Land Development Companies in The Hills: Expert Guide

When you're thinking about land development companies in The Hills , you're really asking about who can take raw land and turn it into something livable, functional, and built to last. I'm Chad Burnell, founder of Earth in Motion, Inc., and I've spent over two decades working construction projects from the ground up. My company was built on the principle that development isn't just about moving dirt around—it's about understanding the land, respecting the community, and solving problems that most people don't see coming until it's too late. Whether you're in The Hills area of Austin or another part of Central Texas, the approach I'm going to share with you comes from real-world experience, not theory.

Here's what most people don't realize when they think about land development companies in The Hills: the actual construction work is only part of the equation. You've got to understand the regulatory landscape, the environmental factors, and how everything from soil composition to drainage patterns will affect your project years down the line. I learned this the hard way early in my career when I saw projects that looked great on paper fall apart because nobody did the groundwork—literally and figuratively.

The Hills region presents unique challenges that you won't find everywhere. You're dealing with terrain that can shift from relatively flat to steep slopes within a single property. Water management becomes critical because what happens on your site affects your neighbors and the broader ecosystem. When I approach a project in this area, I'm thinking about three main factors right from the start:

• Topography and grading requirements: How the natural land sits and what we need to do to make it buildable without creating erosion problems or drainage nightmares
• Regulatory compliance at multiple levels: Local codes, environmental protections, and community standards that all have to be satisfied before the first shovel hits dirt
• Long-term sustainability: Building in a way that doesn't just work today but will still be sound ten or twenty years from now

From my military background, I learned that preparation prevents problems. That same principle applies to every development project we take on at Earth in Motion. You can't shortcut the planning phase if you want results that last.

When you hire Earth in Motion to handle land development work, you're getting a systematic approach that we've refined over hundreds of projects. Let me walk you through what actually happens when we take on a site in The Hills or anywhere in Central Texas, because understanding the process helps you see where value gets created—and where things can go wrong if you're working with someone who cuts corners.

Before we commit to anything, we need to know what we're dealing with. I personally visit every site because there are things you can only learn by walking the land. I'm looking at soil conditions, existing vegetation, water flow patterns during rain, access points, and how the site relates to surrounding properties. This isn't about taking measurements and moving on—it's about understanding the personality of that specific piece of land.

We conduct soil tests to determine load-bearing capacity and drainage characteristics. We map out elevation changes and identify any potential environmental concerns like protected species habitats or wetland areas. In The Hills, you often encounter rock formations that affect excavation costs and drainage solutions. I've seen projects blow their budgets because nobody accounted for limestone layers that require specialized equipment to move through.

This is where a lot of property owners get frustrated, and I understand why. The regulatory side of land development involves multiple agencies, various approval pathways, and requirements that can seem overwhelming if you're not familiar with the system. At Earth in Motion, we handle this coordination as part of our service because we know the landscape.

You're typically looking at three types of approval pathways depending on your project scope. Small-scale work that meets specific standards can sometimes proceed without formal approval if it falls under exempt categories. Fast-tracked approvals exist for projects that meet predetermined criteria, which can save months of waiting. Larger or more complex developments require full assessment processes that involve public notification periods and detailed review.

What drives me crazy is when developers promise clients unrealistic timelines because they don't account for approval cycles. We build realistic schedules that factor in review periods, potential requests for additional information, and coordination with utility providers. It's better to set proper expectations upfront than to disappoint people later.

Once approvals are in hand, the real construction work begins, and this is where Earth in Motion's two decades of hands-on experience becomes invaluable. Infrastructure isn't glamorous, but it's absolutely critical. You're building the systems that will support everything that comes after—roads, drainage, utilities, and site preparation that allows buildings to be constructed safely and sustainably.

Proper grading serves multiple purposes. Obviously, you're creating level building pads where structures will sit, but you're also establishing drainage patterns that protect the property from erosion and water damage. In The Hills area specifically, we work with terrain that requires careful planning to avoid creating problems downhill from your site.

I've operated the equipment myself for years, so I know what good earthwork looks like versus rushed or sloppy grading that will cause problems later. We use laser-guided systems to ensure precise elevations, but technology is only as good as the operator using it and the plan behind it. Every cut and fill needs to serve a purpose in the overall site design.

When we're moving earth, we're also thinking about how to minimize waste. Excess soil from excavation can often be used elsewhere on the site for berms or landscaping features. Rock that's removed can sometimes be crushed and used for road base or drainage applications. This kind of thinking comes from experience and reduces the overall project cost by eliminating unnecessary hauling and disposal expenses.

Water management is where I see the most long-term problems when development work is done poorly. Central Texas can experience intense rainfall events, and if your site isn't designed to handle runoff properly, you're setting yourself up for erosion, flooding, and damage to structures. This is non-negotiable work that has to be done right the first time.

We design drainage systems that account for the full watershed context of your property. Water that falls on your site and water that flows onto your site from uphill areas all needs somewhere to go. We create solutions using swales, retention basins, culverts, and underground piping systems depending on what the specific situation requires.

One technique I use frequently in The Hills involves creating bioswales—vegetated channels that slow down runoff while filtering out sediments and pollutants. These serve both functional and environmental purposes, and they're a good example of how modern development practices can actually improve water quality compared to untouched land with uncontrolled runoff.

Roads need to be built to handle the specific traffic and weight loads they'll experience. A private access road to a single residence requires different construction standards than a main thoroughfare serving multiple properties or commercial uses. We design road grades that provide good drainage while maintaining safe driving conditions, and we select base materials appropriate for the soil conditions and expected use.

In my experience, shortcuts on road construction come back to haunt property owners within just a few years. Inadequate base preparation leads to premature cracking and potholing. Poor drainage design creates washouts and edge failures. We build roads that are engineered for the long term, not just good enough to pass initial inspection.

The environmental side of land development has changed dramatically over my career, and mostly for the better. We now have tools and techniques that allow us to develop land while minimizing ecological impact and creating spaces that work with natural systems rather than fighting against them. At Earth in Motion, we see this as both a regulatory requirement and a professional responsibility.

One of the first things I do during site planning is identify which natural features should be preserved. Mature trees provide shade, prevent erosion, and contribute to the aesthetic value of a developed property. Natural rock formations can become design features rather than obstacles to be removed. Existing waterways and wetland areas may require protection buffers, but they can also become amenities that enhance the property.

The key is to think about preservation from the beginning of the design process rather than as an afterthought. If you plan your building locations, roads, and utilities to work around significant trees and natural features, you end up with a better final product that feels integrated into the landscape rather than imposed upon it. This approach takes more planning time upfront but saves time and money during construction by avoiding unnecessary clearing and restoration work.

Bare soil exposed during construction is vulnerable to erosion, especially during the intense rainstorms we get in Texas. We use multiple techniques to control erosion throughout the development process. Silt fencing captures sediment before it leaves the site. Erosion control blankets protect slopes while vegetation gets established. Temporary seeding provides quick ground cover on disturbed areas.

What really matters is implementing these measures before they're needed, not scrambling to install them after problems appear. I've been on sites after heavy rains where proper erosion control meant the difference between minor cleanup and major damage requiring expensive repairs. This is another area where upfront investment prevents much larger costs later.

Modern development practices recognize that everything we build affects water quality downstream. Sediment, petroleum residues from equipment, construction materials, and vegetation debris can all contaminate runoff if not managed properly. We design our construction sequencing to minimize exposed soil at any given time, establish vegetative buffers between work areas and waterways, and maintain equipment to prevent leaks and spills.

After construction, the permanent drainage features we install continue protecting water quality through filtration, settling, and biological uptake in vegetated areas. These systems require proper design based on site-specific conditions—there's no one-size-fits-all solution that works everywhere.

One thing that sets Earth in Motion apart from other land development companies in The Hills is our focus on how projects fit into the broader community context. I learned in the military that your actions affect everyone around you, and that principle applies to development work. A well-executed project enhances property values and quality of life for the entire neighborhood. A poorly executed project creates problems that ripple outward.

Before we start major work, I make it a point to communicate with adjacent property owners about what we're doing and how it might temporarily affect them. Construction generates noise, dust, and traffic. These impacts are unavoidable, but they can be managed through good practices like limiting work hours to reasonable times, controlling dust with water sprays, and maintaining clean access routes.

More importantly, we design drainage and grading solutions that don't create problems for neighbors. Your property's water runoff shouldn't become someone else's flooding problem. Your access road shouldn't funnel traffic through residential areas unnecessarily. These considerations require looking beyond your property boundaries to understand the full context of what you're building.

I could rush through projects and move on to the next job, but that's not how Earth in Motion operates. We build things to last because your reputation in this business depends on how your projects perform five, ten, or twenty years after completion. That means using appropriate materials, following proper construction sequences, and not cutting corners when nobody's watching.

When we compact fill material, we do it in proper lift thicknesses with adequate moisture content to achieve specified density. When we install drainage pipes, we bed them properly and test the system before backfilling. When we build roads, we use base depths and materials suited to the expected loads and soil conditions. These technical details might not be visible in the finished product, but they determine whether your development stands the test of time or requires expensive repairs within a few years.

People always want to know about pricing, and I understand why—you need to plan your budget. The challenge is that every site presents different conditions, and those differences have huge impacts on project costs. Rather than giving you meaningless price ranges, let me explain the factors that actually determine what you'll invest in developing land in The Hills or anywhere in Central Texas.

The physical characteristics of your land drive a significant portion of development costs. Rocky soil requires more expensive excavation and grading work. Steep slopes need more extensive cut-and-fill operations and potentially retaining structures. Poor drainage requires more elaborate stormwater management systems. Contaminated soil demands remediation before construction can proceed.

Distance to existing utilities also matters tremendously. If water, sewer, and electrical services are already at your property boundary, connection costs are modest. If utilities need to be extended hundreds of feet or more to reach your site, those costs multiply quickly. In some rural areas of The Hills region, you might need to install private water wells and septic systems rather than connecting to municipal services, which creates different cost considerations.

Access to the site affects mobilization expenses for equipment and materials. Properties right off paved roads cost less to access than remote sites requiring temporary road construction just to get equipment on-site. The size and complexity of equipment needed also scales with project scope—a small residential lot uses different equipment than a multi-acre development parcel.

The approval pathway your project follows directly impacts your timeline and soft costs. Fast-tracked approvals that meet predetermined standards can proceed in weeks or months, minimizing the carrying costs of land you own but can't yet develop. Full development consent processes involving multiple review cycles, public notifications, and potential appeals can extend timelines by a year or more, during which you're paying financing costs and property taxes without generating any income from the property.

Projects requiring environmental assessments, traffic studies, heritage surveys, or specialized engineering reports incur additional professional service costs. These requirements depend on your specific site conditions and proposed use. We help clients understand early in the planning process what studies and reports will be needed so there are no surprises later.

The amount of infrastructure required depends on what you're developing. A single custom home site needs basic access, utilities, and drainage but limited internal road systems or common facilities. A masterplanned community requires miles of roads, extensive utility networks, stormwater management systems serving the entire development, and potentially community amenities like parks or trails.

Quality standards also drive costs significantly. Budget-grade road construction using minimal base preparation costs less initially but requires more frequent maintenance and earlier replacement. Premium construction using proper base depths and quality materials costs more upfront but delivers much lower lifetime costs. We always recommend building to appropriate quality standards for the intended use and expected lifespan rather than simply choosing the cheapest option.

Many property owners underestimate the carrying costs associated with development projects. While your land is going through approvals and construction, you're typically paying interest on acquisition financing, property taxes, insurance, and potentially lease costs for equipment or temporary facilities. These costs accumulate every month the project extends.

Efficient project management that maintains momentum and avoids unnecessary delays directly reduces these carrying costs. This is one area where working with an experienced contractor like Earth in Motion creates value—we know how to sequence work efficiently, coordinate with utility providers and inspectors, and keep projects moving forward rather than sitting idle waiting for the next phase.

I need to mention one specific type of land development work that I'm particularly passionate about—custom pond construction. Over my career, I've built dozens of ponds throughout Central Texas, and each one presents unique challenges and opportunities. Ponds serve multiple purposes on developed land: they provide water features that enhance aesthetic value, create recreational opportunities, support wildlife habitat, and can serve functional purposes like irrigation supply or stormwater management.

A properly designed pond works with the natural topography and hydrology of your site rather than fighting against it. We analyze the watershed draining to your pond location, calculate expected water inflows during different seasons, and design spillways that safely handle overflow during heavy rains. The pond basin needs proper shaping to maintain water depth while providing shallow margins for aquatic vegetation. Bottom composition affects water clarity and whether the pond will hold water consistently.

In The Hills area, soil conditions can be challenging for pond construction. Rocky substrates may require blasting or specialized excavation equipment. Porous soils might need clay liners to prevent water loss through seepage. These site-specific factors must be addressed during design rather than discovered after construction when fixes become much more expensive.

The best pond projects integrate the water feature into the broader property development plan. We design access routes for maintenance equipment, create attractive viewing areas or decks that let you enjoy the pond, and incorporate the pond into the site drainage system so it serves both aesthetic and functional purposes. Landscaping around the pond softens the appearance and helps prevent erosion along the banks.

Building a pond requires the same attention to detail as any other development work—proper permits, appropriate construction sequencing, quality control during construction, and post-construction establishment of vegetation. This is detailed, technical work that needs to be done right, and it's exactly the kind of problem-solving construction challenge that drew me to this profession in the first place.

After more than twenty years in construction and land development, I've developed a philosophy about how this work should be done. Earth in Motion was built on values I learned in the military—integrity, attention to detail, commitment to excellence, and taking care of the people depending on you. When you hire us for land development work in The Hills or anywhere in Central Texas, here's what you're getting that might be different from other companies you're considering.

You work directly with me, not a sales team or project coordinator who's never operated equipment or built anything. I visit your site personally, understand your goals, and develop solutions based on actual construction experience rather than theoretical knowledge. When challenges come up during a project—and they always do on complex development work—you're talking to someone who can solve problems on the spot rather than waiting for approvals through multiple management layers.

We walk you through the entire development process before work begins so you understand what's going to happen and why. You get realistic timelines that account for approval processes, weather considerations, and coordination requirements. We explain the factors driving costs for your specific project rather than giving vague estimates that turn into surprise overruns later.

During construction, you have access to the site and regular updates on progress. We document work with photos and reports so you can see exactly what's being done even if you can't visit frequently. If issues arise that require design changes or additional work, we discuss them immediately rather than proceeding and presenting you with unexpected bills.

There's no such thing as a standard land development project—every site presents different conditions and every client has different priorities. We don't use cookie-cutter approaches or force your project into predetermined packages. Instead, we develop custom solutions designed specifically for your property's characteristics, your intended use, and your budget constraints.

This might mean incorporating existing site features into the design to reduce clearing costs while enhancing the final appearance. It might involve phasing work to match your cash flow or coordination with other contractors building structures on the developed land. The point is that we adapt our services to fit your situation rather than expecting you to adapt your project to fit our standard offerings.

The land development industry continues evolving, and those of us doing the work need to evolve with it. Environmental standards keep getting more stringent, and that's generally a good thing—we're building more sustainable projects that create less long-term damage. Technology provides better tools for design, grading precision, and project management. Community expectations continue rising, and property owners want developments that enhance rather than detract from neighborhood character.

At Earth in Motion, we stay current with these changes while maintaining focus on the fundamentals that have always mattered: quality work, honest dealing, and solving problems for our clients. I've been privileged to work on hundreds of projects across different environments, from Colorado to Central Texas, and every project teaches something new. That accumulated knowledge goes into every new development we take on.

When you're considering land development companies in The Hills , remember that the cheapest option rarely delivers the best value, and the biggest company isn't necessarily the best fit for your project. Look for contractors who understand your specific site conditions, communicate clearly about the process and costs, stand behind their work, and have the hands-on experience to solve problems when they arise—because I can guarantee you that problems will arise on any significant development project, and how your contractor handles those challenges will determine whether you're satisfied with the final result.

When you work with Earth in Motion, you're getting direct access to me, Chad Burnell, someone with over two decades of hands-on construction experience who personally visits every site and operates equipment. Unlike companies that send sales teams or project coordinators, I understand the technical challenges of development work in The Hills region—from dealing with limestone formations to managing water runoff on steep terrain. My military background taught me that preparation prevents problems, so we handle everything from regulatory navigation to long-term sustainability planning as part of our comprehensive approach to land development.

The Hills region presents specific challenges that require specialized knowledge and experience. I approach every project by first understanding the personality of the land—soil composition, elevation changes, water flow patterns, and rock formations that affect excavation costs. We design drainage systems that work with Central Texas rainfall patterns, create grading solutions that prevent erosion on slopes, and integrate natural features like mature trees and rock formations into the development rather than removing them. My experience across different environments, from Colorado to Austin, gives me the perspective to solve problems that many developers don't see coming until it's too late.

Development costs depend on several key factors that are unique to each site. Physical characteristics drive the biggest portion—rocky soil requires specialized excavation equipment, steep slopes need extensive grading work, and poor drainage demands elaborate stormwater management systems. Distance to existing utilities significantly impacts costs, as extending water, sewer, and electrical services can multiply expenses quickly. The regulatory pathway your project follows affects timeline and carrying costs, while the scope of infrastructure needed scales with your intended use. At Earth in Motion, we explain these cost drivers upfront during our site assessment so you can make informed decisions about your investment.

The timeline depends heavily on your project's approval pathway and scope. Projects that meet predetermined standards can proceed through fast-tracked approvals in weeks or months, while complex developments requiring environmental assessments or public notification periods can take a year or more. Weather affects outdoor construction work, utility coordination can create scheduling challenges, and discovering unexpected site conditions like contaminated soil or underground obstacles can extend timelines. At Earth in Motion, we build realistic schedules that account for these variables and maintain momentum through efficient project management, keeping your carrying costs minimal by avoiding unnecessary delays.

Environmental stewardship is both a regulatory requirement and professional responsibility at Earth in Motion. We start by identifying natural features worth preserving—mature trees, rock formations, and waterways that can become design assets rather than obstacles. Our erosion control measures protect both your site and neighboring properties during construction, using techniques like silt fencing, erosion control blankets, and bioswales that filter runoff while preventing sediment loss. We design permanent drainage features that continue protecting water quality after construction through filtration and biological uptake. This approach creates developments that work with natural systems rather than fighting against them, resulting in more sustainable and attractive final products.