Dug to Plan. Ready to Pour.
Austin, TX & Salt Lake City, UT · Engineered Plan Required
We work from your engineer's plan — not an approximation of it. Dimensions, footer depth, bearing surface, and drainage slope confirmed before the first pass. Your concrete crew arrives to a site that's ready.
Every Foundation Type.
Dug to Spec.
Foundation excavation isn't one job — the scope changes significantly based on what's being built, what the engineer specified, and what the ground is doing. We work with your structural drawings, not around them.
New Custom Homes
Slab-on-grade, pier-and-beam, and basement foundations for custom residential. We dig to the structural engineer's plan — footer widths, depth to bearing, interior grade beam locations, and any caissons or drilled piers flagged for coordination.
ADUs + Garage Conversions
Accessory dwelling units, detached garages, and backyard structures. Tight access is common — compact equipment, careful spoil management, and coordination with existing structures. We confirm clearance before we mobilize.
Additions + Extensions
Ground-floor additions to existing structures require precision — match the existing floor elevation, protect the current foundation, tie in the new footer. We work slowly and deliberately at the interface between old and new.
Commercial + Multi-Unit
Small commercial buildings, duplexes, fourplexes, and infill multi-unit residential. Larger footprint, more complex drainage staging, higher spoil volume. We coordinate with your GC's schedule and work in phases when the build requires it.
Infill Lots — Urban + Tight
Central Austin and SLC infill lots often mean zero-lot-line excavation, adjacent structure risk, heritage tree CRZ proximity, and truck access down a narrow driveway. We've done it — compact equipment, hand dig at sensitive boundaries when required.
Sloped + Stepped Foundations
Austin's terrain means many lots require stepped footings and terraced cuts. We work from the civil and structural drawings together — cut elevations, step locations, bench widths, and drainage away from the foundation. Not a flat-lot job.
We Read the
Engineer's Drawings.
Not a Sketch.
Most excavation contractors work from a verbal description or a rough sketch. We work from the structural engineer's foundation plan. Footer dimensions, bearing depth, step locations, setbacks — all of it confirmed before we move dirt.
If your plans aren't final yet, we'll give you a range. When they're stamped, we'll lock the number. No surprises when the foundation inspector shows up.
- Footer width and depth confirmed against structural spec before dig
- Bearing surface elevation held to ±3" tolerance — what your engineer designed for
- Step locations on sloped lots marked and cut per plan
- Drainage slope away from footprint per civil grading plan
- Rock conditions identified and communicated before they delay your concrete crew
- Final photos sent before demobilization — your GC and engineer can review remotely
Four Scope Items.
All Included in Your Quote.
Perimeter + Interior Footer Excavation
Main foundation perimeter cut plus interior grade beams and footer locations per structural plan. We mark and confirm all locations before digging — not after a footer is in the wrong place.
Bearing Surface Prep
Footer bearing surface finished to engineered elevation and cleared of loose material. Your concrete crew should step in and pour — not have to hand-trim or re-grade before the inspector shows up. We hold ±3" on bearing surface as standard.
Rock Assessment + Breaking
Austin and SLC foundations regularly hit caliche and limestone before reaching specified footer depth. We assess conditions on site walk, communicate the range before you're committed, and bring hydraulic hammer when the site calls for it. Not a separate mobilization — it's on the same machine.
Spoil Haul + Grade Restoration
All excavated material removed from site. Adjacent grade restored to allow equipment and material access for framing. No loose spoil pile left against the future foundation walls. Rock haul quoted separately when volume is significant.
We Fit Into
Your Build Schedule.
We Work From Your Schedule — Not Ours
Foundation excavation sits at the front of your critical path. If it slips, everything slips. We confirm mobilization date when you confirm the plan is final — not when it's convenient for us. Same-day mobilization available for schedule gaps when we have capacity.
We communicate directly with your site super. Final photos before demob. Any rock or soil conditions flagged in writing so you have documentation for your engineer.
We Actually Read the Drawings
If you've had excavation contractors ignore your stepped footing layout or dig a flat cut on a sloped lot — that's not us. We pull dimensions from the stamped plan, confirm bearing elevations, and flag discrepancies before we pour.
If site conditions deviate from what the plan assumed — rock at a different depth, soil that doesn't match — we document and communicate before continuing. You hear it from us first, not from the GC after the fact.
Plan Review to
Pour-Ready Handoff.
Quote + Plan Review
Send us the structural drawings or a PDF of the foundation plan. We quote from dimensions — not guesses. If plans aren't final, we give you a range. Price locks when plans are stamped.
Pre-Mobilization Site Walk
We walk the lot before scheduling equipment. Access route, overhead clearance, adjacent structures, utility locations, and ground conditions assessed. Any rock flags communicated before you commit your concrete crew to a pour date.
Layout + Confirm Before Digging
Footer locations staked or marked per plan. Confirmed with your GC or super before the first pass. If anything doesn't match the site conditions — setback, adjacent structure, tree CRZ — we flag it before moving dirt.
Excavate to Plan
Perimeter cut, interior footers, bearing surface finish. Hydraulic hammer if rock is encountered at footer depth. Step cuts executed per plan on sloped lots. We work to grade — not to "looks about right."
Spoil Haul + Handoff
All material removed. Adjacent grade left clean and accessible for forming crew and material delivery. Final photos of bearing surface and footer cuts sent before we demobilize. Your concrete crew and inspector step in to a site that's ready.
What Foundation Excavation
Costs in Austin + SLC.
Foundation excavation pricing is driven by footprint size, foundation type, ground conditions, and access. These ranges come from actual projects in Austin TX and Salt Lake City UT — not national cost databases.
| Project Type | Footprint / Size | Conditions | Estimated Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Slab-on-Grade — Custom Home | 1,800–2,400 sq ft | Soil, light caliche | $6,000 – $11,000 |
| Slab-on-Grade — Custom Home | 2,400–3,500 sq ft | Austin limestone present | $12,000 – $22,000 |
| Pier-and-Beam Foundation | 1,200–2,000 sq ft | Soil | $4,500 – $8,500 |
| ADU / Detached Garage | 400–800 sq ft | Any | $3,500 – $7,500 |
| Addition to Existing Home | 300–600 sq ft | Tight access, adjacent structure | $4,000 – $9,000 |
| Sloped Lot — Stepped Footing | 1,800–2,800 sq ft | Moderate slope, soil | $8,000 – $16,000 |
| Infill Duplex / Fourplex | 2,000–3,500 sq ft | Mixed, urban lot | $10,000 – $24,000 |
| Small Commercial Building | 3,000–6,000 sq ft | Standard conditions | $18,000 – $40,000 |
What GCs + Builders
Ask About Foundation Digs.
We prefer stamped drawings but can quote from preliminary plans with a contingency range. Final price locks when the structural plan is confirmed. We've learned not to dig from a sketch — tolerance errors at the footer stage are expensive to fix.
Yes — and we recommend it before you finalize your concrete subcontractor's schedule. Site walk is no charge. We'll give you a written rock range so you're not quoting your client a foundation cost that blows up when caliche shows up at 4 feet.
Depends on the foundation type of the existing structure, soil conditions, and cut depth. We assess on site walk and give you a clear picture before committing. For additions and infill lots, we've worked as close as 18 inches from existing footings with compact equipment and careful technique.
We stop, document, photograph, and call you. You and your engineer decide how to proceed — we don't keep digging and figure it out later. Field documentation goes into your project file.
Yes — stepped footings, terraced cuts, and sloped bearing surfaces are a significant part of our Austin work. Austin's terrain makes flat-lot foundation work the exception, not the rule. We work from the structural and civil drawings together.
We can coordinate and sequence with your pier contractor. We handle the bulk excavation, they handle the drilled piers, and we sequence so they're not working around a machine or vice versa. Coordination confirmed before mobilization.
Send Us the Plans.
We'll Give You a Real Number.
PDF or link to your structural drawings. We'll review, walk the site if needed, and give you a quote you can build a schedule around.
Austin, TX · Salt Lake City, UT · Licensed + Insured