Site prep and building pads for Albuquerque infill lots
Most of the pads we build in Albuquerque go on lots squeezed between existing homes: a casita behind a Nob Hill bungalow, a garage off an alley, a new house on the one empty lot left on the block.
Building next door to the neighbors
An infill pad leaves very little room for error. Your new slab sits a few feet from a property wall, the grade has to tie into yards that were shaped decades ago, and every load of dirt goes in or out past someone's driveway.
We start with your builder's or engineer's plans and staking, then work out the access route, where spoil and fill will sit during the job, and how the finished grade sheds water. On a tight lot that sequence matters more than the size of the machine.
Inside the city, grading can't push stormwater onto neighboring property, and bigger projects may need an approved grading and drainage plan before work starts. We build the pad to the elevations on that plan.
What the dirt under your pad looks like across town
The same casita pad is a different job depending on which side of the river you build on.
| Part of the city | What we usually find | How it changes the pad work |
|---|---|---|
| Westside and Northwest Mesa | Loose, blowing sand | Fill needs water to compact well, and bare ground needs dust control until it's built on |
| Northeast Heights and Foothills | Caliche, decomposed granite, buried boulders | Rock may need a ripper or hydraulic hammer before the pad can be cut to grade |
| North and South Valley | River silt and clay | Soft after rain or irrigation, so we time the work and grade the pad to shed water |
| Older central neighborhoods | Mixed fill, old footings, buried debris | We dig out what doesn't belong before placing new fill |
Dust and stormwater on bigger Albuquerque sites
A larger disturbed area may need a fugitive dust control permit from the city's air quality program, which covers Albuquerque and Bernalillo County, and may need coverage under the federal NPDES Construction General Permit for stormwater. Whether either applies depends on your project. We go over both with you before we break ground and follow whatever controls your permits call for.
From empty lot to pad your framer can use
- 1
Walk the lot and the access
We measure gates, alleys and overhead lines, and note any old slabs, trash or trees on the building footprint.
- 2
Clear and strip
Brush, roots, stumps and buried junk come out of the footprint and are hauled off, along with soft or organic soil that shouldn't sit under a slab.
- 3
Locate and cut
We request a New Mexico 811 locate, then cut high spots and break out caliche or rock where the plans call for it.
- 4
Fill and compact in lifts
Fill goes in in layers, each moistened and compacted. If your project calls for compaction testing, we coordinate with the testing company.
- 5
Final shaping
The pad is checked against the staking and the surrounding yard is graded so water moves away from the new building.
Get a pad quote for your lot
Share the address, plus a site plan if your builder has one. We'll walk it and give you a written quote.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (505) 578-0369.
Albuquerque pad questions
Can you build a casita pad in a backyard with only a side gate?
Often, yes. Compact machines fit through many side gates. We measure during the estimate and tell you plainly if the access won't work or if a section of fence or wall would need to come down.
Do I need a grading and drainage plan for a small infill house?
It depends on the project and what the City of Albuquerque requires for it. Your builder or engineer usually handles that question; we can tell you what we see on the lot that may affect it.
What happens to the old slab and junk on my lot?
We break it out and haul it off as part of the site prep, unless you want clean fill left for reuse. It's listed in the written quote so you know what's covered.
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Let's walk your property. The estimate is free.
We come out, look at the lot with you, and hand you a written quote. No pressure, no obligation.