Building Pads and Site Grading in Coeur d'Alene and Kootenai County
A building pad is a leveled, compacted place to build. In Kootenai County, settle who sets and checks grade, what happens to extra soil, and whether an engineer's drawing is needed.
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What a building pad involves
A building pad is the prepared ground a house, shop or garage sits on. Making one means leveling and compacting a place to build so the ground can carry the structure and shed water. It follows clearing and comes before foundations and trenches.
Kootenai County lots are rarely flat, so a pad usually means cutting soil from the high side and filling the low side, or moving soil on or off the lot. Who sets the grade, who checks it, and what becomes of the extra soil are the questions that most shape the job.
When people need a pad
- A house, shop or garage is planned on sloped or uneven ground.
- A cleared lot is ready for the next stage of a dig.
- A building location has been chosen and needs to be level and firm.
- An existing pad has settled or does not drain.
- Soil needs to be moved on or off the lot before building.
- New homes and shops are being added as Kootenai County grows.
What the work usually looks like
- Plan. Mark the footprint, find the property line and decide who sets grade.
- Locate. 811 notice comes before digging.
- Clear. Brush, trees and stumps inside the footprint come out.
- Cut and fill. Soil is cut from the high side and placed on the low side.
- Compact. Soil or rock is placed in layers and compacted.
- Check grade. The finished surface is checked against the plan, with drainage away from the building.
How to prepare
Before pad work starts, settle these points:
- Choose the building location and size, and mark the corners.
- Find your property lines.
- Settle who sets grade and who checks it.
- Decide what happens to extra soil.
- Ask whether an engineer's drawing is needed.
- Ask the county or your city whether a permit is needed.
- Find out who is requesting 811 and get the ticket number.
- Get the scope and price in writing.
What affects the cost
Excavation is commonly priced by the hour for operator and machine, or as a set price for a defined scope. For a pad, the total depends on how much ground has to move and what is done with it.
- Size. A larger footprint takes more machine time.
- Soil moved. A steeper lot means more cutting and filling.
- Hauling. Soil hauled on or off adds cost.
- Fill material. Rock or soil brought in adds material cost.
- Compaction and drawings. An engineer's drawing or compaction checks add steps.
- Clearing first. Brush and stumps inside the footprint add work.
How a pad fits the stages of a dig
A dig has four stages: plan, locate, dig and finish. The pad sits in the dig stage, but its planning starts earlier, when the building location and grade are chosen and any permit is sorted out. Treating the pad as part of the whole sequence helps: the locate step has to happen before any ground is broken, and the finish step covers drainage so the pad does not hold water.
Local rules and sources
Permits. Kootenai County says permits are required before site disturbance such as grading, excavating and storm drainage or run-off control, and building permits cover structures. Inside a city, start with the city's building or planning office. Outside city limits, start with Kootenai County's Building Division (208-446-1040). Which permits apply depends on the project and the lot.
811. Under Idaho Code 55-2205, the excavator marks the dig area in white paint and gives notice two to ten business days before digging. Once utilities mark their lines, the excavator is responsible for keeping the markings visible, and they stay valid for no more than four consecutive weeks. If digging hasn't started within three weeks of the notice, notice must be given again. Wait until every utility on the ticket has responded before you dig.
Dig Safe North Idaho 811 serves Bonner, Boundary and Kootenai counties (800-428-4950). 811 may route a call from near a county line to a different center; the direct line for Kootenai County is 800-428-4950.
Registration. Idaho requires contractors to register with the Idaho Contractors Board at the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses (DOPL). Idaho law counts excavating as construction (Idaho Code 54-5203). Some work is exempt, such as a single small project priced under $2,000 that is not part of a larger job (54-5205). Check the company on DOPL's public search before you agree to anything.
Reasons to trust this page
- Most rules on this page name their public source, such as an Idaho statute or a county office.
- Cost factors are explained in plain terms, and this site does not quote prices.
- The email address is shown at the top of every page, and the Privacy page says what a quote request collects.
Common questions
What is a building pad?
A building pad is a leveled, compacted place prepared for a house, shop or garage. Making one usually means clearing the area, cutting from the high side, filling and compacting the low side, and shaping the surface so water drains away from the building. Settle who sets and checks the grade before work starts.
What happens to the extra soil from a pad?
Extra soil can stay on the lot, be spread or be hauled away, and each choice changes the cost. Settle the plan before work starts and put it in the written scope. A price that leaves out hauling is not comparable to one that includes it.
Do I need an engineer's drawing for a pad?
It depends on the building and the lot. Settle the question before the pad is built, because changing the ground afterward is costly. Ask the county or your city what applies, and ask the company pricing the work whether a drawing is part of its scope.
Does a building pad need a permit in Kootenai County?
Kootenai County says permits are required before site disturbance such as grading and excavating, and building permits cover structures. Inside a city, start with the city's building or planning office. Outside city limits, start with the county's Building Division at 208-446-1040.
Who sets grade on a pad?
That should be settled in writing before work starts. A dig has four stages, and grade is decided in the plan stage and checked in the finish stage. Ask who sets it, who checks it when the work is done, and who is responsible for settling or drainage problems later.
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