Civil Engineering

Civil engineering for Oklahoma land development

MES provides civil engineering for Oklahoma land development. We design site layout, grading, drainage and detention, paving, and the water and sewer lines that serve the site. Clients include developers, builders, landowners and engineering firms that need help on a project.

MES is licensed in Oklahoma and takes on sites across the state, in cities and in rural counties.

Expansive clay soils are common across much of Oklahoma. Grading, pavement and utility trench details follow the project's geotechnical report, so soil treatment is in the plans before contractors bid.

How civil permitting works in Oklahoma

Cities review plats, grading, drainage and paving plans against their own standards. Outside city limits, county rules apply where the county has adopted them.

The Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality (ODEQ) covers construction stormwater. A site that disturbs one acre or more, or is part of a larger common plan over one acre, needs coverage under the OKR10 general permit and a stormwater pollution prevention plan before work starts. Some cities, including Oklahoma City, have their own stormwater forms as well.

New public water and sewer lines need an ODEQ construction permit. Building in a mapped floodplain needs a floodplain development permit from the local floodplain administrator, who is accredited by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board. Work in streams or wetlands can need a Section 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers. Utility work in a state highway right of way needs an Oklahoma Department of Transportation (ODOT) permit.

Work in Oklahoma

Our recent Oklahoma work includes a town water project. MES took the Sasakwa water storage tank from condition assessment and a grant engineering report through bidding, construction and closeout. See the Sasakwa water tank project.

Common questions

Does my Oklahoma site need a stormwater permit?

Yes, if it disturbs one acre or more, or is part of a larger common plan over one acre. Get OKR10 coverage and have the stormwater pollution prevention plan ready before grading starts. Once the site reaches final stabilization, a Notice of Termination ends the coverage.

Can one firm do the civil and the utility design?

Yes. MES designs grading, drainage, water and sewer together, so utility depths, detention ponds and finished grades work on one set of plans.

Do expansive soils change the civil design?

They can. The geotechnical report sets the subgrade treatment. We carry it into the grading plan, pavement sections and trench details so it is priced in the bid.