Foundation and Basement Excavation in Sacramento
Excavation for footings, stem walls, slabs, crawlspaces and basements, dug to your plans and ready for the concrete crew.
Foundation excavation is the first real ground work on most new buildings and many additions. The hole needs to be the right size, depth and shape, and the bottom needs to be clean and firm, because everything above it depends on that. We dig to your plans, and we leave the excavation ready for the footing or slab crew and the inspector.
When you need foundation or basement excavation
This service covers new homes, additions, garages and shops, accessory dwelling units, and replacement or repair of existing foundations. Basement and below-grade excavation is less common in the Sacramento area than in colder regions, but it comes up in custom homes, hillside builds and some remodels.
How a typical job runs
- Site walk and plan review. We review your plans, walk the lot, and look at access, existing structures, trees, fences and where soil can go.
- Utility locate. California law requires contacting USA North 811 at least two working days before digging. Read how to call 811 before you dig in California. Private lines are often not marked, so tell us about any you know of.
- Layout. Building corners and depths are set from your plans or from a surveyor’s or builder’s marks.
- Excavation. Soil is removed to the plan dimensions, either stockpiled nearby or hauled off.
- Trimming and bottom prep. Footing trenches and slab areas are trimmed and cleaned to plan.
- Inspection window. The excavation stays open for any required inspection before steel and concrete go in.
- Backfill and cleanup. After the foundation is placed and cured, we can backfill and rough-grade around it, as agreed.
To see the whole process in order, read what to expect on an excavation project.
Local conditions that matter
The Sacramento Valley has clay-rich, expansive soils, and foundation design often responds to that, with deeper or reinforced footings or other measures. That is a design question for your engineer or designer, and our job is to build the excavation to match.
In parts of east and south Sacramento County and the lower foothills, cemented hardpan can slow digging and trimming. In the Folsom, El Dorado Hills, Rocklin and El Dorado County foothills, granite, decomposed granite and boulders are common. Low-lying areas near the rivers and the Delta side can have shallow seasonal groundwater, which matters most for basements and deep cuts. During the wet season, roughly November to April, open excavations collect water and need planning for drainage and erosion control.
Floodplain and levee-area rules can affect foundation work in some places, and permit requirements vary by city and county. Confirm with your jurisdiction before work starts. If your foundation will sit on a graded pad, see site grading and pad preparation.
What to have ready for an estimate
- Foundation plans and any soils report
- The address or parcel number
- Notes on access, setbacks and neighboring structures
- Where excavated soil should go, or whether you want it hauled off
- Your schedule, including when the foundation crew is booked
This is typical scope. The final service list and scope are confirmed per job in your written estimate. Contact us to request one.
Typical scope
- Excavation for continuous and spread footings
- Slab-on-grade foundation preparation
- Crawlspace and stem wall excavation
- Basement and below-grade excavation
- Trimming and cleaning excavation bottoms to plan
- Spoil stockpiling or haul-off
- Backfill around completed foundations
What affects the job
- Expansive clay soils on the valley floor can affect footing depth and engineering requirements
- Shallow seasonal groundwater in low-lying areas can make deep excavations difficult and may call for dewatering
- Cemented hardpan or rock in parts of the region slows digging and trimming
- Basements and deep cuts often need shoring or sloped sides, and may need an engineer
- Neighboring structures, fences and utilities near the dig limit how far we can open the ground
Questions about foundation and basement excavation
Do I need an engineer before excavation starts?
For most foundations, your plans and soils information come from a designer or engineer, and we dig to those plans. Deep basement cuts and sites with poor soil or groundwater may need extra engineering for shoring or drainage. Check with your designer and your jurisdiction, and send us the plans with your estimate request.
How is the bottom of the excavation checked?
Footing and foundation bottoms are generally inspected by the building department, and sometimes by your engineer, before concrete is placed. We trim the excavation to your plan dimensions and coordinate timing so the inspection can happen before the pour, and we leave the excavation open until it has passed.
What happens to the dirt from the excavation?
It can be stockpiled on site for later backfill or grading, spread on the lot if the plans allow, or hauled away. Hauling adds time and cost, so it helps to decide early. See our material hauling service for import and export of soil.
Can you excavate a basement on a tight lot?
Sometimes, but access, setbacks, neighboring structures and utilities all matter. A site walk is the best way to tell. Tight lots may need sloped cuts or shoring, and some work may be better suited to smaller equipment. We note any access concerns in your written estimate, along with what equipment we expect the lot can handle.
Tell us about the job. Get a written estimate.
Send the address, what you need done, and your timeline. We will reply with next steps.