Before you request bids, it helps to understand the sequence of work that turns a raw Las Vegas Valley parcel into a buildable site. Here's the plain-language version.
On almost every commercial or residential development project, the very first contractor on site isn't the framer or the foundation crew — it's the earthwork and utility contractor. Their job is to turn raw land into a graded, serviced pad that the rest of construction can build on. Skipping steps or under-scoping this phase is one of the most expensive mistakes a developer can make, because problems discovered underground are far more costly to fix once vertical construction has started.
Most projects start with a geotechnical (soils) report. In the Las Vegas Valley, this step matters more than in many markets because subsurface conditions vary block to block — shallow caliche (a hard, cemented layer of calcium carbonate common in desert soils), expansive clays in some areas, and variable rock can all affect how a site is graded and compacted. The geotech report tells your design team and contractor what they're actually working with before equipment ever shows up.
Any existing vegetation, structures, slabs, or debris are cleared from the site. In older parts of the Valley this can include removing abandoned utility lines or old septic systems that were never properly capped.
This is the "earthwork" most people picture: heavy equipment cutting high areas and filling low areas to bring the site to the elevations shown on the civil engineering plans. Contractors aim to balance cut and fill on site whenever possible, since hauling excess soil off site (or importing fill) adds real cost. Soil is compacted in lifts to meet the density specified in the geotechnical report — this is what gives the pad the bearing capacity to support foundations, pavement, and utilities later.
Once rough grading establishes stable, accessible ground, underground utilities go in — generally in this order, though it varies by site and engineer preference:
Each utility installation typically involves trenching to the design depth, bedding the pipe in approved material, backfilling in compacted lifts, and testing (pressure testing for water, video/mandrel testing for sewer and storm drain) before the local agency will accept the line.
After utilities are in and backfilled, the site gets a final grading pass to precise elevations and tolerances — this sets up proper drainage away from buildings and prepares subgrade for pavement, curb, and landscaping.
Depending on scope, inspections happen throughout the process (not just at the end) — compaction testing, utility pressure/video testing, and grading verification are common checkpoints. Public utility lines (sewer and water mains that will be dedicated to a public agency) typically require formal acceptance from that agency before the project can move forward. See our permitting and inspections guide for more detail on which Las Vegas Valley agencies are typically involved.
Because these phases build on each other, a mistake or missed step early on (e.g., grading to the wrong elevation, or missing a utility conflict) is far more expensive to fix once later phases are complete. This is part of why an experienced, properly licensed site-work contractor is worth the vetting — see our contractor selection checklist.
Site work is its own trade with its own licensing, equipment, and expertise — distinct from the general contractor who builds the structure itself. Many developers assume their GC handles this directly, when in practice it's almost always a specialized earthwork/utility subcontractor (sometimes contracted directly by the owner on larger projects). Understanding this distinction helps you scope bids correctly and avoid gaps between trades.