Class A General Engineering Contractor in San Diego
We're licensed for the fixed works that take specialized engineering — grading, site development, drainage, underground utilities, and public improvement and right-of-way work — with civil and structural engineering under the same roof.
What is a Class A General Engineering Contractor?
Under California's Contractors State License Board (CSLB), a Class A — General Engineering Contractor license covers “fixed works requiring specialized engineering knowledge and skill.” In plain terms, it's the classification for the heavy, technical site and infrastructure work that sits beneath and around a building — not just the building itself.
It's a higher bar than a standard building license, because the work depends on engineering: earthwork, drainage, grading, and structures that have to perform, not just look right. We hold that Class A license (CA Lic #1038469) — and we back it with civil and structural engineers on our own team.
What we self-perform
The engineering-driven civil and site work a Class A license covers — from raw site prep and grading to public right-of-way improvements, all self-performed and backed by our own engineers.
- Site preparation
- Land clearing
- Excavation
- Rough & fine grading
- Building pads
- Import & export of soil
- Compaction & soil stabilization
- Mass grading
- Precision grading
- Hillside grading
- Slope repair
- Erosion control
- Landslide stabilization
- Drainage swales & berms
- Drainage design-build
- French drains
- Area drains
- Catch basins
- Storm drain installation
- Culverts
- Retention & detention systems
- Stormwater BMP installation
- Erosion & sediment control
- Sidewalks
- Curbs & gutters
- ADA ramps
- Driveways
- Parking lots
- Concrete pads
- Foundations
- Retaining wall footings
- Structural concrete
- Sidewalk repair
- Street improvements
- Curb & gutter replacement
- Utility trenching
- ADA improvements
- Traffic control
- Right-of-way improvements
- Encroachment permit work
- Water line installation
- Sewer line installation
- Storm drain systems
- Utility trenching
- Utility repairs
- Manholes & structures
- Underground conduit
- Retaining walls
- Structural repairs
- Concrete structures
- Shoring
- Slope stabilization
- Bridge & culvert repairs
- Foundation repairs
- Asphalt paving
- Parking lot construction
- Asphalt repairs
- Sealcoating
- Striping
- Pavement maintenance
- Structural demolition
- Concrete demolition
- Selective demolition
- Site clearing
- Debris removal
- Traffic control plans
- Lane closures
- Flagging operations
- Temporary traffic control
- Barricades & signage
A differentiator most contractors can't offer.
- Civil engineering coordination
- Site investigations
- Existing conditions assessments
- Feasibility studies
- Construction consulting
- Value engineering
- Design-build coordination
- Permit assistance
Public improvement projects
Public improvement work — the infrastructure in and along the public right-of-way — carries requirements a private job doesn't: building to agency standards and specifications, encroachment and right-of-way permits, prevailing-wage and certified-payroll compliance on qualifying projects, traffic control, and inspection at every step. As a Class A contractor, that's work we're built for.
- Sidewalk, curb & gutter, and ADA ramp improvements
- Street & roadway improvements
- Storm drain & drainage improvements
- Underground utility & trenching work
- Encroachment / right-of-way permit coordination
- Traffic control plans & setup
We take on public improvement scopes for cities, agencies, developers, and general contractors across San Diego County.
Underground utilities & trenching
From a single service lateral to main-line installation, we self-perform the trenching and underground work that ties a project into the public system — water, sewer, and storm drain — then backfill and compact it to spec.
It's exacting work: existing lines have to be located, trenches shored and kept safe, and the surface restored. We handle it end to end, with the civil engineering behind it in-house.
- Water mains, service lines, laterals & fire-hydrant connections
- Sewer mains, force mains, laterals & manholes
- Storm drain lines, catch basins & culverts
- Trenching, shoring & dewatering
- Potholing / hydro-excavation to locate existing lines
- DigAlert (811) markouts before we dig
- Backfill, compaction & trench resurfacing
- Traffic control & SWPPP / erosion control
From private developers to public agencies
Why hire a licensed Class A contractor
It's often legally required
Significant grading, drainage, and earthwork typically must be performed by a properly licensed contractor. Hiring outside that exposes you to real liability.
The engineering has to be right
Earthwork and drainage done wrong lead to settling, flooding, and failures years later. A Class A contractor is licensed precisely because this work depends on engineering.
One accountable, insured team
Licensed, bonded, and insured — and with our own engineers, the plans and the site work answer to the same company.
Class A, with engineering in-house
Most general engineering contractors hire out the engineering. We produce the civil and structural plans ourselves, so grading, drainage, and structures are designed and built by one team — faster approvals, fewer surprises, and one company accountable from the first calculation to the finished site.
- —Licensed California Civil Engineers
- —Class A — General Engineering Contractor
- —Class B — General Building Contractor
- —Design + build integration, under one roof
- —Experience with the County of San Diego & local jurisdictions
- —A builder's perspective — practical designs that get built
Related engineering & site work
Building a home or remodel instead? See our Class B general building services →
Common questions
- What is a Class A contractor license in California?
- It's the Contractors State License Board's General Engineering Contractor classification — for fixed works that require specialized engineering knowledge, like grading, drainage, earthwork, paving, utilities, and similar infrastructure. It's distinct from a Class B general building license, which covers structures themselves.
- What's the difference between a Class A and a Class B contractor?
- A Class B — General Building Contractor builds structures such as homes and buildings. A Class A — General Engineering Contractor handles the specialized engineering works around and beneath them: grading, drainage, site development, and infrastructure. We hold both, so the site and the structure are covered by one company.
- Do I need a Class A contractor for grading or site work?
- Often, yes. Significant grading, drainage, earthwork, and site development typically require a Class A or a related specialty license. Hiring a properly licensed contractor protects you legally and means the work is done by someone who understands the engineering behind it.
- Do you do sidewalk, curb, and gutter repair in San Diego?
- Yes. As a Class A contractor we remove and replace failed curb, gutter, and sidewalk to city standard — including repairs through the City of San Diego Sidewalk Repair Program — and we handle the right-of-way permitting and traffic control that public-improvement work requires.
- Do you install underground utilities?
- Yes — we self-perform trenching and underground utility work: water mains and service lines, sewer mains and laterals, storm drains, and the connections that tie a project into the public system. We locate existing lines (DigAlert 811), shore and dewater the trench, and backfill and compact to spec.
- Do you take on public improvement or public works projects?
- Yes. We handle public improvement work in the right-of-way — sidewalks, curb and gutter, ADA ramps, storm drains, and utilities — built to agency standards, with encroachment/ROW permits, traffic control, and prevailing-wage compliance on qualifying projects.
- Are you licensed, bonded, and insured?
- Yes. Eagle Construction & Engineering is a licensed California contractor (CA Lic #1038469), holding Class A General Engineering and Class B General Building classifications, and we carry insurance. We also produce our civil and structural engineering in-house.
Request a site-work estimate
Grading, drainage, site development, or infrastructure — tell us about the site and we'll come back with real numbers. No obligation.
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