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TRUSTED BY FAIRFAX, IA HOMEOWNERS

  • Average homeowner rating star icon4.6
    Average homeowner rating
  • Verified reviews icon11
    Verified excavation services reviews

Find Excavation pros in Fairfax

Avatar for Sedenka Excavating and Habitat
Sedenka Excavating and Habitat
4.9(
9
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For BusinessExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+1 more

Serving Fairfax, IA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2020

Free estimates

Offers commercial services

"Trey is very professional and skilled. It was amazing how he brought down the old structure and removed the pieces with such precision. Just like watching one of those HGN shows! Left site cleaned up and leveled the area. Beautiful. I would definately hire him again."
Response time2 days
2 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by100%of homeowners
Downs Excavating LLC
5.0(
4
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For BusinessExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+2 more

Serving Fairfax, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2024

Free estimates

Offers commercial services

"Contacted Downs Excavating to assist with hauling away junk and debris from flood damage and he was quick to show up and get the job done! Fast and friendly service and have recommended Travis to everyone I know."
Response time5 hrs
Recommended by100%of homeowners
Avatar for Stone Landscape Solutions
Stone Landscape Solutions
4.4(
14
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Fairfax, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2019

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"We hired Stone Landscaping to remove a downed tree in our yard caused by the Iowa derecho. During removal several issues arose that the contractor was more than happy to address and correct. They also gave us s competitive price for tree removal that was more than fair."
Planter Bed
Planter Bed
Planter Bed
Retaining Wall
Retaining Wall

+25

Response time4 days
Recommended by91%of homeowners
Cedar Prairie Grading, LLC
5.0(
6
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For BusinessExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+1 more

Serving Fairfax, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 2016

Free estimates

"Tom did a great job and when he was done he did several extra things that he thought would help that were not originally discussed for no extra charge. He helped solve a drainage problem behind my house."
Prepairing to build pond
Prepairing to build pond
Prepairing to build pond
Response time1 day
Recommended by100%of homeowners
ClassiConcrete
3.9(
56
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For BusinessExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+2 more

Serving Fairfax, IA and surrounding areas

In business since 1999

Credit card accepted

"John gave me what I thought was a decent estimate that was in line with everyone else. He gave me a date for the work to be completed, but they didnt arrive on that date. On that they that they didn't arrive, I had cancelled an appointment to stay home that morning. When I called him, he was in Iowa working at his other location. When I let him know that I had cancelled an appointment to be here for the work, he said "Did we inconvenience you?" in an unfriendly tone. The crew came to do the work on a weekend. John is not a good communicator at all. John had told me that he was going to resurface the floor. I did not understand what that meant and assumed it was putting in new concrete because he did not explain it. I saw that the crew was just chopping up the floor and going to fill in the cracks. When I stopped them and contacted John, he said he had it noted down as resurfacing. When I explained to him that the he did not explain what resurfacing meant to me, he got upset and said I had to pay more. He first said the job would cost an extra $800. When I declined it, he offered the work to be done at an extra $400. After the job was complete, it was done nicely. When I advised him how many companies on Angie's List offer discounts to members, I asked what type of discount he offered. He said that he would add some decorations to the sidewalk and that was done. Also, when I saw that dirt needed to be replaced in the trenched along each side of the driveway and sidewalk, he said I would need to call someone else. I had to pay another contaractor $300 for the dirt to be filled after they finished the driveway and sidewalk. The work took three days and he only stopped by once to oversee the job and that was when we had the arguement over the garage floor. The product and quality of service was good, but the communication was bad. The workers did a good job and they worked hard. However, I would not recommend this company to someone else as I felt that dealing with John was not appropriate. He didn't offer good customer service in what I see in terms of what I feel is appropriate customer service for what a person would normally expect.
"
Additional Photos
Additional Photos
Stamped
Polish
Stain

+1

Recommended by82%of homeowners
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Excavating questions, answered by experts

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.

Most residential basements are 8 to 10 feet deep. You can dig deeper depending on building codes, but it does become more difficult. You’ll likely need to install stronger foundation walls and additional supports to handle the increased load. Depending on the water table, you may also need a water management system. Clay soil can support a deeper foundation than sandy soil. A structural engineer will be able to tell you the maximum, feasible depth.

To drill a shallow well, you may be able to use a drive well point. This is a tapered point that is driven into the ground. A drill bit at the end of PVC pipe may be another option to consider. A lot of the cost depends on what tools are available near you.

The average cost of excavation is approximately $3,200, with typical projects ranging from $500 to $15,000. Depending on the contractor, you may be charged between $50 and $200 per cubic yard or an hourly rate of $40 to $180 for an excavation specialist. The total cost is influenced by several factors, including the project size, the amount of soil to be removed, and the soil's condition. Hard soil, tree roots, or excessive rocks and clay can increase the price, potentially adding $200 to $1,200 to the final bill. Other factors that can drive up costs include the presence of nearby structures that complicate the work or tight spaces that require manual excavation instead of heavy machinery.

A mini excavator can dig between 5 and 11 feet deep, depending on the type and size of the mini excavator. Mini hydraulic excavators are more powerful and can reach deeper into the earth, but electric models have a more limited range. Mini excavators over two tons in size are also more powerful and able to dig as deep as 11 feet.

The Fairfax, IA homeowners’ guide to excavation services

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