The site work division of ICFHome.ca · Building since 1979 · Insured to $2,000,000 · 705-533-1633
Building on Your Land2026Tiny, Tay, Midland, Wasaga, Collingwood
Raw Land to Footings: Site Work in the Right Order
The order is: check the lot before you buy, survey, permits, clearing, locates, entrance and driveway base, test pits and septic design, excavation, footings, backfill, service trenches, septic install, rough grade, driveway top, final grade, then topsoil and sod. Do it out of order and you pay for some of it twice. This page walks the whole job and links the detailed guide for each step.
Updated October 2026 · Georgian Bay Siteworks, the site work division of ICFHome.ca
Insured to $2,000,000Site work division of ICFHome.caBuilding since 1979250+ projects in Simcoe County
Why the Order Matters
Site work is mostly about not driving a loaded truck across something you just finished. The septic bed, the well line and the final grade all hate heavy equipment. The driveway base loves it. So the job is sequenced around keeping the heavy stuff on the gravel and off the finished ground.
The second reason is paperwork. You cannot dig until certain permits and locates are in hand, and some approvals need a test pit or a survey first. Get one step out of order and the machine sits idle while you wait on a stamp. Building it yourself? Keep invoices CRA will accept for your HST rebate.
Builder truth: the most expensive phrase in site work is “while the machine is here, can you just…” The second most expensive is “we’ll figure out the septic later.”
The Whole Job, In Order
- Due diligence before you buy. Check zoning, road access, septic room, setbacks, wet areas and conservation authority mapping before you firm up. Use our Is My Lot Buildable? tool and the BuildersOntario lot checklist. Rough out the budget with the vacant lot cost guide.
- Survey. An Ontario Land Surveyor marks the lines and, where the town needs it, gives you a current survey for the grading plan.
- Permits. Expect some mix of: septic permit, entrance permit, building permit, lot grading plan and deposit, and a conservation authority permit if you are in a regulated area (NVCA covers Wasaga, Collingwood and Springwater; Tiny has no conservation authority). See our permits page, septic permits, entrance permits by town and NVCA permits.
- Clearing. Only what the house, septic, driveway and working room need. Mind nesting season and the County woodland by-law on larger lots. See lot clearing cost and which trees to keep.
- Locates. Ontario One Call is free. Book it early; Ontario law sets a five-day window but delays of weeks happen. See locates before digging.
- Entrance and driveway base. Culvert (if the town requires it) and a solid granular base, so every truck after this has something to drive on. See gravel driveway cost.
- Test pits and septic design. The designer needs to see the soil and the water table. Septic design is done through SepticReplacement.ca by a BCIN-qualified designer; we dig the holes and install what they design.
- Excavation. Dug to the footing elevation on the approved grading plan. See excavation cost and building on rock or wet lots.
- Footings and foundation. Footing depth for frost is covered in footing depth in Simcoe County. Our parent company ICFHome.ca builds the house from here up. Many towns want a footing elevation certificate at this stage.
- Backfill. After the foundation is ready for it, with drainage stone and weeping tile in place.
- Service trenches. Hydro, well line and septic line, ideally in as few trenches as the rules allow. See trenching for services.
- Septic install. Once the heavy deliveries are mostly done, so nothing drives over the new bed. See the septic installation process.
- Rough grade. Shape the lot to the grading plan, swales included.
- Driveway top. Final gravel or the base ready for paving, after the last big trucks.
- Final grade. Fine-tuned to the plan’s elevations and checked before sod. See lot grading deposits and certificates.
- Topsoil and sod. See finishing a new build lot and sod and topsoil cost.
How Long Does It Take?
Honest answer: it depends more on approvals and weather than on machines. The table shows the few published timelines we could confirm, plus general guidance that is clearly labelled as such.
| Step | Typical time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Locates | Five days under Ontario law; contractors report waits of weeks | Rock to Road |
| Tiny entrance permit review | Up to 2 weeks; winter applications may wait for spring | Township of Tiny |
| Collingwood septic permit | About 10 business days if complete, 20+ if not | Town of Collingwood |
| Clearing, excavation, backfill, septic, grading | General guide only: each is usually days to a couple of weeks of machine time on a typical lot | Our general experience, not a promise |
Incomplete applications, conservation authority reviews, rock and spring thaw are what stretch the calendar. Start the paperwork the week you firm up the purchase.
Season Windows to Plan Around
Half-load season
Tiny’s reduced load period generally runs March 1 to April 30 (2026: March 9 to April 30). Heavy deliveries wait. Track it with our half-load season tracker.
Winter
Often good for clearing on frozen ground. Poor for septic beds and fine grading. Entrance permits applied for in winter may wait for spring.
Nesting season
Plan tree clearing around bird nesting, roughly early April to late August in our zone. See clearing rules and nesting season.
Fall
Often the sweet spot for excavation, septic and grading. Also when everybody else wants it. See best time of year for site work.
The Rest of This Guide
One Crew, Raw Land to Footings
We do the clearing, entrance, excavation, septic install, trenching and grading with our own machines and crew, and our parent company builds the house. Send us the lot and we will map out the order and a written price.
Related guides
Frequently Asked Questions
What order does site work go in when building a house?
Due diligence, survey, permits, clearing, locates, entrance and driveway base, test pits and septic design, excavation, footings, backfill, service trenches, septic install, rough grade, driveway top, final grade, then topsoil and sod.
Should the driveway go in before the house?
The base should. A solid granular base early gives every delivery truck something to drive on. The top layer goes on after the heavy trucks are finished.
Why is the septic installed so late?
A new septic bed must not be driven over by loaded trucks. Installing it after most heavy deliveries protects it. The design and permit happen much earlier.
Do you design septic systems?
No. Septic design is done through SepticReplacement.ca by a BCIN-qualified designer. We dig the test pits and install the system they design.
How long does it take to get from raw land to footings?
It depends mostly on permits and weather. Some steps have published timelines, such as the five-day legal window for locates, but the total varies a lot from lot to lot, so start the paperwork as soon as you firm up the purchase.
Can I clear the lot before I have permits?
Sometimes, but be careful. Clearing a woodland of 1 ha or more is covered by the County by-law unless your building approvals are in place, and you should plan around bird nesting season.