What excavation costs in the Finger Lakes
Typical ranges for the jobs we're asked about most, what pushes a job to the high or low end, and how to get a number you can plan around.
Every excavation quote is site-specific, and anyone who gives you a firm price over the phone without seeing the lot is guessing. But you shouldn't have to call to know whether a job is a $1,500 job or a $15,000 job. These are the ranges we see across Ontario County and the Finger Lakes, updated for 2026. They assume normal access and no rock; steep lakefront lots and shale bedrock push everything toward the high end.
| Job | Typical range (2026) |
|---|---|
| Garage or shed pad (24x24, cut and stone base) | $1,800 – $4,500 |
| Foundation regrade around house | $1,200 – $3,500 |
| Full basement excavation, typical home footprint | $4,500 – $12,000 |
| Footing drains, stone, and backfill | $3,000 – $8,000 |
| Site prep for new home (strip, cut/fill, rough grade) | $8,000 – $30,000+ |
| Trenching, per linear foot (water/sewer depth) | $18 – $45 /ft |
| Trenching, per linear foot (electrical depth) | $9 – $20 /ft |
| Hourly rate, mini excavator with operator | $130 – $190 /hr |
| Hourly rate, mid-size excavator with operator | $180 – $275 /hr |
| Hydraulic breaker for rock, hourly add | $100 – $200 /hr |
| Hauling, per tri-axle load out | $150 – $350 /load |
What moves the number
- VolumeCubic yards moved is the biggest driver. A basement dig is priced by the hole; a grading job by the area and depth of cut.
- Haul or keepSpoils that stay on site for backfill or grading are nearly free. Spoils that leave cost a truck load at a time, plus tipping fees for anything that isn't clean fill.
- RockShale bedrock is shallow in Bristol, South Bristol, and along Canandaigua Lake's east shore. Breaking it is slow and billed hourly. A test pit before quoting is worth the hour.
- AccessA tight lakefront lot with a steep drive may limit us to compact equipment, which moves less material per hour. Flat, open sites are cheapest.
- SeasonMud season (late March to mid-April) and frozen ground both slow work. Summer and early fall are most efficient.
- Permits and erosion controlTown stormwater rules, watershed requirements near the lake, and any SWPPP obligations for larger disturbances add cost that's real but predictable.
The best way to get an accurate number is a site visit. We walk the lot, look at access and slope, probe for rock where it's suspected, and give you a written quote that holds. There's no charge for the visit within our service area.
Get a quote
Call, or send the form and we'll get back to you — usually the same business day. Tell us the town and what you're trying to do; a photo or two never hurts.
(585) 575-0567Serving Canandaigua, Ontario County, the Finger Lakes, and the Rochester area. Larger Syracuse-area projects by arrangement.