Land Development Engineering, from Concept to Construction.
The full civil scope for residential, commercial, industrial, mixed-use, and solar developments. Site planning, grading, stormwater, utilities, permitting, and construction support, all stamped by a senior PE.
One engineer the whole way through. No PM layer. Independent-firm fees.
The civil engineer who turns land into a buildable project.
A land development engineer is a civil engineer who specializes in turning raw or underutilized land into a buildable, permittable, financeable project. The work covers site planning, grading and drainage, stormwater management, utility design, permitting coordination, and construction support, all stamped by a Professional Engineer.
Land development engineering is a focused subset of civil engineering. It centers on the work that makes a site into a project: the planning, the earthwork, the water, the utilities, and the agency approvals. It's distinct from structural engineering (buildings), geotechnical engineering (soils), and transportation engineering (highways and bridges), though all four often coordinate on the same development project.
The earliest decisions a land development engineer makes are also the most expensive ones to get wrong. Site selection, feasibility analysis, and conceptual planning shape every later cost. That's why we recommend engaging a civil engineer before land is even acquired.
Real Land Pro deliverable: master site plan for a mixed-use development.
From feasibility through construction closeout.
A typical land development engagement runs through six phases. We can engage at any point, but earlier is almost always cheaper.
Feasibility & Due Diligence
Topography, soils, utilities, easements, drainage, zoning, and agency context. The two-week look that often saves six figures of misallocated planning.
Conceptual Site Planning
Conceptual site layout, road geometry, lot or building footprints, grading concept, and stormwater concept. The plan that gets the project entitlement-ready.
Design Development
Detailed grading, drainage, stormwater, utility design, and erosion control. Coordinated with the architect, surveyor, and geotechnical engineer.
Permitting & Approvals
City, county, watershed, MPCA, CDPHE, MnDOT, DNR, and other agency submittals. Direct coordination with reviewers to keep approvals moving.
Construction Documents
PE-stamped construction set the GC builds from. Drawings, details, specifications, and erosion control / SWPPP all coordinated.
Construction Support
RFI response, change orders, observation visits, and as-built coordination through closeout.
Real Land Pro deliverable: aerial site planning overlay for a mountain residential subdivision.
Project types we engineer for.
From single-parcel infill through multi-phase subdivisions. From the Twin Cities to the Front Range to mountain communities. We size the engagement to the project, not the reverse.
We'll give you a practical read on what the civil work looks like.
Land development engineering questions, answered.
What is a land development engineer?
A land development engineer is a civil engineer who specializes in turning raw or underutilized land into a buildable, permittable, financeable project. The work covers site planning, grading and drainage, stormwater management, utility design, permitting coordination, and construction support, all stamped by a Professional Engineer.
What does a land development engineer do?
A land development engineer leads the civil scope of a development project from feasibility through construction. That includes feasibility studies, conceptual site planning, grading and drainage design, stormwater management, utility design and coordination, agency permitting, construction documents, RFI response during construction, and as-built coordination at closeout.
When should a developer engage a land development engineer?
Earlier than most developers think. The cheapest and highest-leverage civil work happens before land is acquired, in the form of feasibility analysis. A two-week look at site constraints (topography, soils, utilities, easements, drainage, agency context) can save a developer six figures of misallocated planning before the project ever breaks ground.
How is land development engineering different from a typical civil engineering firm?
Land development engineering is a focused subset of civil engineering. It centers on the work that turns a site into a buildable project: planning, grading, drainage, stormwater, utilities, and permitting. It's distinct from structural engineering (buildings), geotechnical engineering (soils), or transportation engineering (highways and bridges), though the four often coordinate on the same project.
What types of projects do you take on?
Residential subdivisions, commercial and retail sites, industrial campuses, mixed-use developments, ground-mounted solar projects, mountain residential, and urban infill. From single-parcel projects through multi-phase developments. We size the engagement to the project, not the reverse.
How do you charge?
Fixed-fee, retainer, or hourly engagements depending on project scope and your preference. After a brief call, we send a clear proposal with scope, deliverables, and pricing in writing before any work starts. As a smaller, senior-led firm we're meaningfully more affordable than larger regional engineering firms for comparable scope.
Founder of Land Pro Civil. Professional Engineer licensed in Minnesota, Colorado, North Dakota, and Utah. University of Minnesota Civil Engineering graduate. More about Paul →
Tell us about your site.
Whether you're at feasibility, early design, or closing on land, we'll come back with a clear proposal and a fee in writing.
Tell us about your project
We'll respond the same business day.
Open Project FormOr call (303) 229-0180 to speak with Paul directly.