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TRUSTED BY LAKE FOREST, IL HOMEOWNERS

  • Average homeowner rating star icon4.4
    Average homeowner rating
  • Verified reviews icon42
    Verified excavation services reviews

Find Excavation pros in Lake Forest

Avatar for JK Company, LLC
JK Company, LLC
4.9(
108
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Lake Forest, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

Super Service Award Winner

In business since 2016

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"JK Company did an outstanding job managing and installing our new Patio including a built in Grill. Tino has a full understanding of the process and pitfalls to avoid. They went above and beyond with any challenges encountered. The crew was courteous and true craftmen. I highly recommend JK Company! Marc (Buffalo Grove, IL)"
Patio
Drive
Patio
Patio
Entryway

+11

Response time1 day
46 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by93%of homeowners
Avatar for Efrains Brick Paving and Landscaping
Efrains Brick Paving and Landscaping
5.0(
21
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Lake Forest, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2019

Free estimates

Offers commercial services

"Efrain responded quickly, showed up when he said he would, explained how he would fix the retaining wall (including adding drainage so no future problems arose) and was very communicative. He completed the job when he said he would and it looks wonderful. I would wholeheartedly recommend him based on my experience. Rarely do I find it enjoyable to work with someone on home repair, but he was excellent!"
Walkway
Walkway
Patio
Patio
Patio

+3

2 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by86%of homeowners
Avatar for Illinois Sewer And Drain Inc
Illinois Sewer And Drain Inc
4.9(
20
)
Excavation - Major Grading or ReslopingExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping - For Business

Serving Lake Forest, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

Super Service Award Winner

In business since 2004

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"We are new homeowners and had a hole in our septic tank made of concrete block, which was sending wastewater into the foundation/basement of the home. It was my first time using Angie's List, and I would recommend Illinois Sewer and Drain to anyone. Joe and his team of experts solved our issue immediately at an affordable price. They even went above and beyond to install a sump pump in our basement to help with the rain water. Quality work!!"
Additional Photos
Additional Photos
Additional Photos
Additional Photos
Additional Photos

+23

Response time9 hrs
1 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by65%of homeowners
Avatar for Greentrail Landscape & Design, Inc.
Greentrail Landscape & Design, Inc.
4.3(
81
)
Excavation - Major Grading or ReslopingExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping - For BusinessLandscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Lake Forest, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2001

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Jose and his crew completely rebuilt our stone patio and wall that was falling apart, and surrounded it with redone landscaping. We are thrilled with the result. Jose has an eye for design. He makes good suggestions and sees possibilities we did not. He used high quality materials and plants and was careful not to damage the surrounding area. I highly recommend him."
Response time2 days
4 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by93%of homeowners
Avatar for Unique Landscaping Service
Unique Landscaping Service
4.3(
143
)
Excavation - Major Grading or Resloping - For BusinessLandscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Lake Forest, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2012

Free estimates

Small jobs welcome

"I had old timber walls removed & new ones installed. New plantiings, trees and mulch. All the workmen that Flirian & Ernin brought to my job worked very hard to give us a beautiful finished job. I would hire them again."
 .
KIDS PLAYGROUND AREA
AFTER
PLANTING DESIGNS
Hardscape Projects

+452

Response time8 hrs
Response rate100%
Recommended by95%of homeowners
Avatar for Hernandez Bro's Landscaping
Hernandez Bro's Landscaping
4.1(
30
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Lake Forest, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2018

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"They did a superb job it was very stress free and Mariela was very helpful setting up the whole process. They did the job while I was at work because I have a very busy schedule so it was very convenient for me because I cannot work from home. Will definitely hire them again!"
Our work
WALK WAY
Our work
Our work
Our work

+3

Response time10 hrs
Response rate96%
21 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Toro Total Construction LLC
Toro Total Construction LLC
4.5(
22
)
Excavation - Major Grading or ReslopingExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping - For Business

Serving Lake Forest, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2021

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"They did a great job, no complaints. I didnâ t notice anything messed but they did point out minor scraps that occurred. I honestly couldnâ t tell anything was wrong but I guess to their professional opinion they had to touch it up lol. Great work but nobodies perfect 4.5 stars"
Response time1 day
1 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by100%of homeowners
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Showing 1-10 of 193
Excavating questions, answered by experts

In most areas, you will need a permit for excavation work, even for projects that only involve grading or yard leveling. Permit requirements depend on your local government and the scope of the project, but they are especially common for significant digging or work that could affect utilities or public property. These permits help protect the local topography and prevent drainage issues. An experienced excavation company will typically know whether permits are needed and can often handle the process of pulling and closing them for you. You can also verify permit requirements by contacting your local building department and describing your project.

Prior to excavation, you should prepare the dig site and call 311 before you sign anything.

To get your site ready for excavation, you should move anything in the area that isn’t affixed to the land. You can save money on the excavation by removing hardscaping, including walkways, decks, concrete patios, and paver patios.

Before you carry out any digging, you should call 311 to confirm that there are no utility lines running through your excavation site. Skipping this step could lead to severe injury and property damage if your excavator hits a water, sewage, or gas line.

The best type of soil to build on is a mixture of sand and clay, known as loam soil. Loam soil has the best combination of these soil types to build a foundation on. The clay particles help with water retention, so it won’t erode like sandy soil might, and the sandy particles help with drainage, so you won’t see unsafe soil expansion or have an increased risk of leaks from water sitting against your foundation.

You do not have to dig footers for a deck as long as it meets local code and holds up to weather in your area. If you live somewhere that experiences high winds and earthquakes, you may need to dig for your deck posts. Deck blocks, post anchors with base plates, and helical pile systems are the three no-dig deck post options you can choose from if local code permits.

If you’re planning to dig on your property, you’ll need to check for underground utility lines. Call the national call-before-you-dig 811 number. Once connected to an operator, you can schedule a site visit to mark underground lines. This way, you won’t accidentally dig into pipes and can cause major (read: costly) issues.

The Lake Forest, IL homeowners’ guide to excavation services

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