Skip to main content

Free Shipping on orders over $500

Express Tools

Equipment Guide

Best Equipment for Grading Contractors

What you actually need for cut/fill grading, pad surveys, and PE-ready pad certifications — with real specs and no fluff.

✓ Authorized Dealer📦 Same-day shipping before 2pm CT

What grading contractors need

Rotary Laser

Grade control for cut/fill, slab prep, building pads

Topcon RL-H5A (general) / Spectra HL750 (dual-grade)

GPS Rover

Pad elevation surveys, coordinates for certifications

Topcon HiPer HR (best battery) / Leica GS18 T (fastest collection)

Laser Receiver

Read rotary laser in daylight at 100+ feet

Match brand to laser (Topcon LS-80X, Spectra HR320)

Grade Rod

Mount receiver at target elevation

Standard 12ft aluminum rod with adjustable head

Best Rotary Lasers for Grading

#1Topcon RL-H5A
Best Overall

800m range handles the largest residential and commercial sites. IP66 handles rain without hesitation. 70-hour battery eliminates mid-day swaps. Automatic self-leveling within ±5° means fast setup even on rough grading terrain. The most popular grading laser in the US.

800m diameter range±10 arcsec accuracyIP66 weather protection70-hour battery±5° self-leveling range
Shop at Express Tools →
#2Spectra HL750
Best for Dual-Grade

When you need different grades on X and Y axes simultaneously — parking lots, drainage swales, complex commercial sites — the HL750's dual-grade capability eliminates multiple setups. Includes wireless remote standard for cab-based grade adjustments.

600m diameter rangeDual X+Y gradeWireless remote includedIP66 weather protection40-hour battery
Shop at Express Tools →
#3Leica Rugby 620
Best for Extreme Conditions

IP67 (temporary immersion vs IP66 water jets) for flooded site conditions. Extended temperature range (-20°C to +50°C) for extreme climates. Remote control capability. Temperature-compensating design maintains grade through wide temperature swings.

800m+ range±10 arcsec accuracyIP67 protectionRemote control optional50-hour battery
Shop at Express Tools →

GPS Rovers for Pad Elevation Surveys

Building departments increasingly require GPS coordinates on pad certifications. RTK GPS rovers capture elevation + coordinates in one shot — 20-30 lots/hour vs 8-15 with a total station.

RoverBatteryTilt Comp.Best for
Topcon HiPer HR8+ hoursYesAll-day grading sites
Trimble R12i7 hoursYes (IMU)Tree canopy / urban infill
Leica GS18 T6-7 hoursYes (IMU)High-volume lot surveys
Shop GPS rovers at Express Tools →

This equipment + Gradelog

PE-ready pad certifications in the field

Gradelog connects to your GPS rover and rotary laser data. Log pad elevations, drainage slopes, and GPS coordinates from the field. Generate PE-ready pad certification reports — your PE stamps the data, not a survey crew.

✓Lot-by-lot elevation logging
✓Drainage slope verification
✓GPS coordinates at every shot
✓Deviation from design grade
✓PE certification package export
✓Building department formats
Try Gradelog Free →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best rotary laser for grading contractors?+
For general site grading, the Topcon RL-H5A is the most widely used rotary laser — 800m range, IP66 weather protection, ±10 arcsec accuracy, and 70-hour battery life. For dual-grade applications (parking lots, complex drainage), the Spectra HL750 adds simultaneous X and Y grade control. For extreme outdoor conditions, the Leica Rugby 620 offers IP67 protection.
Do grading contractors need a GPS rover?+
GPS rovers are increasingly essential for grading contractors — building departments now require GPS coordinates on pad certifications, and RTK GPS allows one operator to survey 20-30 lots per hour vs 8-15 with a total station. The Topcon HiPer HR with 8+ hour battery is the most common GPS rover for residential grading work. GPS is not required for cut/fill grading itself — rotary lasers handle grade control; GPS handles the as-built documentation.
What equipment is needed for a PE-stamped pad certification?+
A PE-stamped pad certification requires elevation shots at the corners and center of each pad (±0.05ft accuracy), drainage slope verification from pad to street, and GPS coordinates at each shot point. A RTK GPS rover (Topcon HiPer HR, Trimble R10) captures all of this simultaneously. Gradelog structures the data and generates PE-ready pad certification reports. The PE stamps the report based on the data.
What receiver do I need for my rotary laser outdoors?+
For outdoor grading, you need a detector/receiver — the laser beam is not visible in daylight at 100+ feet. Mount the receiver on a grade rod at your target elevation. Topcon RL-H5A requires Topcon LS-80X or LS-80L receivers. Spectra HL750 requires Spectra HR series receivers. These are not cross-compatible between brands.
Gradelog — Earthwork Operating System

Free 30 days with every Express Tools purchase

Your equipment. Your data. All in one place.

Gradelog is the field-execution platform built for grading and earthwork crews. Log grade shots, track cut/fill, document phases with photos, and generate as-built reports — from the cab to the office.

  • Grade shots & cut/fill tracking per job
  • Photo documentation by phase, task, and equipment
  • As-built reports ready for inspector sign-off
  • AI field assistant — troubleshoot on the jobsite
Start Free TrialSee How It Works
Gradelog dashboard — live field overview with grade shots, photos, and equipment status

Built by the same team as Express Tools

Try Free →

30 days

Free trial

8 languages

Supported

iPhone + Android

Works on