The Directory
Excavation companies in the Bay Area
27 local operators offer excavation. Filter by county or search by name — then request a quote.
27 companies
Johnston General Engineering
Local operator
Napa engineering contractor specializing in excavating, grading, and utilities — including land clearing, building pads, driveway widening, drainage, and defensible space.
Serves: Napa · Sonoma
Demar Inc.
25+ yrs
Sonoma excavation contractor operating since 2000, handling land clearing, site and pad preparation, driveway grading, and drainage across Sonoma and Napa.
Serves: Sonoma · Napa
Tight Access Excavation
35+ yrs
Sebastopol family-owned excavation and directional-drilling firm since 1990, providing land clearing, excavation, utilities, and drainage across Marin, Sonoma, and Napa.
Serves: Marin · Sonoma · Napa
DW Excavation
13+ yrs
Sonoma County excavation contractor since 2013 offering grading, land development and clearing, driveway/road construction, drainage, and erosion control.
Serves: Sonoma
Adobe Construction
Local operator
Penngrove general engineering contractor providing driveway construction, grading, site prep, and land clearing across Sonoma, Marin, and Napa.
Serves: Sonoma · Marin · Napa
Atlas Tree Service
Local operator
Concord company offering tree and stump removal alongside excavation, grading, drainage, and erosion control, with 24-hour emergency service.
Serves: Contra Costa · Alameda
Tri-Valley Excavating
35+ yrs
Sunol grading and excavation contractor with 35+ years offering site prep, earthwork, building pads, drainage, paving, and underground utilities across the East Bay.
Serves: Alameda · Contra Costa
Harris Excavation
Local operator
Excavation and grading contractor providing site prep, trenching, drainage, and erosion control across Santa Clara and San Mateo. CSLB #1117960 and Licensed Timber Operator.
Serves: Santa Clara · San Mateo
Half Moon Bay Grading & Paving
49+ yrs
Family-owned, four-generation Half Moon Bay contractor offering grading, excavation, site work, land clearing, driveways, and storm-drain systems across the coastal Peninsula. Since 1977.
Serves: San Mateo
Crestline Construction
Local operator
Family-owned earthwork contractor handling excavation, structural site prep, retaining walls, and concrete driveways for complex South County sites near Morgan Hill and Gilroy.
Serves: Santa Clara
Campbell Services LLC
20+ yrs
Full-service excavation contractor (20+ years) offering excavation, limited-access digs, grading, drainage, demolition, and land clearing across central Contra Costa.
Serves: Contra Costa
V&B Grading Inc.
19+ yrs · CSLB #897894
Fremont family-owned general engineering earthwork contractor (since 2007): mass and finish grading, hillside cuts, foundation excavation, storm drains, and utility trenching.
Serves: Alameda · Contra Costa
Have Dump Truck Will Travel
20+ yrs
Bobcat-based excavation and grading operation (20+ years) offering excavation, grading, trenching, site prep, demolition, and debris hauling throughout San Francisco and the East Bay.
Serves: San Francisco · Alameda · Contra Costa
Demolition San Francisco
Local operator
San Francisco demolition and excavation firm handling emergency and hillside excavation, grading, lot clearing, erosion control, and site development across SF and the East Bay.
Serves: San Francisco · Alameda
Contractors in San Francisco
30+ yrs
Excavation and hillside-stabilization specialist (30+ years): precision excavation, grading, drainage, land clearing, soil compaction, and landslide repair across SF, Oakland Hills, Lafayette, and San Ramon.
Serves: San Francisco · Contra Costa · Alameda
Maxicrete
Local operator · CSLB #753882
Site development contractor (Class A General Engineering + C-8 Concrete) specializing in hardscape engineering, site work, grading, and concrete construction in the East Bay.
Serves: Alameda · Contra Costa
DEVCO Development & Engineering
Local operator · CSLB #1105687
Licensed General A engineering contractor providing hydro/vacuum excavation, earthwork, grading, underground utilities, and site development across Alameda and Solano. Certified Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise.
Serves: Alameda · Solano
Saviano Co. Inc.
Local operator
East Bay paving and site contractor offering site grading, excavation, and driveway paving for residential and commercial properties in Danville, Richmond, and San Leandro.
Serves: Contra Costa · Alameda
Ward Construction Inc.
Local operator
East Bay contractor specializing in drainage, french drains, retaining walls, foundation work, and driveway repair across Walnut Creek, Lafayette, and Danville.
Serves: Contra Costa · Alameda
Taurian Construction
Local operator · CSLB #1112490
Santa Rosa general engineering contractor specializing in excavation, grading, utility trenching, septic, and site prep/clearing on sloped and hillside parcels throughout Sonoma County.
Serves: Sonoma
Farr Construction Co.
Local operator · CSLB #444117
Santa Rosa A & B licensed general engineering contractor: grading, excavation, lot clearing, road construction, underground utilities, foundations, and fire cleanup.
Serves: Sonoma · San Mateo · Santa Clara
Independent Contractor Inc.
Local operator
Excavation, demolition, and grading contractor experienced in hillside/steep-lot grading, vineyard lot clearing, and tight-access site work across the Bay Area.
Serves: Santa Clara · San Mateo · Sonoma · Napa
Dirt Works 1, Inc.
Local operator
Excavation contractor serving northern Sonoma County and the Sonoma Coast: land clearing, grading, building pads, roads/driveways, ponds, septic, trenching, and stump removal.
Serves: Sonoma
All Valley Paving
30+ yrs
Vacaville paving and excavation contractor (30+ years) serving Solano County with site clearing, excavation, grading, and driveway/paving work.
Serves: Solano
Action Asphalt & Concrete
Local operator
Fairfield-area contractor providing grading and excavation plus asphalt/driveway work for commercial and municipal properties across greater Solano County.
Serves: Solano
Rocha Construction & Earthworks
Local operator · CSLB #838772
Half Moon Bay earthwork contractor serving the coastal San Mateo Peninsula (Pescadero, La Honda, Woodside, Portola Valley) and into Santa Clara: land clearing, grading, excavation, erosion control, culverts, and dirt/gravel roads.
Serves: San Mateo · Santa Clara
A&E Arborists Tree Care
Local operator
ISA-certified arborists and CAL FIRE Licensed Timber Operators doing land clearing, mastication, fire-fuel reduction, stump grinding, and excavation across Napa and Solano.
Serves: Napa · Solano
Mini-excavator work for jobs that need real reach and depth — utility and drainage trenches, footings and foundations, ponds, pools, large stumps, and tight-access earthmoving on lots full-size iron can't touch.
Excavation is the work that needs reach, depth, and breakout force a loader can't deliver. Where a skid steer pushes and grades at the surface, a mini excavator digs down — trenches for water, power, gas, and septic lines; footings and foundations for new structures; holes for ponds, pools, and large stumps; and clean spoil removal in spots too tight for full-size equipment.
The "mini" is the point. Compact excavators in the 1.5–8 ton range fit through a standard gate, work on finished lots without wrecking them, and pivot where a backhoe never could — exactly what most Bay Area residential and rural jobs need. Rubber tracks and a near-zero-tail-swing house let an operator work tight against a house, fence, or slope.
Most excavation is priced by the hour or the cubic yard moved, with trenching often quoted per linear foot. Soil type, rock, depth, and how far spoil has to be hauled drive the number more than the hole itself — so, as with clearing, a good operator looks at the site before committing to a price. Anything that breaks ground also means a free 811 utility locate first; reputable operators won't dig without it.
How It Works
The Excavation process
- 1
Site walk & 811 locate
The operator sizes up soil, depth, access, and spoil haul, then files a free 811 utility locate so digging can start safely two business days later.
- 2
Mobilize the right machine
A compact excavator sized to the job and the access point shows up — small enough to fit, big enough to dig to depth.
- 3
Dig to spec
Trenches, footings, or holes are cut to the required line, grade, and depth, with spoil stockpiled or hauled out as you prefer.
- 4
Backfill & clean up
Once any required inspection clears, the operator backfills, compacts, and leaves the site graded and tidy.
Who It's For
Common reasons to book
FAQ
Excavation questions, answered
What's the difference between excavation and grading?+
Grading shapes the surface; excavation digs into it. A skid steer is great at spreading, leveling, and light cut-and-fill near the surface, but a mini excavator is what you want for trenches, footings, deep holes, and anything that needs to go down rather than across. Many operators bring both machines to a single job.
How much does excavation cost?+
Most mini-excavator work runs $90–$150 per hour with operator, while trenching is often quoted at $5–$15 per linear foot in normal soil. A small footing or foundation dig typically lands around $1,000–$3,000. Rock, high water tables, deep digs, and hauling spoil off-site all push costs up.
Do I need to call 811 before you dig?+
Yes — and any good operator handles it for you. California law requires a free 811 'call before you dig' utility locate at least two business days before breaking ground, on public or private property. It prevents strikes on gas, electric, and water lines. Never hire someone who skips it.
Will the machine fit through my gate or on my finished lot?+
Usually. Compact excavators in the 1.5–3 ton class fit through a standard ~36-inch gate and run on rubber tracks that spread weight to limit damage to lawns and driveways. For tight urban and finished-yard jobs, that small footprint is the whole advantage over a backhoe or full-size excavator.
Do I need a permit?+
It depends on the work. A private drainage trench often doesn't, but utility connections, septic systems, retaining structures, and anything in a creek setback or steep-slope area usually do. Your operator can tell you what's typical locally, but always confirm with your county or city before digging.
Related Services
Often booked together
Grading & Site Prep
Leveling and shaping soil, cutting and filling, building pads, and compacting ground so it drains correctly and supports what comes next — a foundation, a barn, a driveway, or a finished yard.
Learn more →🛤️Driveways & Drainage
Building and repairing gravel driveways and the drainage that keeps them — and your property — from washing out: french drains, culverts, swales, and proper crowning so rural access holds up year-round.
Learn more →🪓Land Clearing
Removing brush, trees, stumps, and debris so a parcel can actually be used — for a home, a barn, pasture, crops, or a sale. The all-in version of clearing, from standing growth down to a graded, clean surface.
Learn more →Get matched with a Bay Area clearing pro
Tell us about your property and we'll connect you with experienced local operators — free, no obligation.