Frequently Asked Questions

For budgeting, start with time and trucks. HomeBlue's local data has machine-and-operator time running $210 to $370 an hour, a full day at $1,700 to $2,900, and each truckload of hauled dirt at $400 to $600 or more. Nationally, HomeAdvisor sees most excavation projects land between $1,659 and $6,713. Your number depends on soil, depth, access and haul-off, so we price it after seeing the site.

Much of Northeast Ohio has dense clay till subsoil with a perched water table. The USDA describes the Mahoning series as having seasonal water 6 to 12 inches below the surface from October through June. Rain soaks the topsoil, hits the tight clay and sits there, so any hole becomes a sump.

Yes. Ohio law requires notice at least two working days before excavating, not counting the day you call, and no more than 16 calendar days ahead. When we do the work, we file the request and wait for the marks.

Often, yes, especially for urgent work like a collapsed sewer lateral. Frost adds time and cost, and frozen spoil cannot be used as backfill, so it is replaced with stone or hauled. Grading and drainage work usually waits for drier weather.

We dig, move, grade and haul soil for home projects: basement and footing digs, sewer and water line trenches, French drains, regrading for drainage, pads for driveways and patios, and demolition of garages, sheds and houses. The common thread is moving dirt safely and putting it back so it stays put.

Yes. Some soil is reused for backfill and grading on site, and the rest is hauled. HomeBlue's Cleveland figures put hauling at $400 to $600 or more per truckload. We tell you up front how many loads we expect.

We use compact equipment where we can, lay mats or plywood over lawn and walks, and plan the route in and out before work starts. Some lawn disturbance is unavoidable, so restoration is a line on the estimate.

A common guideline is about 6 inches of drop in the first 10 feet. Beyond that, the yard needs a continuous path to a swale, the street or a drain so water does not just collect at the edge of the regraded area.

Not entirely. Soil around the house has to be stripped and rebuilt. We keep the disturbed area as small as the fix allows and leave it ready for seed or sod.

Loose dirt piled up without compaction settles again, and soil should not be built up over siding or above the foundation's exposed edge. The grade has to be rebuilt in compacted layers at the right height.

Small residential regrades often do not, but grading near streams, on steep slopes or over a certain area can. We check with your city before quoting.

Below the local frost depth set by the building code, which your city's building department enforces. We dig to the depth on the approved plans and the inspector checks it before concrete.

Yes. We excavate along the wall to the footing so a waterproofing or repair crew can work, then backfill with drainage stone and compacted soil.

HomeBlue estimates about two and a half days for a typical new-home basement in Cleveland. Groundwater, rock and access can stretch it.

Some is stockpiled for backfill and grading. The rest is hauled, which HomeBlue prices at $400 to $600 or more per load locally.

Repeated backups, slow drains throughout the house, or a camera inspection that shows a collapse, offset joint or heavy roots are the usual signs. A camera tells you whether a dig is needed and where.

It depends on the city and the utility. Many communities make the owner responsible for the lateral up to the main, but the rules vary across Cuyahoga County, so we confirm for your address.

Sometimes. Trenchless methods need only pits at each end, and we can route a trench around hardscape where the pipe allows. If concrete has to be cut, removal and replacement is priced up front.

Most residential lateral digs are open for a day or two. The trench is backfilled and graded right away, and grass returns once seed takes.

An exterior drain can help when water comes from saturated soil or runoff against the wall. Leaks through cracks or rising groundwater under the floor may need interior drainage or waterproofing as well. We tell you which problem we see.

Most yard and curtain drains are roughly 18 to 24 inches deep, enough to catch water perched on the clay. Footing drains go down to the footing.

To a lower part of your lot, a pop-up emitter, a dry well, or a connection your city permits. We check the rules before design.

They can if built without filter fabric or with dirty stone. We wrap the trench in fabric, use clean stone and add cleanouts so the pipe can be flushed.

In most Cuyahoga County cities, yes. Requirements differ, and utility disconnects are usually needed first. We check with your city as part of the estimate.

Older homes and garages can contain asbestos in siding, roofing or insulation. A survey identifies it, and any abatement is done by a licensed abatement contractor before demolition.

Sometimes, if it is sound and the right size. Most old garage slabs are cracked and undersized for a new building, so we usually remove them and leave a compacted pad.

Most detached garages come down and get hauled in a day, plus time for permits and utility disconnects beforehand.

It depends on the surface, the soil and the traffic. Paving and concrete contractors usually specify the depth. On soft clay we often recommend removing more soft material and adding fabric.

Sometimes the old stone can be reused if it is clean and well compacted. Often it is mixed with clay after years of use, and it is better to dig out and rebuild.

No. We do the excavation and base, and we can coordinate with your concrete, asphalt or paver installer.

Usually soft or wet soil under it, a thin base, or settled backfill near the house. A rebuilt base with compacted stone prevents a repeat.