Excavation services
Eight kinds of site work, each planned around the lot, the soils and the season.
Excavation is a set of related tasks rather than a single service. Moving soil to reach a design elevation is the common thread, but the way that happens changes with the purpose: a basement needs a dry, stable hole with room for formwork; a trench needs bedding, fall and compaction; a graded lot needs elevations that hold up under a driveway.
The eight pages below describe what each kind of work includes, how it is planned, and the Ottawa conditions that shape it. If the project involves more than one, the order of work is set out in the scope so that material is not moved twice.
STA 01 / The list
Eight services
- 01
Basement Excavation in Ottawa
Full and partial basement digs for new homes and additions, with spoil placed where the lot allows.
- 02
Foundation Excavation in Ottawa
Footings and foundation walls dug to a marked layout, with working space left around the forms.
- 03
Trenching in Ottawa
Water, sewer, hydro and gas trenches in general terms, with locates cleared first.
- 04
Grading and Site Preparation in Ottawa
Rough and finish grade, swales, building pad preparation and driveway shaping.
- 05
Land Clearing in Ottawa
Brush, small trees and stumps removed so the lot is ready to excavate.
- 06
Drainage and Weeping Tile in Ottawa
Weeping tile around foundations, swales, catch basins and outlets in general terms.
- 07
Pool Excavation in Ottawa
Digging and spoiling for in-ground pools, with access limits assessed first.
- 08
Demolition and Haul-Away in Ottawa
Small structure takedown, slab breaking and haul-away of surplus material.
STA 02 / Combinations
When the work overlaps
A new build usually involves clearing, then a basement dig, then foundation excavation, then service trenches, then grading. Doing those as four separate mobilisations costs more in machine moves than doing them in sequence with the same site set up. A pool dig that also needs a drainage outlet is another common overlap.
Where a project also needs underpinning, shoring or engineered retention, that work is a separate specialty arranged with an engineer and a contractor qualified for it. Excavation around an existing foundation is one thing; holding a foundation up while digging beneath it is another.
STA 03 / Start a project
What needs to be dug?
Tell us the project type and the lot. We reply by email to arrange a walkthrough.