Quick answer: Residential excavation costs about $4,000 on average in 2026, and most homeowners pay $1,650 to $6,700. Excavators with an operator bill around $100 to $250 per hour, and hauling the dirt away adds roughly $8 to $25 per cubic yard. A full basement dig typically runs $5,000 to $15,000.
Pick a common project or enter your own length, width and depth. The calculator figures the cubic yardage, truckloads and a line-item cost estimate.
Excavation Cost Calculator (2026)
Choose a project or enter your own dimensions to estimate digging, hauling and site costs.
Uses 2026 averages of $100–$250/hr for an excavator and operator and $8–$25 per cubic yard to haul dirt. Dirt swells about 25% once dug. Call 811 at least a few days before any digging.
Excavation Costs at a Glance (2026)
Excavators price jobs by the hour, by the cubic yard, or as a flat project bid. Here’s how those numbers compare, based on Angi’s 2026 excavation cost data:
| Pricing method | Typical 2026 rate |
|---|---|
| Excavator with operator | $100–$250 per hour |
| Labor only | $120–$150 per hour per crew |
| Grading / leveling | $1–$12 per cubic yard |
| Dirt hauling and disposal | $8–$25 per cubic yard |
| Rock blasting | $40–$100 per cubic yard |
| Large boulder removal | $50–$250 per cubic yard |
Excavation Cost by Project Type
| Project | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Full basement | $5,000–$15,000 |
| New home foundation / crawl space | $1,500–$6,000 |
| In-ground pool dig | $400–$1,500 (up to $20,000 on rocky, hard-to-reach sites) |
| Utility or plumbing trench | $1,500–$10,000 |
| Driveway or patio base | $1,000–$2,500 |
| Land clearing | $1,400–$5,800 |
| Grading and leveling | $400–$6,500 |
| Hillside excavation | $1,000–$5,000 |
| Rock or ledge removal | $1,000–$20,000+ |
Just leveling a yard rather than digging a hole? Our land leveling and yard grading cost calculator is built for that job.
How to Calculate Cubic Yards
Excavation volume is measured in cubic yards. One cubic yard is 27 cubic feet, so:
Cubic yards = length (ft) × width (ft) × depth (ft) ÷ 27
A 30 × 40 ft basement dug 8 ft deep is 30 × 40 × 8 ÷ 27 ≈ 356 cubic yards. Two details trip people up:
- Swell factor. Dirt in the ground (“bank” yards) expands about 20% to 30% once it’s dug loose. That 356-yard basement becomes roughly 445 loose yards to haul — about 37 dump-truck loads at 12 yards each.
- Over-dig. Foundations need working room for forms and drainage, so excavators usually dig 2 to 3 feet past the footprint on each side. Add that to your length and width.
For irregular areas, break the space into rectangles and add them together. A measuring tool like Moasure can map the area and calculate volume as you walk the site.
What Drives Excavation Costs Up
Soil and rock
Loose loam digs fast. Heavy clay is slow and sticky, and rocky or root-filled soil wears equipment. Rocky or clay-heavy sites commonly add $200 to $1,200, and solid ledge rock that needs a hydraulic hammer or blasting can add tens of thousands on a large dig.
Access
A full-size excavator moves dirt several times faster than a mini excavator. Backyard pools, additions behind a house, and sites with fences, septic fields or mature trees in the way often force smaller machines or hand digging.
What happens to the dirt
Hauling is frequently the largest line item on big digs. If you have room, keep some soil on site for backfill and grading. Some excavators will reduce your price if they can sell clean fill elsewhere.
Permits, surveys and testing
| Item | Typical cost |
|---|---|
| Excavation permit | $50–$400 |
| Land survey / staking | $400–$550 |
| Geotechnical soil test | $700–$2,200 |
| Dewatering (pumping groundwater) | $500–$3,000+ |
Safety Rules That Affect Your Quote
Federal OSHA rules require protective systems — sloping, benching, shoring or a trench box — for trenches 5 feet deep or more, and a safe way out (such as a ladder) within 25 feet of workers in trenches 4 feet or deeper. A contractor whose bid skips these on a deep dig is either cutting corners or will add them later as a change order. Always have utilities marked through 811 before digging; hitting a gas or power line is dangerous and expensive.
How to Get a Fair Excavation Quote
- Know your volume. Use the calculator to estimate cubic yards so you can compare bids apples to apples.
- Ask what’s included: mobilization, haul-off, backfill, compaction, permits, and final grading.
- Get the rock clause in writing. Most contracts price rock separately per hour or per yard if it’s found.
- Verify licensing and insurance, and hire experienced excavation contractors who handle the 811 locate and permit for you.
- Budget a 10% to 20% contingency for groundwater, buried debris, or unexpected rock.
Excavation Cost FAQ
How much does it cost to dig a basement?
Basement excavation usually costs $5,000 to $15,000, depending on size, depth, soil, and whether the dirt is hauled away. Rock or a high water table can push it well past that.
How much does excavation cost per cubic yard?
Digging alone typically runs about $10 to $30 per cubic yard on an open residential site, and hauling adds $8 to $25 per cubic yard. Full-service residential bids that include hauling, backfill and cleanup can reach $50 to $200 per yard on small or difficult jobs.
How much does it cost to rent an excavator?
Mini excavators typically rent for a few hundred dollars a day plus delivery, with larger machines costing more. DIY makes sense only for small, shallow jobs like a drainage trench; anything near a foundation or utilities is best left to a pro.
How long does excavation take?
A trench or patio base is often a one-day job. A full basement usually takes 2 to 5 days of digging, not counting permits, inspections or weather delays.
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