A lot grading certificate is required for grade approvals for all developments including infill housing.
Rough and/or final grading certificate submission is required to ensure that the grading for a property conforms to the requirements of the Drainage Bylaw 18093 and the lot grading guidelines.
Lot Grading Certificate Examples
An example of a typical rough grade certificate.
Special thanks to Pals Surveys & Associates LTD. for providing example Lot Grading Certificates.
An example of a typical lake lot final grade certificate.
Special thanks to Pals Surveys & Associates LTD. for providing example Lot Grading Certificates.
Required Certificate Information
Lot Grading Certificates must display the following:
- Certification by an Alberta Land Surveyor
- Title identifying the purpose of document (for example, Final Grade Certificate, Rough Grade Certificate). "Revised" added to certificate titles for revised certificate submissions
- Revision table added to certificate to track revision history of as-built information
- Presentation on 8 ½” x 14” (legal size) format in portrait orientation with the rear of the lot at the top of the page and the ‘FRONT’ of the lot labelled (this format supports the location references in the grading reports)
- Full Name (company or homeowner) and contact information for the applicant's preferred method to receive inspection reports or grading approval documents (mailing address, fax number, or email address)
- Date the as-built elevations were obtained
- Legal Description and Municipal Address of the property
- Surface Condition of the lot (clay, topsoil, sod, landscaped)
- A note indicating that the Grading is subject to approval by the Local Authority
- North Arrow
- Legend, including scale of drawing
- House and garage/parking pad layout, include the garage pad design elevation when it exists or N/A when a design elevation has not been pre-determined
- Design elevations from the approved Lot Grading plan or the approved Infill Lot Grading plan
- As-built common property or internal swale elevations at:
- Design locations
- Across from building corners, and
- Any breakpoint (for example, swale high-point relocated from the approved design)
- An asterisk (*) designating as-built elevations that exceed tolerance
- Rough Grade -7cm to -20cm from design
- Final Grade +/- 10cm from design (including sod)
- As-built elevations of
- Retaining walls (top of wall and internal swale or foundation grade)
- Sidewalks (adjacent to front step)
- Driveways (adjacent to garage door)
- Garage pads
- Fence bottom (if exposed) particularly adjacent to Public Utility Lot and Municipal Reserve properties
- As-built rear internal swale high point elevation (see Drainage Swales - Residential)
- As-built house corner elevations and an as-built elevation 2 metres from the back of the house
- As-built elevations for drainage swales within Right-of-Ways and Drainage Easements
- As-built elevations are to be shown in metres, referenced to the datum used to derive the as-built elevations, being one or more Alberta Survey Control Markers, or other benchmark approved by the City
- Lake lot certificates present detailed as-built locations and elevations for structures constructed within a ‘maintenance and overflow area’
Issues Requiring a New or Revised Certificate
The lot grading inspector could ask for a new or revised lot grading certificate when any of the following occurs:
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Errors, incomplete or unclear information on the lot grading certificate
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Verification of as-built elevations if the as-built elevations on the lot grading certificate are not within tolerances
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Verification of as-built elevations, if requested by the inspector, due to substantial re-grading
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Discrepancies or errors in design and/or as-built elevations that require confirmation
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Red-line revisions to the lot grading plan that are not reflected on the lot grading certificate
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Application for partial approval on final grade (for example, an approval for front landscaping when the back yard is still in rough grade)