Lake plain, bluffs and creek valleys

Excavation Contractors in Cleveland, OH

From lakefront bluffs to the Cuyahoga valley, a city built mostly before 1950.

Free on-site estimates
Written, line-item pricing before we dig
Ohio 811 locate filed for every excavation

A Big Old City on Wet Ground

Excavation contractors in Cleveland work in a city that was built fast and early. Growth took off after the Ohio and Erie Canal opened in 1832, and the population peaked at 914,808 in 1950. By 2020 it had fallen to 372,624 on about 77.7 square miles of land. That history leaves a lot of aging housing, old sewer laterals, detached garages and vacant lots, which is exactly where most residential digging happens.

Bluffs and creek valleys

The city sits on a series of irregular bluffs that run roughly parallel to Lake Erie. The Cuyahoga River, Big Creek and Euclid Creek cut through them. The shoreline is about 569 feet above sea level, Public Square about 650 feet and Hopkins Airport about 791 feet, so the land rises quickly from the lake. Lots near the valley edges need careful cuts and controlled runoff, while flatter neighborhoods on the lake plain mostly fight standing water.

Thirty-four neighborhoods, many lot types

The City Planning Commission recognizes 34 neighborhoods, from dense streetcar-era blocks on the near west and east sides to postwar streets near the southern edge. Narrow lots with a driveway along one side and a garage in back are common in older areas. That shapes access: compact machines, careful staging on the street, and hand digging near neighboring foundations.

What we do most in the city

Sewer lateral repair and replacement trenches
Detached garage and shed teardowns
Regrading and French drains for wet basements
Footings for porches, additions and new garages
Clearing and grading vacant lots for new homes

Snow and frost

Hopkins averages 63.8 inches of snow a season, and lake-effect snow usually runs from mid-November until the lake freezes. Urgent lateral repairs happen year-round. Grading and drainage jobs are best scheduled once the ground dries out in late spring or summer.

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What to Know in Cleveland

Population history. Cleveland's population peaked at 914,808 in 1950 and was 372,624 in the 2020 census, so much of the housing and underground pipe predates the 1950s.
Lakefront bluffs. The city sits on irregular bluffs parallel to Lake Erie, cut by the Cuyahoga River, Big Creek and Euclid Creek, rising from about 569 feet at the shore to 791 feet at Hopkins.
Lake-effect snow. Hopkins Airport averages 63.8 inches of snow a season, and lake-effect snow typically runs from mid-November until the lake freezes in late January or early February.
Dig notice. Ohio law requires notice to the utility protection service at least two working days before excavating and no more than 16 calendar days ahead.

Sewer Lateral Excavation in Cleveland, OH

Our Services in Cleveland, OH

Cleveland Questions

Can you get a machine into a narrow city backyard?

Usually. Compact excavators and skid steers fit through many side drives and gates. Where they do not, part of the work is done by hand or from the alley or street side with a permit.

Do you clear vacant lots for new construction?

Yes. We remove debris, old foundations and buried concrete, grade the lot and leave a pad ready for footings.

Who checks permits for work near the street?

We confirm city requirements for your address before work begins, including any permit for digging in the tree lawn or right of way.

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