Serving Hartford & Middlesex County, CT
Excavation Contractor in Hartford & Middlesex County
Excavation contractor for homeowners and builders. We dig foundations and additions, prep lots and grade yards with our own machines. Dig Works is family-run by second- and third-generation builders, with 40 years in general contracting and development.
What We Dig For
Our excavation work is for houses, from digging the foundation to grading the lot.
Foundation Excavation
The foundation is the first thing dug on a new house. We dig to the plans and the surveyor's stakes, at the size and depth the footing crew needs.
Foundation excavationAdditions
Digging for an addition means working right next to a house you're living in. The machine is close to the existing foundation, the lawn and whatever runs underground between the house and the street, so we go carefully and have the lines marked before we start.
Lot Prep
Before a house goes up, the lot has to be stripped and roughly shaped, with room for the foundation and the utility trenches and a slope that sends water away. If the lot still has trees and stumps on it, our land clearing page covers that part.
Land clearingGrading
Grading decides which way rain runs off the lot. The ground next to the house should slope away from it, because when it slopes toward the house the water ends up against your foundation. We grade around new builds and additions, and regrade yards where the slope is sending water the wrong way. If water already sits in your yard after rain, our drainage page is a better place to start.
Yard grading- Our family builds homes too, so we know what the next crew needs from the dig.
For Homeowners and Builders
We work for homeowners who are adding on or building a house, and for builders who need a site dug on schedule. Either way, you'll be dealing with the owners, and the excavators on your job are our own.
Our background is in general contracting and development, so we know what the framer and the mason will need from the hole.
We don't take on septic systems, driveways, slab prep or large commercial projects.
See All Our Services
Excavation Cost
The price mostly comes down to how much material has to come out of the ground and how hard it is to get to.
Send us the plans or a few photos. Small jobs can often be priced from photos, and bigger digs usually need a site visit. Either way, you should hear back within a couple of business days.
- Size and depth: how much material comes out of the ground.
- Soil and ledge: sandy soil digs quickly, while hitting ledge (bedrock) slows the job and can mean breaking rock.
- Water: a high water table or a wet spell means pumping and waiting.
- Access: how close a machine can get, and what's in the way, such as fences, trees, overhead wires or a tight side yard.
- Where the dirt goes: spreading it on site costs less than trucking it away.
- Permits and inspections: waiting on an inspection can hold up the job, and a longer job costs more.
What to Ask Any Excavation Contractor
First, ask for their Home Improvement Registration number. In Connecticut, an excavation contractor working on a home of one to six units needs a Home Improvement Registration from the Department of Consumer Protection, and you can check the number with the state. The state's page on excavation contractors explains the rule.
It's also worth asking who calls 811. Connecticut law requires an excavator to contact Call Before You Dig (811) before digging, so the utility companies can mark their buried lines. On our jobs, we file that request ourselves before every dig.
While you're asking, it's a good idea to get a certificate of insurance too.
Request an EstimateAn excavation contractor moves earth with heavy machines so something can be built. That means digging foundations and footings, preparing lots, and grading the ground so water runs away from the house. For us, that means foundations, additions, lot prep and grading for homes in Hartford and Middlesex County.
It depends on the size and depth of the dig, the soil, whether there's ledge or water, how easy the site is to reach, and where the dirt goes. We price most jobs as a whole job. Open-ended work, where nobody can see what's in the ground yet, is sometimes priced by the hour. If you send the plans or some photos, we can give you a price for your job.
A new foundation or an addition needs a building permit from your town's building department. The homeowner or builder usually pulls it, and we dig to it. We're glad to help with what the town needs from the excavation side, and if you already have the permit, it helps to mention it in the estimate form.
Tell Us What You're Building
Send the plans if you have them, or a few photos of the site, and we'll get back to you by email. You can also call (860) 883-6201.