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TRUSTED BY DES MOINES, WA HOMEOWNERS

  • Average homeowner rating star icon4.8
    Average homeowner rating
  • Verified reviews icon69
    Verified excavation services reviews

Find Excavation pros in Des Moines

Triton Excavation INC
4.6(
41
)
Excavation - Major Grading or ReslopingExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping - For Business

Serving Des Moines, WA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2008

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"They came to look at some work on a Saturday and just did it rite then. I wasn't expecting that so was thrilled. Did a great job on a totally miserable project, got it done quickly, cleaned up and cost was very fair. I'd recommend them in a heartbeat"
Response time2 days
2 neighbors recently requested a quote
Recommended by100%of homeowners
Avatar for Mount Olive Landscape & Constr
Mount Olive Landscape & Constr
4.8(
57
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Des Moines, WA and surrounding areas

Approved

Super Service Award Winner

In business since 2015

Free estimates

Warranties offered

"I needed to stabilize a slope. Norberto presented a plan for a retaining wall and drainage that was both functional and attractive. He provided a detailed bid for labor and materials that was competitive with several other companies He and his crew completed the job efficiently while taking care not to damage existing shrubbery and ornamentals. Norberto is professional and easy to work with. He was very good about coordinating with me. I have and will continue to use his company for other projects."
vinyl fence 3
Vinyl Fence Project
Vinyl Fence Project
Flagstone Patio
Flagstone Patio

+46

Response time8 hrs
Response rate98%
60 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Gaston Bros. Excavating, Inc.
Gaston Bros. Excavating, Inc.
4.4(
20
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingExcavation - Major Grading or ReslopingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For Business+1 more

Serving Des Moines, WA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 1980

Free estimates

Offers commercial services

"I hired Gary Gaston to clear my severely overgrown backyard. He showed up when he said he would to look at the job and give me a bid. I decided to go with Gaston Brothers and we set up a day and time to start the project. Gary said he could do it in one day. Again he showed up on time and started the work. I was impressed at Gary's skill operating the backhoe. That is truly a lost art. He cleared enough to fill 2 full sized dump trucks. Gary went the extra mile by leveling out the yard. It's ready for me to rake it smooth and plant grass. Thank you Gary!"
Wall project
Wall project
Retaining Wall
Parking lot
Parking lot

+52

Response time1 day
Response rate88%
5 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Seattle Rockeries
Seattle Rockeries
4.8(
62
)
Excavation - Major Grading or ReslopingLandscape - Minor Grading or Resloping

Serving Des Moines, WA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2016

Free estimates

Emergency services offered

"Scope of project was removal of existing concrete pavers and hemlock stump, then installing 7-9 rockery flat steps made of natural basalt rockery rocks. We were thoroughly happy with the work from Seattle Rockeries. Harry and his crew were very knowledgeable, fast and friendly. Sharing pics of before and after."
206-960-9003
Glory
after
after
after

+138

Response time10 hrs
Recommended by94%of homeowners
Avatar for NestEx LLC
NestEx LLC
5.0(
6
)
Landscape - Minor Grading or ReslopingBuilding Site - Preparation and ClearingExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+2 more

Serving Des Moines, WA and surrounding areas

Approved

Free estimates

Small jobs welcome

Offers commercial services

"NestEx provided a quick response for our inquiry for getting our yard graded. He provided a quality job at a reasonable price. I can’t recommend him enough. We are super satisfied with the project and will be using him in the future for any upcoming projects. 11 out of 10."
14 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Northern Horizons Land and Yard Restoration
Northern Horizons Land and Yard Restoration
4.5(
6
)
Building Site - Preparation and ClearingBuilding Site - Preparation and Clearing - For BusinessExcavation - Major Grading or Resloping+1 more

Serving Des Moines, WA and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2019

Free estimates

Small jobs welcome

"Jesse is an incredibly hard worker. He removed around 1000sq ft of blackberry bushes, which uncovered lots of junk left over from previous homeowners. He was generous enough to remove the junk along with the bushes, cleaning up our yard to make it safe for the kids to play."
Before
Before
After
After
Response time5 hrs
Response rate100%
Recommended by66%of homeowners
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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.

As a general rule, the protected area should be about 1½ times as wide as the canopy of the tree’s leaves. This digging measurement can vary by tree species and the age of the tree. Of course, that can be a lot of fencing for larger trees, which is why our first step is about making difficult decisions on which trees to save.

While general contractors sometimes handle demolition, you can also look specifically for local demolition contractors. Demolition experts need to understand structural integrity, the equipment needed for safe demolition, and the permits required for demolition.

How deep your septic system needs to be into the ground depends on several factors. In extremely cold environments, the tank needs to rest below the maximum frost line, which can be up to six or eight feet deep. The standard burying depth for most systems is between a few inches and four feet below ground level. Depth can also depend on the slope of the landscaping and other property variables. 

The Des Moines, WA homeowners’ guide to excavation services

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