Excavation Cost Factors
Four major pricing factors may affect land excavation prices. The size of the total area, terrain and soil composition, purpose of the excavation, and equipment needs. Tough projects on challenging terrain that are difficult to access or that require additional equipment, or the use of multiple machines at once, are more costly than standard jobs because they require more labor.
Size and Accessibility
For residential purposes, many projects have minimum fees. Smaller projects often require smaller equipment with lower prices. For instance, a skid steer or backhoe for a small job typically cost around $100 an hour to rent, including an operator, while a full-sized excavator runs about 50% more and is the better choice for larger projects, where access allows.
Soil and Terrain
Digging in rock or rocky terrain will add $200 to $1,200 or more to the project. A contractor will always visit the site to determine the final bid. Excavation in an area with loose soil, no trees, and no rocks in the dirt is much simpler, and, therefore, faster and less expensive than removing dozens of mature trees and dealing with boulders stuck in clay-like soil.
Flattening Hills or Slopes
Cut and fill rates vary greatly from $1 to $12 per cubic yard. Haul distance also affects excavation, more so than size. For example, cut and fill earthmoving over a few hundred feet uses less crew, equipment, fuel, and time than moving it over five miles. The price differences vary greatly due to these factors, plus location, accessibility and the type of project.
Equipment Needed
With an operator, equipment rental costs around $100 to $250 an hour. However, larger jobs can use larger equipment that is more efficient at earthmoving. So, while machine rental costs increase, overall, you save money, because labor time is significantly reduced.
Accessibility also determines the type of equipment needed. Poor accessibility to a job site may require smaller dump trucks and more labor hours to move dirt and debris, increasing the bill.
Season
Though season does have some limitations for most construction work, unless it's a project in the Arctic, it has very little effect on projects or costs. The main worry about winter work is laying a foundation before frost sets into the dig site—though this is a concern of the foundation and general contractor—not the excavator.
Current levels of technology and engineering in equipment make winter workflow as seamless as summer construction. The largest impact is weather delays. General contractors usually absorb costs due to delays.
Land Clearing
Land clearing pricing alone runs about $200 to $6,000 an acre. This includes removing trees, shrubs, and debris from the land.
If you have grading undertaken at the same time, you'll spend an additional $0.47 to $2.28 per square. With 43,560 square feet in an acre, that's about $20,000 to $100,000 per acre for grading.
So, for clearing and grading, expect to pay anywhere from $20,200 to $106,000 per acre.
Dirt Removal Costs
Hauling away dirt from new foundations and in-ground pools sets you back between $8 and $25 per cubic yard. Access to the dirt plays the largest factor. If a dump truck and backhoe have easy access to the dirt, expect to pay closer to $8 per cubic yard.
However, if access is restricted, so only smaller equipment or barrows can get close to the dirt, or the site is a long way from the removal vehicle, expect to pay closer to $25 per cubic yard.
Cleanup Costs
Site cleanup costs anywhere from $200 to $20,000. It refers to the process of testing and fixing any soil contamination issues before work begins. Soil contamination testing costs anywhere from $15 to $3,000. How much you'll pay for the test depends on what you're testing for, the size of the site you're testing, and whether you hire someone to do the test or you buy a self-testing kit and mail it back to the lab yourself.
Full-spectrum tests across an acre can cost as much as $3,000, but if you're testing a small area for a specific contaminant, such as lead, you can pay as little as $15 for a self-testing kit. Volatile organic substance tests cost between $200 and $500 each, while microbiological testing costs $20 to $300, depending on what microbes you're testing for.
If the tests come back negative, then no cleanup is required. However, if contamination is identified, this must be rectified, or cleaned up, before work can resume. For example, if the soil is contaminated with asbestos, expect to pay $4 to $6 per square foot for removal.
So, if the contamination is spread over a whole acre, cleanup could cost between $175,000 and $260,000.