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Best excavation pros near Ames, IA

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Top-Rated Excavation pros in Ames - Updated Nov 2026

Downs Excavating LLC
5.0(
4
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For BusinessExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+2 more

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2024

Free estimates

Offers commercial services

"Quick to reply when I reached out to request services to clean up trees that damage and he also did tree removal. Travis was quick to get me on the schedule and get the work completed. Fast and efficient and didn't break the bank! Would definitely recommend!"
Response time5 hrs
Recommended by100%of homeowners
Avatar for Friend Landscaping
Friend Landscaping
4.8(
59
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2001

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Fantastic from first contact with very reasonable estimate, great communication, completion with friendly and competent workers within days!! I couldn’t be happier!! I will seek them out for any future landscaping projects!!"
Additional Photos
Additional Photos
Additional Photos
Additional Photos
Additional Photos

+81

Recommended by98%of homeowners
Avatar for Guild Lawn & Landscaping, LLC
Guild Lawn & Landscaping, LLC
4.9(
21
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2020

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"The crew arrived, toured the job and went to work! This project involved trimming and shaping several overgrown shrubs. The work exceeded my expectations. The crew was friendly, polite, and very focused on getting the job done. I appreciated their advice on one particularly problematic shrub."
holiday light install
holiday light install
holiday lights install
Govee LED LIghts install
Govee LED lights install

+9

Response time1 day
Response rate96%
Recommended by85%of homeowners
Avatar for Prime Surface Solutions
Prime Surface Solutions
5.0(
9
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2024

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"If you have any sort of handyman or landscaping job (or anything else)that needs to be done, I highly recommend contacting Prime Surface Solutions in Waukee. Jett and Emily are absolutely FANTASTIC to work with. We recently hired them to landscape a sloped area where we were battling erosion near our foundation. Not only did they listen to our concerns, they offered advice that would work best for our foundation, burning bushes, lawn, and budget. We had a contract that evening and materials delivered two days later. Jett and Emily were kind, respectful, honest people who worked meticulously with an eye for details others might ignore. I can't think of the last time I saw such hardworking people, and we will DEFINITELY hire them again for other projects. Check out their list of services--they do so much more than landscaping. They are based out of Waukee but will travel-- we live in rural Ogden. If we could give them 10 stars, we would do so! https://www.yelp.com/biz/prime-surface-sol"
Zach’s kitchen countertop
Zach’s kitchen countertop
Nicks resurfaced vanities
Nicks resurfaced vanities
Bathtub/ Shower Projects

+45

Response time1 day
Goering Plumbing, Heating, Cooling & Remodeling
3.9(
25
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For BusinessExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+2 more

Serving Ames, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 1932

Emergency services offered

Credit card accepted

"My disposer went bad and when I replaced it the existing plumbing would not line up and was kind of patch work anyway.  Time to get it fixed.
So I called Goering Plumbing because of the Angie reviews and John N, the service tech, came out the next day (on time).  John did a fine job of straightening up the issues and also took the time to discuss a few other matters with me which were a big help.
One month later and still no leaks.
Plus John was clean...  :)  No three day old, stinky clothes and crusty boots like the techs of a certain plumbing/sewer cleaning service that I have had the not-so-pleasurable experience of using in the past. 
I was also able to use the $40 trip charge coupon that Goering Plumbing has posted here on Angie - cool.
And speaking of money, just want to let you know that Goering's hourly rate is $90 with the first hour being fully charged.  I do not know if they breakdown the rate into, say, 15 minute intervals for subsequent hours.
All in all, a very good service call.
"
Recommended by80%of homeowners
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Excavating FAQs, answered by experts

Depending on the severity of the freeze and the method used, thawing frozen underground pipes can take anywhere from 30 minutes to several hours. Applying heat directly to the pipe using heat tape, infrared lamps, or hot water jetting can speed up the process. However, patience and careful monitoring are key to avoiding pipe damage.

You should dig 3 to 6 inches deep for plastic edging. Dig as wide as you need to fit your plastic edging into it—2 inches is usually sufficient.

We recommend removing the stump, and grinding is a popular way to do it. You can also dig out small stumps or stumps that have fully decayed instead of grinding them. However, don’t try using acids or fire for killing a tree stump, which is a fire hazard and illegal in many areas.

Leaving the stump alone invites eventual problems, including attracting termites, mold, and fungi.

If you don’t have a crawl space but have a partial basement you want to make deeper, you can expect to spend a little less—between $40,000 and $90,000 on average. However, if you’re not adding new finished square footage, you won’t see much in the way of ROI.

If you have a broken sprinkler pipe underground, there will be some signs you can easily spot to locate it and take action. These include leaks, water spouts, flooding, consistently damp areas on your lawn, low water pressure, and grass around the sprinkler head that’s taller and darker than anywhere else in the yard. 

If there are no obvious signs of a broken pipe, you can use tools such as water leak mics, leak noise loggers, audio devices that record leaks, and acoustic testing links. 

Broken pipes can lead to uneven watering, plant damage, and higher utility bills. The longer you wait to fix them the more the repair cost may be.

The Ames, IA homeowners’ guide to excavation services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.