Grading is a narrower, more exact job than clearing — regrading a paddock so it actually drains, cutting a level pad for a ring or arena's footing, sloping a wash-rack apron so runoff goes where it should, or smoothing an access run so a horse trailer can turn without rutting the ground. Bobcat T740 with a 60" grapple, $385/day with an operator, the same rate quoted everywhere on this site.
Grading Is Its Own Job — Not Just the Last Step of Clearing
A lot of Wellington calls start as "can you clear this" and turn out, once we're standing on the ground, to actually be a grading question: the vegetation is already gone, or was never the problem — what the property needs is the dirt itself moved and shaped. A paddock that puddles after every rain. A pad that has to sit dead level before a ring contractor can lay footing on top of it. A wash-rack apron that needs a slope built into it on purpose. A gravel or shell-rock run wide and firm enough that a two-horse trailer can back in without digging a rut. That's grading, and on our Bobcat T740 it's the grapple bucket doing the cutting and pushing rather than the pulling.
The reason this is worth its own page rather than sitting as a line item on our Wellington land clearing page: grading calls are usually scoped, priced, and scheduled differently than a clearing job. Clearing is measured by what has to come off the lot; grading is measured by how many passes it takes to get the ground to a shape and a slope that actually works — and in Wellington's flat, high-water-table soil, getting that slope right the first time matters more than almost anywhere else in the county.
Tell us the address, what the ground needs to do once we're done — drain, sit level, hold a trailer's weight — and you'll get a straight answer within 24 hours, and a free walk of the site before any number gets written. (561) 779-3213.
The same T740 and grapple that clears a Wellington fence line also cuts and shapes the ground underneath a paddock, a ring pad or a drainage run.
The Grading Jobs That Actually Bring Us to Wellington
Four kinds of grading call, and naming yours before we show up is what turns "can you fix my paddock" into a real number and a real day.
1 · Paddock and turnout regrading
Low spots that hold water and high spots that shed footing get cut and filled until the whole turnout sheds rain the way it's supposed to, instead of leaving standing puddles a horse has to stand in.
2 · Arena and ring footing pads
Cutting and leveling the pad a ring or arena footing contractor is going to build on top of. This is the grading job that most wants a dead-level, compacted base left clean — not mulched over — since a footing crew is following right behind us.
3 · Wash-rack and drainage grading
Sloping the apron around a wash rack, or a swale-adjacent grade, on purpose — so runoff moves toward where it's supposed to go rather than pooling against a barn foundation or backing up onto a neighbor's ground.
4 · Horse-trailer access grading
Widening and firming a gravel or shell-rock run so a two-horse trailer can turn, back in, and park without the tow vehicle digging in — a common ask during a build, when heavier construction traffic is using the same driveway.
The Same Two Approval Questions as Any Wellington Job
Grading raises the same two-part approval question our Wellington land clearing page walks through in full: the Village of Wellington, and the property's own HOA, POA, or gated equestrian community. The Village. Wellington runs its own Unified Land Development Code, and grading that changes drainage patterns or disturbs a swale, culvert, or easement is generally a question for the Village's Planning, Zoning & Building Department, 12300 Forest Hill Boulevard, (561) 753-2430, before the first bucket of dirt moves — we confirm this in writing rather than guessing. The community. Almost every Wellington address sits inside a gated or deed-restricted community, and those associations commonly run their own architectural review board (ARB) sign-off for a new ring pad, a re-graded paddock, or any other visible change to the lot — a separate step from, and in addition to, anything the Village requires.
Wellington's canals, swales and pump stations run through the Acme Improvement District rather than the Indian Trail Improvement District that governs Loxahatchee and The Acreage — the same principle applies regardless of which district: a culvert or swale is drainage infrastructure, not spare yard, and re-grading near one is a question for the district and the Village, not something decided on site. The full district picture lives on the Wellington page.
What Bobcat Grading Costs in Wellington
Grading is almost always priced by the day rather than by the acre, because the number of passes it takes to get a slope right depends on how far off level the ground starts — not how much square footage it covers.
Most grading calls
Paddock touch-up, wash-rack slope, trailer access run
$385 · half-day to one day
The T740 with grapple and an operator, at the same $385/day rate quoted everywhere on this site — no Wellington surcharge.
Full ring or arena footing pad
Multi-day, priced by scope
A larger pad ahead of a new ring or arena runs a few days at the same daily rate, plus whatever site work the footing contractor requires once our grading is done. Our cost guide covers the per-acre math for a larger clear-and-grade combination.
How far off level the starting ground is, whether fill dirt has to be brought in versus cut and moved on site, and how tight the access is inside a gated community all move the number — exactly what the free walk settles before anything is written down.
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Want your own number before you call? The estimator on the main land page takes three taps — what you're prepping for, roughly how much ground, where the debris goes — and gives you a real range, no email required. Price your job ↗
The Honest Version of Our Wellington Track Record
We don't have a named Wellington grading project to point to yet, and we would rather say that than dress up a job that isn't ours. What we can put in front of you instead is the credential stack: Florida Certified General Contractor CGC1528750 — a statewide license that needs no additional local certification to operate here — a BBB A+ Accredited Business rating, and a Wellington Local Business Tax Receipt held and current for this village specifically. We're not claiming a business tax receipt anywhere else we haven't confirmed one — just Wellington.
The free site walk is where that stack gets tested against your actual property, in person, before any money changes hands.
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The walk is free and it is the whole point. We name the actual scope — paddock, arena pad, drainage, or trailer access — flag the Village and ARB questions plainly, and tell you honestly what it will take. Bobcat T740 with 60" grapple and operator, $385/day. Licensed & insured, CGC1528750, held by a Florida corporation formed in 2009, BBB A+ Accredited Business.
The construction-side view of the same village — re-roofs, impact windows, remodels, and the Village's permitting desk.
Bobcat Grading in Wellington — FAQ
What is bobcat grading, and how is it different from land clearing?
Clearing removes what's growing on a lot; grading moves and shapes the dirt underneath it. A paddock that's already free of brush but holds water after every rain is a grading job, not a clearing job — the Bobcat T740's grapple bucket cuts high spots and fills low ones until the ground sheds water and sits level the way it needs to.
Do you grade paddocks and turnouts in Wellington?
Yes — it's the most common grading call we get in Wellington. Low spots that puddle and high spots that shed footing get cut and filled until the turnout drains properly, usually a half-day to one-day booking at our standard $385/day rate with an operator included.
Can you grade a pad for a new ring or arena footing?
Yes. We cut and level the pad a footing contractor is going to build on top of, leaving it clean and compacted rather than mulched over, since a footing crew is typically following right behind us. A full ring or arena pad usually runs a few days at the same $385/day rate.
Do you handle drainage grading for wash-rack runoff?
Yes — sloping the apron around a wash rack, or grading toward a swale on purpose, so runoff moves where it's supposed to instead of pooling against a barn foundation or running onto a neighbor's property. Any grading that touches a canal, swale, or culvert is a question for the Acme Improvement District and the Village first, which we confirm before booking.
Can you grade access for horse trailers during construction?
Yes. We widen and firm a gravel or shell-rock run so a two-horse trailer can turn, back in, and park without the tow vehicle digging in — a common ask when heavier construction traffic is sharing the same driveway during a build.
How much does bobcat grading cost in Wellington?
Most grading calls — a paddock touch-up, a wash-rack slope, a trailer access run — are a half-day to one-day booking at our standard $385/day rate with an operator included, no Wellington surcharge. A full ring or arena footing pad runs multiple days at the same daily rate. The free site walk gives you the real number before anything is written down.
Do I need a Village of Wellington permit for grading work?
Often, yes, particularly if the grading changes drainage patterns or is near a swale, culvert, or easement. Wellington's Planning, Zoning & Building Department, 12300 Forest Hill Boulevard, (561) 753-2430, makes that determination case by case, and we confirm it in writing before booking rather than assuming.
Does my HOA or ARB need to approve grading work too?
Almost always, yes. Nearly every Wellington address sits inside an HOA, POA, or gated equestrian community, and those associations commonly run their own architectural review board (ARB) approval for a re-graded paddock, a new ring pad, or any other visible change to the lot — separate from, and in addition to, whatever the Village requires.
Have you completed a named grading project in Wellington before?
We don't have a confirmed named Wellington grading project to point to yet, and we'd rather tell you that than dress up a job that isn't ours. What we do have: Florida Certified General Contractor CGC1528750 — a statewide license, no additional local certification needed to operate here — a BBB A+ Accredited Business rating, and a Wellington Local Business Tax Receipt held and current specifically for this village. The site walk is where that stack gets tested against your actual property.
Are you licensed and insured for grading work?
Yes. Bell Land Services operates under Bell Engineering and Construction Corporation, Florida Certified General Contractor CGC1528750, fully licensed and insured, incorporated in Florida in 2009, and a BBB A+ Accredited Business. We hold a current Wellington Local Business Tax Receipt for this village specifically. Our yard is twenty minutes north at 16140 Okeechobee Blvd in Loxahatchee 33470.
