Civil Engineering in Edina, Minnesota.
We work with developers, architects, and landowners on civil engineering for Edina land development, from high-end infill residential to redevelopment around the 50th & France district and the Southdale area.
Licensed Professional Engineer in Minnesota. The engineer designing your Edina project is the same engineer answering your call.
(303) 229-0180 →The watershed districts that govern Edina stormwater.
Edina sits across multiple watershed-district boundaries. Each district sets its own stormwater rules, and most projects need a watershed-district permit on top of city review.
Covers most of Edina. Stringent stormwater requirements: rate and volume control plus water-quality treatment, with separate watershed-district permitting.
Covers the eastern portion of Edina, including parts of 50th & France. Similarly rigorous stormwater standards.
Touches a portion of western Edina.
Who reviews a Edina project.
A typical Edina land development project moves through city, watershed, and state agencies. We coordinate the full stack.
Plan review for grading, drainage, utilities, and right-of-way.
Zoning, site plan review, and special area plan compliance (50th & France, Southdale, 70th & Cahill, and others).
Removal of significant trees triggers replacement requirements and inspection. Edina enforces this rigorously.
Required for any construction disturbing one acre or more.
What's different about engineering in Edina.
A few things shape how a project actually moves in Edina. We design with these baked in from day one.
- •Two demanding watershed districts. Nine Mile Creek and Minnehaha Creek both apply to Edina projects. Both require rate control, volume control, and water-quality treatment. There's no skating around stormwater here.
- •Tree preservation is enforced. Edina's ordinance triggers replacement and bond requirements when significant trees are removed; this needs to be modeled into the site plan early.
- •Special area plans at 50th & France, Southdale, 70th & Cahill, and Grandview shape what's allowed. Form-based code, height, parking, and ground-floor activation rules vary by area.
- •Affluent infill market means high standards on aesthetic site detailing, drainage discreteness, and finished-grade quality. Generic suburban detailing won't pass review.
- •Mature lots often have surface drainage issues that need to be solved at the site level rather than passed to neighbors. This affects every site plan.
What we work on in Edina.
Custom homes on tear-down lots. Civil scope: grading, driveway, surface drainage, and watershed-district stormwater compliance when the site triggers it. Tree preservation is almost always in play.
Mixed-use and multifamily within the special area plan. Form-based zoning, structured parking, integrated stormwater.
Larger redevelopment opportunities with significant stormwater scope. Underground storage, bioretention, and regional approaches.
Site retrofit, parking restripe, ADA upgrade, and stormwater retrofit to meet current code.
Common questions about civil engineering in Edina.
Why is Edina stormwater design more rigorous than other Twin Cities cities?
Most of Edina falls under either Nine Mile Creek or Minnehaha Creek Watershed District. Both require rate control, volume control, and water-quality treatment as a baseline. Both apply their own permit on top of city review. The cumulative effect is that Edina projects need real stormwater design, not a token BMP.
Does Edina's tree preservation ordinance affect every infill project?
Effectively yes, on lots with significant tree cover. Removing significant trees triggers replacement requirements, bonds, and city inspection. Tree-preservation calculation belongs in the very first conceptual site plan, not at the end.
Do you work on 50th & France or Southdale projects?
Yes. Both areas have special area plans with form-based zoning, structured parking expectations, and integrated stormwater. We design within those parameters and coordinate with the relevant watershed district.
How are your fees compared to larger Twin Cities engineering firms?
Meaningfully more affordable for comparable scope. The Edina market often involves project owners who've worked with larger firms before; the senior-PE-on-every-project model lands well in that conversation.
Do you handle infill residential teardowns?
Yes. Civil scope on a single-lot teardown includes grading, driveway/utility tie-ins, surface drainage, and watershed-district stormwater compliance when the project crosses the trigger threshold. Tree preservation is also part of every Edina infill engagement.
Working on a Edina project?
Tell us about the site. You'll get a same-business-day response from Paul, with a real read on the civil scope, watershed jurisdiction, and likely permitting path.