How Much Does Excavation Cost in 2024?

Excavation Cost Factors

Pricing factors that may affect land excavation costs include the total area, terrain and soil composition, purpose of the excavation, labor, and equipment needs. Tough projects on difficult-to-access terrain or projects requiring additional equipment or multiple machines at once are more costly than standard jobs because they require more labor. 

If you need to remove an existing building before digging, be sure to add house demolition costs to your excavation cost estimate.

Size and Accessibility

For residential purposes, many projects have minimum fees. Smaller projects often require smaller equipment at lower prices. For instance, a skid steer or backhoe for a small job typically costs around $100 an hour to rent, including an operator, while a full-sized excavator runs about 50% more and is the better choice for larger projects where access allows.

Soil and Terrain

Digging in rock or rocky terrain will add $200 to $1,200 or more to the project. A contractor will always visit the site to determine the final bid. Excavation in an area with loose soil, no trees, and no rocks in the dirt is much simpler and, therefore, faster and less expensive than removing dozens of mature trees and dealing with boulders stuck in clay-like soil.

Flattening Hills or Slopes

Cut and fill rates range from $3 to $16 per cubic yard. Haul distance also affects excavation, more so than size. For example, cut and fill earthmoving over a few hundred feet uses less crew, equipment, fuel, and time than moving it over five miles. The price differences vary due to these factors, plus location, accessibility, and the type of project.

Equipment Needed

Equipment rental costs around $100 to $250 an hour with an operator. However, large jobs may use bigger, more efficient earthmoving equipment. While machine rental costs increase, you can save money overall because labor time is significantly reduced. 

Accessibility also determines the type of equipment needed. Poor accessibility to a job site may require smaller dump trucks and more labor hours to move dirt and debris, increasing the bill.

Season

Seasonal conditions may limit some construction work. Frozen soil can be harder to dig, but the main worry about winter work is laying a foundation before frost sets into the dig site. This is more of a concern for the foundation and general contractor, not the excavator. 

Current levels of technology and engineering in equipment can make winter workflow as seamless as summer construction. The largest impact is weather delays. General contractors usually absorb costs due to delays.

Land Clearing

Land clearing costs alone run about $500 to $6,000 an acre. This includes removing trees, shrubs, and debris from the land. 

If you have grading done at the same time, you'll spend an additional $0.40 to $2.00 per square foot. With 43,560 square feet in an acre, that's about $18,000 to $90,000 per acre for grading.

Expect to pay between $18,500 and $96,000 per acre for clearing and grading combined. 

Dirt Removal Costs

Hauling away dirt from new foundations and in-ground pools sets you back between $8 and $25 per cubic yard. Access to the dirt plays the largest factor. If a dump truck and backhoe have easy access to the dirt, expect to pay closer to $8 per cubic yard. 

However, if access is restricted, so only smaller equipment or barrows can get close to the dirt, or the site is a long way from the removal vehicle, expect to pay closer to $25 per cubic yard.

Labor Costs

Average hourly labor rates vary due to location but tend to run between $120 and $150 per hour. The rate includes both the equipment and the operator and often comes with a minimum number of hours—typically at least one day or eight hours. Hourly rates only apply when contracting the excavator directly. General contractors usually bid project rates instead.

Cleanup Costs

Site cleanup costs anywhere from $200 to $20,000. It refers to the process of testing and fixing any soil contamination issues before work begins.

Soil contamination testing costs anywhere from $15 to $3,000. How much you'll pay for the test depends on what you're testing for, the size of the site you're testing, and whether you hire someone to do the test or you buy a self-testing kit and mail it back to the lab yourself. 

Full-spectrum tests across an acre can cost as much as $3,000, but if you're testing a small area for a specific contaminant, such as lead, you can pay as little as $15 for a self-testing kit. Volatile organic substance tests cost between $200 and $500 each, while microbiological testing costs $20 to $300, depending on what microbes you're testing for. 

If the tests come back negative, then no cleanup is required. However, if contamination is identified, this must be rectified or cleaned up before work can resume. For example, if the soil is contaminated with asbestos, expect to pay $4 to $6 per square foot for removal.

So, if the contamination is spread over a whole acre, cleanup could cost between $175,000 and $260,000.

Excavation Prices by Project

Excavation is the first step in the construction process included in your overall home construction costs. Excavators prepare sites for a variety of purposes, including installing home foundations, waterproofing basements, installing in-ground pools, pouring concrete patios, grading for driveways, and even for simple erosion control and drainage. 

It's used to clear and grade farmland and in commercial applications like roads, bridges, and even parks.

Concrete Patios and Driveways

Excavation costs between $1,000 and $2,500 to have an area graded, compacted, and prepped for concrete. Creating a patio or driveway first requires creating a dirt pad—sometimes with grading. 

Basements and Waterproofing 

Basement excavation costs range from $12,000 to $35,000. In addition to digging costs, basement waterproofing costs are between $5 and $10 per square foot or about $4,000 in total.

Crawl Spaces

Renting equipment for digging the hole for a new basement or crawl space can cost $500 for a small project. For larger projects, expect to pay upwards of $10,000 to $30,000.

Foundations for a New Construction

New construction is one of the most common jobs for an excavator. On average, you'll end up paying between $1,500 to $6,000 for excavating the foundation without the cost of laying the foundation. 

Swimming Pools

Digging a hole for a swimming pool ranges from $500 to $4,500 in an easily accessible area with soft soil. Inaccessible areas with rocky terrain can cost as much as $20,000.

Rock Blasting

Rock excavation involving blasting to create small, movable chunks of rock from shelves or large boulders runs $50 to $200 per cubic yard. 

Rocks present the largest cost increase for digging if they’re larger than an excavator or backhoe can handle. Blasting often requires geological and explosives consulting professionals.

Plumbing and Septic Tanks

Trenching for new sewage lines and septic systems have a few considerations. A new sewage main can cost upwards of $1,500 just to tap into. Installation adds another $6,000 to $10,000, depending on linear feet and accessibility. Renting a trencher runs between $150 to $400 per day, depending on the size of the machine.

Yard Grading 

Yard grading runs between $1,000 and $6,000 or more for the entire job. Most contractors consider grading as part of excavation, though it is sometimes a separate project. 

Yard leveling, also known as grading, is a type of excavation used to correct drainage issues, prepare the ground for home extensions, and for purely aesthetic purposes. Both include digging and removing dirt or cutting and filling for both landscaping and leveling.

Budgeting for Excavation

To reduce the overall excavation cost for your project, consider implementing some of the following budget-friendly measures:

• Schedule your project during the off-season when contractors may offer lower rates.

• Reduce the excavation depth or area if the added scope is not needed.

• Repurpose excavated soil on-site for landscaping rather than removing it.

• Make full use of equipment rentals while they’re on-site so you don’t have to rebook them again later.

• Obtain all necessary permits before digging to avoid fines and delays.

• Compare rate quotes from multiple reputable contractors in your area.

• Bundle related projects for potential cost savings.

How HomeAdvisor Gets Its Cost Data

No place is more important than your home, which is why HomeAdvisor connects homeowners with local pros to transform their houses into homes they love. To help homeowners prepare for their next project, HomeAdvisor provides readers with accurate cost data and follows strict editorial guidelines. We surveyed thousands of real customers about their project costs to develop the pricing data you see, so you can make the best decisions for you and your home. We pair this data with research from reputable sources, including the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, academic journals, market studies, and interviews with industry experts—all to ensure our prices reflect real-world projects.