Excavation Contractor in Woodburn, OR

Flat ground, two creeks and wet clay in Woodburn

From the high point in west Woodburn to where Mill Creek leaves town, the ground drops only about 40 feet. Mill Creek runs through the center of town, and Senecal Creek runs through the west side. The city's plan names their floodplains as one of only two significant limits on development here.

The other limit is unstable clay in those same low areas. Most of the city sits on Amity and Woodburn silt loams. The drainage channels hold Bashaw clay along with Dayton and Concord silt loams. The plan says those clay soils are insufficient to provide foundations for normal structures.

Water sits high in winter as well. The USDA's official description of the Woodburn soil series puts its water table at its highest from December to March. So we plan mass grading and deep trenches for the dry months whenever the schedule allows. Our grading and earthwork page covers cut and fill on wet valley ground.

Where is Woodburn growing?

The Census counted 24,080 people in Woodburn in 2010 and 26,013 in 2020. More than four in ten homes in town were built in the 1960s and 1970s, by Census Bureau estimates. Senior Estates was first platted in 1960, and its last lots were platted in 1980.

The city's plan notes that agricultural land surrounds Woodburn. In 2015 the city expanded its urban growth boundary. It also set an urban reserve with Marion County, west and south of Parr Road. The Planning Division's project list shows subdivisions under construction off Boones Ferry Road and near Parr Road.

The Southwest Industrial Reserve along I-5 is held for industrial use. The plan requires a master development plan there before annexation. On industrial and commercial parcels, our commercial site work covers the building pad and the parking lot base. Utilities run to the building as part of the same job.

Who handles permits for site work in Woodburn?

Inside the city limits, the Community Development Department has two divisions. The Building Division issues structural, mechanical, fire alarm and sprinkler permits. Electrical and plumbing permits go through Marion County. The Planning Division reviews land development under the Woodburn Development Ordinance.

Grading has its own permit in Woodburn, under section 5.01.03 of the development ordinance. It applies to grading an acre or more, and to work that needs a Department of State Lands permit. Fill or grading in the floodplain or the Riparian Corridor and Wetlands Overlay District needs one too. The application asks for a site plan with existing and proposed contours.

Work in a city street or public easement goes through Public Works. Its Engineering Division reviews those plans and inspects the work. The city requires developers to hire a professional engineer to design right-of-way improvements. A new residential street needs 60 feet of right-of-way with 34 feet of pavement.

Outside the city limits, Marion County's Planning Division handles land use, and its Building Inspection Division handles construction permits. Starting September 3, 2025, county building permits carry new language on keeping construction sediment out of the water. Inside the city, Woodburn's water quality plan calls for DEQ's 1200 series stormwater permits on construction sites.

Farm and nursery ground around Woodburn

Woodburn sits in the southern reaches of the French Prairie, east of the Willamette River. The USDA's 2022 farm census ranks Marion County first in Oregon for farm sales. The county also ranks first in the state for nursery and greenhouse crops.

The USDA's description of Woodburn silt loam lists berries, orchards, grain, hay and pasture among its uses. On farm and nursery ground, we grade fields and growing areas and build access roads and equipment yards. Our storm drainage work adds French drains and culverts where water sits on flat ground.

Turning farm ground into lots or a business park brings in DEQ's 1200-C construction stormwater permit. It applies once a project disturbs an acre or more. Projects of five acres or more go through a 14-day public comment period before DEQ grants coverage.