42 Acres. 87 Lots. 14 Weeks.

A residential developer in Kaufman County acquired 42 acres of raw land and needed it transformed into 87 pad-ready residential lots — with roads, utilities, and drainage — in time for their homebuilder partners to begin vertical construction.

The Challenge

The site had significant topographic variation — nearly 28 feet of elevation change across the 42 acres. The developer's civil engineer had designed the subdivision layout, but the earthwork quantities were substantial and the drainage design needed to integrate with the county's stormwater requirements.

The developer had commitments to homebuilders to deliver pad-ready lots by a specific date. Missing that date meant delayed starts, delayed closings, and real financial consequences for everyone in the chain.

Our Approach

We started with a detailed earthwork analysis to optimize cut-fill balance across the site. By adjusting the final grade of several lots within the engineer's tolerance, we reduced off-site dirt hauling by approximately 12,000 cubic yards — saving the developer $180,000 in trucking costs.

We phased the work to allow the first 30 lots to be delivered ahead of the full project completion, giving the homebuilders an early start while we finished the remaining phases. This sequencing required careful coordination but gave the developer a significant schedule advantage.

Underground utilities — water, sewer, and storm drain — were installed in parallel with grading operations rather than sequentially, compressing the overall schedule by approximately three weeks.

The Result

All 87 lots were delivered pad-ready in 14 weeks — two weeks ahead of the developer's deadline. The earthwork optimization saved $180,000 versus the original estimate. Homebuilders began vertical construction on the first 30 lots before the civil work was even complete on the remaining phases.

The developer has since engaged us for two additional subdivision projects in the same county.