing test means more compaction effort before proceeding. Budget $300–$600 per test visit.

Phase 5: Utility Trenching — Connecting to the Grid

With the pad established, it's time to bring utilities to the building.

Equipment Needed

Utility Laterals

Water line: Typically a 1-inch copper or PEX line from the city water main to the house. Trench depth varies but is generally 30–42 inches in Southern Utah (below frost line, which is 12 inches, but deeper for protection). City inspection required before backfilling.

Sewer line: 4-inch PVC line from the house to the city sewer main (or to a septic system). Must be installed at a specific slope (typically 1/4 inch per foot) for proper gravity flow. Deeper than the water line. City inspection required at multiple points.

Gas line: Typically installed by Dominion Energy or a licensed plumber. The utility company usually installs from the main to the meter, and your plumber runs from the meter to the house.

Electrical conduit: Rocky Mountain Power installs the transformer and service to the meter base. You install conduit from the meter to the electrical panel. Trench specifications provided by the utility.

Low voltage (internet, cable, phone): Run conduit during trenching even if you don't plan to connect immediately. The cost of conduit is minimal, and the cost of trenching later is significant.

Inspection Requirements

Every utility connection requires inspection before backfilling. Schedule inspections through the building department and the respective utility company. Failing to get inspection before covering a line means digging it back up — an expensive and avoidable mistake.

Backfill and Compaction

Utility trench backfill must be compacted to prevent settling. Settling backfill creates depressions in your yard, driveway, and walkways. Compact in 6–8 inch lifts using a jumping jack or plate compactor. Sand bedding is required around water and sewer lines to protect them from rock damage.

Phase 6: Foundation Prep — The Final Step Before Construction

The building pad is graded and compacted, utilities are in, and it's time to prepare for the foundation.

Equipment Needed

Footing Excavation

Using the foundation plan, mark out the footing locations with string lines and stakes. An excavator digs the footing trenches to the specified depth and width. In St. George, footing depth is typically 18–24 inches below grade (deeper in expansive soil conditions as specified by the geotechnical engineer).

Caliche considerations: If caliche is encountered at footing depth, the excavator may need a hydraulic breaker attachment to cut through it. Caliche actually provides excellent bearing capacity — the challenge is cutting through it, not its load-bearing ability.

Sub-Grade Compaction

The bottom of the footing trench must be compacted and level. Loose soil at the bottom of a footing trench allows differential settling, which cracks foundations. A compactor run along the bottom of the trench and a compaction test verify readiness.

Inspection Before Pouring

The building department must inspect the footing excavation before concrete is placed. The inspector verifies:

• •Correct depth and width per plans
• •Compacted sub-grade
• •Proper soil conditions (no loose fill, organic material, or standing water)
• •Reinforcing steel placed per plans (if inspecting footings with rebar in place)

This inspection is one of the most critical in the entire project. Failing it delays the pour and pushes the entire schedule back.

Washington County Growth: Why Site Prep Skills Matter

Washington County has been among the top 10 fastest-growing counties in the United States for over a decade. Population has surged past 200,000, and the housing market continues to demand new construction across every price point. This growth means:

• •Contractors are busy — Sub-contractors for site work can have lead times of 4–8 weeks. Owner-builders and small contractors who can handle their own site prep with rental equipment move faster.
• •Land is getting steeper — The easy, flat lots were developed first. New construction increasingly occurs on hillside and desert lots that require more grading and engineering.
• •Regulations are tightening — As the area grows, cities are adopting more stringent grading, drainage, and environmental requirements.

Equipment Rental vs. Buying for a Single Home Build

If you are building one home, the math overwhelmingly favors renting. Here is a comparison:

Even if you plan to build two or three homes, renting still makes more financial sense than buying when you factor in maintenance, insurance, storage, transport, and depreciation. BeeHive Rental & Sales offers daily, weekly, and monthly rates, and the team will help you schedule equipment to minimize rental overlap.

Common Pitfalls for First-Time Builders

Underestimating Site Prep Costs

Site preparation typically runs 10–15% of total construction cost. On a $400,000 home, that's $40,000–$60,000. Builders who budget based on the "easy" lot next door and then discover caliche, expansive clay, or required retaining walls can blow their budget before framing begins.

Ignoring Drainage

St. George averages 8 inches of rain per year, but most of it falls in intense monsoon bursts in July and August. A single storm can dump 1–2 inches in an hour. If your grading doesn't direct that water away from the foundation, you will have water intrusion problems. Every experienced Southern Utah builder has horror stories about drainage failures.

Skipping the Soil Test

A $3,000 soil test can save a $50,000 foundation redesign. Never skip it. Never assume your lot has the same soil as the lot next to it.

Not Scheduling Inspections in Advance

Building inspectors in fast-growing Washington County are busy. Schedule inspections at least 48 hours in advance, and build inspection time into your project timeline. A failed inspection means rework and rescheduling, which can delay a project by a week or more.

Permit Expiration

Building permits in most Washington County cities expire after 180 days if no inspections have been performed. If your project stalls, request an extension before the permit lapses. Applying for a new permit means paying fees again and potentially meeting updated code requirements.

Timeline: What to Expect for Site Prep in Southern Utah

FAQ

How much does it cost to prepare land for building in St. George? Site preparation costs in Washington County typically range from $15,000 to $60,000+ depending on lot conditions, terrain, and utility proximity. A flat lot with easy soil and nearby utilities costs the least. Hillside lots with caliche, required retaining walls, and utility extensions cost the most. Equipment rental for site prep typically runs $4,500–$8,400 for a single home build.

Do I need a geotechnical soil test before building in St. George? Yes, and most building departments in Washington County require one. St. George's soils include caliche hardpan, expansive clay, and loose sand — each requiring different foundation engineering. A soil test costs $2,000–$5,000 and is the single most important investment in preventing foundation problems. The report guides your structural engineer's foundation design.

How long does it take to get a building permit in Washington County? Plan review for a new home typically takes 4–6 weeks in St. George and 3–5 weeks in Hurricane and Washington. The first review usually generates comments requiring plan revisions, so budget an additional 1–2 weeks for resubmission. Total time from submission to permit in hand is typically 5–8 weeks.

Can I do my own site prep as an owner-builder? Yes. Utah law allows property owners to perform their own construction work, including site preparation, on their primary residence. You don't need a contractor's license for your own home. However, all work must meet code and pass inspections. Renting equipment from BeeHive Rental & Sales gives you access to professional-grade machines at a fraction of contractor rates.

What soil problems are common when building in St. George? The three most common soil issues in Washington County are: (1) caliche — a rock-hard calcium carbonate layer that requires heavy equipment to excavate and affects drainage; (2) expansive clay — soil that swells when wet and shrinks when dry, causing foundation movement; and (3) collapsible soil — loose, wind-deposited sand that compresses under building loads when it gets wet. A geotechnical engineer identifies these conditions and specifies mitigation measures in the foundation design.

Preparing raw land for a new home in St. George is a process that rewards careful planning and the right equipment. Skip the soil test, underestimate the grading, or cut corners on compaction, and you pay for it in foundation problems for years to come. Do it right the first time, and you build on a solid, well-prepared site that protects your investment. BeeHive Rental & Sales at 1175 Highland Drive has served Washington County builders since 1994 with excavators, skid steers, compactors, trenchers, and every other piece of site prep equipment. Call (435) 628-6663 to plan your project, or browse the full equipment inventory online.