Excavating & site work in Marquette, MI
Foundations, building pads, land clearing, drainage and demolition — dug by people who know what the ground does up here.
What we dig
Excavating is the backbone of the company. Whether it's the first cut on a new build or fixing a drainage problem that's been soaking a yard for years, it's the same crew and the same equipment.
- Foundation and basement excavation
- Building pads for garages and pole barns
- Land clearing and brush removal
- Stump and debris removal
- Driveway and private road construction
- Ditching and drainage correction
- Culvert installation and replacement
- Water and sewer line trenching
- Backfill, rough grade and final grade
- Demolition and haul-away
What makes digging here different
Frost goes deep
Footings and water lines have to sit below frost, and frost goes deeper here than in most of the state. Coming up short costs more to put right than the extra depth would have cost in the first place.
Sand, clay and rock in the same lot
A property can change three times between the road and the building site. Clay holds water, sand drains and shifts, and bedrock shows up where nobody wants it. What we find changes how a hole gets cut.
Water has to go somewhere
With the snowpack we get, meltwater is what wrecks driveways and floods basements. Where it is going to run is the first thing we work out on a site.
How an excavating job runs
- Site visit. We walk the property, look at access, slope and drainage, and find out where utilities run.
- Written estimate. Scope, material and what's not included — in writing, so there are no surprises.
- Locates and permits. Underground utilities get marked before we dig. We'll tell you which permits a job needs.
- Dig and haul. Our trucks move the spoil. We don't leave piles of dirt in your yard waiting on somebody else's schedule.
- Grade and clean up. Rough grade, final grade, and the site left tidy enough that your next contractor can work.
Common questions about excavating
How much does excavating cost?
It depends on how much material has to move, how far it has to go and what's in the way. A small trench and a basement dig aren't in the same universe. That's why we look at the site and put a number in writing instead of quoting a rate over the phone and revising it later.
Do I need a permit?
Often, yes — it depends on the township, the county and what you're building. Septic work, new driveways onto county roads and anything near water usually need approval. We'll tell you what your job needs and what we handle versus what you file.
Can you dig in the winter?
Some of it, yes. Frozen ground and deep snow make certain jobs slower and more expensive, and some work is better scheduled for spring. Call and we'll tell you honestly whether your job should wait.
Do you haul the dirt away?
Yes. We run our own dump trucks, so removing spoil or bringing in fill is part of the same job rather than a separate contractor and a separate bill.
Tell us what you need done
Call the office and talk to someone who has been on a job site, or send the details and we'll get back to you with a written estimate. No charge for the estimate.