Excavation & Site Servicing
Excavation and Site
Servicing in Northumberland
Site preparation, foundation excavation, septic systems and service connections across Cobourg, Port Hope, Northumberland County and into Durham. Delivered through our excavation partner, contracted and managed by us.
Get a Free Quote (905) 376-5585How it works
One contract, start to finish
We deliver excavation and site servicing through a partner group we have worked with for years, under our contract and our schedule. One company to deal with, one price, and one place the responsibility sits.
What that means in practice is that you are not hiring an excavator, then a builder, and standing between them when the dig is not where the footings need to be. We price it, we sequence it, we are on site for it, and if something is wrong you call us.
It also means the dig is planned against the drawings for what is going on top of it, which is where most excavation problems start. See all our construction services for how the rest of the build runs.
Scope
What the work covers
Site preparation and clearing
Stripping topsoil, clearing the footprint, establishing access for the machines and the deliveries that follow, and setting up erosion and sediment control where the site needs it. Topsoil is stockpiled rather than carted away when it can be reused for final grading.
Foundation excavation
Digging to the depth the footings require, which in this climate means below the frost line. The hole is cut to allow working room around the forms, and the bearing is checked before anything is poured. Over-digging and under-digging both cost money, the first in fill and the second in rework.
Water, sewer and service trenching
Connections from the street to the building, sanitary and storm, with the electrical and gas trenching that runs alongside. Depths and bedding are specified, and inspection happens before the trench is closed.
Septic systems
New installations and replacements on rural property. Septic carries its own approval separate from the building permit, and the system has to suit the soil and the size of the house. Our guide to septic and well requirements on rural property covers what is involved.
Grading, backfill and drainage
Backfilling in lifts rather than one dump, final grade sloped away from the building, and drainage taken somewhere it can actually go. Most wet basements in this county are a grading problem rather than a foundation problem.
Demolition and removals
Taking down what is already there when a rebuild needs a clear site, including old foundations and buried tanks. Demolition is its own permit in most municipalities.
Rural property
Site servicing outside town
A rural lot in Northumberland County is a different job from a serviced lot in Cobourg. There is no water line to connect to and no sanitary sewer, so the services have to be created rather than connected.
Well and septic
Both are their own approvals, and together they usually set where on the lot the house can actually go. Separation distances between a well, a septic bed and the building envelope decide the siting more often than the view does.
Conservation authority land
A lot of rural and waterfront property in this county falls under a conservation authority, which regulates work near water, wetlands and slopes separately from the municipality. Our waterfront building guide covers how that process runs.
Driveways and access
A long rural driveway needs a base that will carry a concrete truck and a crane, not just a car. Getting that wrong early means fixing it while the build is live.
Cost
What moves the number
Excavation is priced against what is underground, and nobody can see that until it is open. These are the four things that move it most.
Access
A machine that can reach the work costs less to run than a smaller one that cannot. Tight urban lots in Cobourg and Port Hope, mature trees and overhead wires all narrow what can be brought in.
What is in the ground
Clay, sand and rock are three different jobs. Hitting rock changes the method and the price. So does groundwater, which can mean pumping for the duration.
Where the spoil goes
Material that can stay on site and be reused for grading costs almost nothing to deal with. Material that has to be trucked away is priced by the load, and contaminated fill is priced differently again.
Distance to services
A connection at the property line is a short trench. A connection a hundred metres up a rural driveway is not. This is usually the single biggest variable on a rural site.
We quote fixed price against a defined scope, with the ground conditions stated. If something is found that the scope did not allow for, it is priced and agreed in writing before the machine moves again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you take excavation as a standalone job, or only as part of a build?
+
Yes to both. We take excavation and site servicing as standalone jobs and complete them through our partner group. We also run it as part of a project we are already building, where the digging, the footings and the structure get sequenced by the same people. Tell us where the property is and what the job involves and we will price it either way.
Who actually does the digging?
+
Excavation and site servicing are delivered through a partner group we have worked with for years. We hold the contract, we schedule it and we are accountable for the result, so you deal with us rather than coordinating a separate company. The crew, the machines and the ground experience are theirs. The planning, the sequencing and the accountability are ours.
Do I need a permit to excavate?
+
The excavation itself usually sits under the permit for whatever is being built, so a foundation dig is covered by the building permit. Septic systems need their own approval. Work near water, a wetland or a slope can need a conservation authority permit on top. We establish which of these apply before anything is dug.
What is site servicing?
+
Getting the services from the street or the source to the building. Water line, sanitary and storm connections, and the electrical and gas trenching that goes with them. On rural property it means a well and a septic system instead of municipal connections.
How far in advance should excavation be booked?
+
Earlier than most people expect. Excavation is weather dependent and the ground freezes here, so the window matters. Bring it up at the design stage rather than once drawings are approved.
Do you locate buried utilities first?
+
Always, and it is not optional. Ontario One Call is a legal requirement before ground is broken, and private services on your own property need locating separately because One Call does not cover them.
Need a site dug or serviced?
Tell us where the property is and what is going on it. We will tell you what the site needs, what the work involves and what it is likely to cost.
Request a Free Quote (905) 376-5585