The construction industry is heavily dependent upon earth moving resources for completing any project. Any civil work starts with land preparation, excavating and eliminating the obstacles around.

The excavating contractors who provide such services cannot be called as mere dirt haulers. They perform a wide range of tasks smoothly. It’s a skilled job which involves land survey, job planning, digging, grading, making drainage system and other custom jobs as required by the site condition.

The most important part of the job is handling heavy equipment in the narrow and difficult landscape. According to IBISWorld’s US market research report published in Dec- 2017, the excavation contractors industry has marked a growth of 5% from 2012-17. The total employment was 298,548 and business revenue was worth $59bn.

This clearly indicates the workload and presence of skilled human resources to handle the jobs. The main part of the revenue is derived from private residential and non-residential properties.

Major Jobs Executed by the Service Providers

• Land Preparation

The site crew, along with the expert, surveys the land and discusses the scope of the job. Before starting the digging process, the surrounding area is observed carefully. Stripping is done to remove vegetation and other top layer unwanted items. Any obstacle or old construction on the site is demolished.

If there is no safe approach to the site for movement of heavy equipment, it is also created. The safety department of the site gives clearance for manpower and equipment to work on the site.

• Digging Work

In the residential area, the main job involves excavating for basements and foundation. If the site is bigger, the swimming pool hole is also ordered by many clients.

In the non-residential areas like park or field, the artificial pond is also constructed by the company. After formation of the foundation, the excavators help in completing the soil back-fill work.

For utility works like water, electrical and telephone line creation, the earth movers have a keen role to play. In fact, all other departments in the construction site rely on these people for executing their work in some way.

• Site Finalization

The project planning department provides guidance for making an outlet for the drainage system. The nearby trenches or sewage that may harm the site in future is also removed with the help of these digging resources. The disposal of waste materials away from the site is also a part of the agreement.

Once the required jobs are completed, we see the beginning of the grading and the surface smoothing process being carried out and the site becomes ready for starting the construction work.

Some may further hire the equipment facilitator for creating an easy approachable road to the site and clearing the side areas for plantation or creating boundaries. In certain cases this may be necessary in order to complete the task of may significantly improve the speed with which it is completed.

Types of Equipment Used

There are basically two types of tools and machinery used in the excavating a site.

i. Hand Tools

ii. Power Operated Machinery

As you may have observed that in a construction site, the hand tools like hoe, pick-axe, spade, shovel, mattock, trowel and rake help in completing the manual works which can’t be done by machines. These tools are operated by labors under the guidance of site supervisor.

Typical machinery involves back hoe & tracked excavators, bulldozer, dragline, wheeled trenchers etc. Some custom machinery is also deployed based on the requirements. This heavy equipment operation requires certified skilled operators.

There is a wide range of construction technology that is used and the majority of it requires a qualified operator to use it.

Cost of the Service

The cost of such work is derived based on the scope of work. Its total cost covers compensation of equipment, labor charges, material cost, and all other items that were utilized for the project, including incidental expenses.

During the time of the agreement, the unit price is decided and based on the final volume of the job executed, the payment is released. Typically, a property owner pays between $1200 – $4500 to complete the order. Do your own research for the price and jobs that will be required for your site.