Land, read and ready to build.
Contour Civil & Survey provides civil engineering and land surveying for property owners, builders, and ranches: from the first soil test to the stakes your builder works from.
LICENSED & INSURED·SAN BENITO AND SANTA CLARA COUNTIES·SEPTIC, SURVEY, AND SITE CIVIL
SERVICES
From raw parcel to stamped plans
Six services, one objective: moving your parcel to permit and construction.
Perc Tests & Soil Profiles
Percolation rates measured, logged, and reported to county standards.
Septic System Design
Systems designed to your soil conditions and your county's code.
Site Plans & Approvals
Complete, correct submittals prepared for first-pass approval.
Permitting
Applications managed end to end, with every document accounted for.
Boundary & Topographic Surveys
Boundaries established, topography mapped, recorded on one sheet.
Construction Staking
Approved plans transferred precisely to the ground for construction.
SITE DEVELOPMENT, READ FROM ABOVE
THE WORK
Every parcel tells its grade
Slopes, soils, setbacks, and drainage decide what a parcel can carry. We measure them first, so the plans that follow are built on the ground you actually own, not an assumption.
PROCESS
Three stages from site visit to permit
Site evaluation
Soil testing, topographic measurement, and county records review before design begins.
Plan preparation
Septic, grading, and site plans prepared to current county code.
Construction staking
With approval issued, we stake the site and hand off to your builder.
FIELD METHOD
The percolation test
Before a county issues a septic permit, it requires proof that the soil can absorb water at an acceptable rate. The test is simple and strict:
- A test hole is dug, presoaked overnight, and refilled to a set line.
- The drop from the fill line to the one-inch mark is timed. Minutes per inch is the percolation rate.
- The measured rate is compared against the county's accepted range. This profile passed at 22 minutes per inch.
WE SCHEDULE THE COUNTY WITNESS AS PART OF THE SERVICE.
"They found the setback issue two other companies missed."
THE TEAM
The people who read your land
Four of us, one standard: measured on site, drawn to code, approved at the counter.
Michael TorresPE, PLS · PRINCIPAL ENGINEERStamps every plan that leaves this office.
Elena VasquezPROJECT DESIGNERTurns field data into county-ready plan sets.
Sam WhitfieldFIELD SURVEY LEADRuns the instrument and walks every boundary himself.
Grace LinPERMITS COORDINATORCarries every application from intake to approval.
QUESTIONS
Common questions
Is a percolation test required?
For any construction outside a sewer service area, yes. Your county will not issue a septic permit without one, and we schedule the county witness as part of the service.
What happens if the soil fails the test?
A failed percolation test does not end a project. We evaluate alternative system designs, additional test locations, and the options your county's code allows.
How long does approval take?
Timelines vary by county and season. What we control is submitting complete, correct plans the first time, which is where most delays originate.
What does this cost?
Scope and parcel conditions determine the fee, so we provide a flat written quote within two business days of the site evaluation.
Do you coordinate with the county directly?
Yes. County coordination is central to the work: you receive updates while we manage the submittals, corrections, and scheduling.
START
Tell us about your parcel
Submit the form, we schedule a site evaluation, and you receive a written flat quote within two business days.
PREFER THE PHONE? (831) 555-0180