Looking to develop land for RV and Trailer Parking, what to know?

Question

So I own ~5 acre of land, I am looking to develop the land for RV and Trailer Parking. Land is in South Houston not too far from major airport and there are a couple residential builds near by. There is one RV park not to far from me that is fully occupied.

I want to understand what is needed to stabilize the dirt lot for parking. My hopes is to rent out the lots for parking. What should I know when going through construction. I know I would need permits and fortunately Houston does not have zoning restriction.

My question is when working with contractors what should I know. I know I would need a Stormwater Detention. I got quotes from a couple contractor and they said I need 6"-8" of gravel for parking. Is that true? I cant find many resources. Also the quote that I got the material cost is ~2x what it should cost (I called a local supplier for gravel).

Financing is not a problem for me. I want to make sure I am not taken advantage of from the construction perspective. Would anyone happen to know a good contractor that does excavation and surface stabilization.

Thank you!

Mike Reynolds · Answer

Best way is to hire an architect and/or engineer to draw it up. The bank will probably require one anyway.

No one can really tell you what you need to do with your dirt. The are so many types of soil and so many types of stabilization. You could hire Terracon to do a sample and they could give you an idea but all engineer is the best bet. Then, make them follow the plans.