Grading and Excavation Permit Application and Information


Purpose:

 A Grading Permit allows Yakima County to review your project prior to excavation to determine how the proposed activity will impact the environment, structures, or neighboring properties.
A grading permit DOES NOT include projects as described below for mining TYPE OPERATIONS. 
Please see the Planning Division regarding zoning & land use regulations. 
(Reference from Yakima County Code Title 19 definitions) 
“Mining site/operation” means a tract of land and the operations necessary to excavate, process, stockpile, or remove materials such as sand, gravel, aggregate, rock or other mineral resources.  The retail, wholesale, contract purchase, or transfer of mineral products is within the scope of this definition.

“Mineral batching”, includes the batching of sand and gravel or rock into asphalt or cement concrete.

“Mineral processing” means the crushing, non-chemical washing (including sedimentation ponds), screening, sorting, stockpiling and blending of rock, sand, gravel and other earth, natural materials and/or precious metals.  Processing does not include batching of sand and gravel or rock into asphaltic or Portland cement concrete products, the manufacturing of products such as concrete pipe, bricks, concrete forms and the like or the chemical blending or extraction of precious or semi-precious minerals.

Common Grading Terminology:

  • Fill is a deposit of earth material placed by artificial means (such as a dump truck or a backhoe).  Only natural materials such as rock, gravel and dirt may be used for fill.

Fill that is NOT allowed: 

♦       Asphalt,

♦       Concrete larger than 12” in size,

♦       Tree stumps and other debris.

  • Cuts are the removal of any and materials on the land by artificial means to lower any portion of the land.
  • Redistribution means the moving of any and all materials within the property boundaries to alter (cut or fill) the elevations on any portion of the land.
  • Volume of materials is based on the total sum of cubic yards of ALL CUTS and FILL of excavated materials.

GRADING  &  EXCAVATION SITE PLAN REQUIREMENTS  
Plans shall be drawn to scale upon suitable material.  Plans shall be of sufficient clarity to indicate the nature and extent of the proposed wok and show in detail that they will conform to the provisions of the code and all relevant laws, ordinances, rules and regulations.
PLEASE NOTE:   AERIAL PHOTOS MAY BE SUBMITTED, HOWEVER ARE NOT ACCEPTABLE IN LIEU OF A SITE PLAN.
Aerial photos do not copy or scan well to distribute to other departments and agencies.

Grading Permit Application

  1. Grading Permit Application (PDF)