About Us
CAPES Engineering Ltd. is committed to providing high quality support for every client, regardless of the size of your project. Our goal is to work with you and the approval agencies, to find efficient, creative solutions to your engineering challenges. We will help you to navigate through the often confusing and convoluted regulations and requirements, to get you to your goals as quickly as possible.
CAPES Engineering Ltd. was formed in 2017 by Clayton Capes, MSc., P.Eng, Designated Consulting Engineer, and was joined by Kevin Griffin, C.E.T., Partner, in 2018. Clayton has decades of experience in civil engineering and in particular providing services related to land development and stormwater management. Kevin has over 10 years experience in land development design, project management and Civil 3D/AutoCAD design. We added Branden Huffman, C.E.T. in late 2021 in the position of Senior Design Technologist to assist with the management of projects and Civil3D design.
We pride ourselves on being highly responsive to the needs of our clients, aiming to provide excellent support in every aspect of our relationship. Our land development and stormwater management experience is extensive with success stories throughout Ontario.
Our Services
Our focus is on civil engineering, primarily land development and stormwater management, however our expertise in the development industry is varied, and if we can’t assist you directly, we can connect you with professionals that can.
To learn more about each discipline: Please click on a heading to reveal more information.
+ Project Management
We have over 17 years experience in project management from very small projects which are completed in weeks to months, to multimillion dollar developments spanning years. We can coordinate with multiple consultants and contractors to assist with keeping your project on track, on time and on budget. We have experience in the approval process at the Municipal, Provincial and Federal levels, and can help you navigate your way through these processes from start to finish.
+ Subdivision Design
We have experience in residential and industrial subdivision development ranging from as few as 4 lots to as many as 1500 lots, in jurisdictions across Ontario. We help guide you from the conceptual stage, through approvals and construction. We have expertise and experience to ensure efficient design for sustainable development. We deal with sanitary design, watermains, storm sewers, road design, site grading and drainage, erosion and sediment controls, and utility coordination.
+ Site Plan Design
We excel at designing residential condominiums, commercial site plans, mixed use sites, and industrial site plans. We bring creative solutions for small redevelopment sites, infill situations or greenfield development. We coordinate with your architect and other consultants to overcome the most challenging technical issues.
+ Stormwater Management Design
We have established expertise in all areas of Stormwater Management and have an extensive understanding of the ever-changing regulations and guidelines. We have expert knowledge of numerous digital stormwater modelling systems, giving us great flexibility in selecting the right system for your site and approval regime. We have extensive knowledge of phosphorus reduction strategies and infiltration methods, which are becoming increasingly critical. We provide expert witness services and peer reviews to confirm whether you can trust the information others have completed.
+ Low Impact Development (LID)
Low Impact Development is now a requirement when completing a stormwater analysis in most Ontario jurisdictions. It is not just the design of specific infrastructure to deal with runoff, but it is a philosophy that involves all aspects of dealing with the runoff from your site. We assist in developing a LID strategy that will work for your site, and will be accepted by both Conservation Authorities and Municipalities.
+ Floodplain Analysis & Natural Hazard Studies
The huge numbers of rivers and streams in our region can pose a challenge to development when trying to determine whether a floodplain could impact your site, whether the stream could meander beyond it’s current location, or what the safe setbacks from a stream might be. We utilize the most current software to help delineate your developable limits and design safe stream crossings. We also have experience and can provide assistance with stream rehabilitation and restoration, helping you with the approvals from the MNRF, DFO and Conservation Authority to help improve natural systems.
+ Construction Contract Administration Services
We can provide with you with assistance in the preparation of construction cost estimates and tender documents to ensure the Construction phase of your project starts in the best possible way. We can coordinate with contractors and provide field services to ensure your project gets built the right way, certify the constructed works, help obtain security releases from the municipality, and assist in clearing the conditions of your subdivision and site plan agreements.
+ Pond Design
We are excellent at designing ponds for a variety of purposes including storm water management, irrigation, recreation, and aesthetic landscaping. Using the most current research from the industry we provide the best pond for your needs. We will work with landscape architects and other professionals to incorporate the pond into the development or site, to have minimal impact.
+ Residential Lot Grading and Drainage Plans
Many Municipalities require an individual lot grading and drainage plan prepared by an Engineer as a condition of issuing a building permit. We complete a large number of these plans in a year and typically require the following pieces of information in order to complete a plan:
- A current topographic survey in metric, UTM coordinates and in CAD format. We can assist you in coordinating a topo survey if needed.
- A copy of a legal survey for your property prepared by an OLS. This plan could be a historic drawing provided when you purchased the property, a plan obtained from the Ontario Land Registry Office or a new legal survey. A pdf version of this plan is sufficient for our needs.
- A copy of your building architectural plans including a cross section of the home. These plans can be in pdf or CAD format.
- A copy of the zoning requirements from the Municipality
Depending on the location of the property we may also require test pit information to show the seasonal high groundwater level, information on the Municipal water and sewer connections, conservation authority setbacks, slope stability setbacks, and shoreline setbacks. We are happy to assist you in gathering all the required pieces of information to complete your plan.
+ Septic Design
We are able to provide septic designs for a range of proposed developments from single family residences to commercial operations. We are capable of providing traditional septic design as well as tertiary treatments systems which can fit in smaller or difficult locations.
+ Expert Witness/Peer Review
We have retained by Municipalities, Corporations, Land Owner Groups and Private Individuals to assist in legal matters or disputes specifically for stormwater management and floodplain analysis. We are familiar with preparing peer review reports outlining best management practices, completing review of proposed design to ensure it follows all current guidelines and protects the public. We have participated in LPAT hearings as well as Superior Court proceedings and understand the process and the requirements of an expert witness. We can be an impartial expert for water resource based issues and provide reliable recommendations.
All residential lot grading and drainage plan inquiries should be directed to Kevin Griffin or Branden Huffman.
Please read the list of FOUR things that you need to have before reaching out to us to ask us to do a residential lot grading and drainage plan.
