Austin, TX Excavation Services
- Building Pads, Ranch Roads, Grading and Demolition Across Central Texas
Building pads, grading, ranch roads and demolition on acreage around Austin and out through Travis County. Dozers and excavators out of Johnson City, about an hour west.
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Ground Conditions Around Austin and What They Mean for Your Job
Austin covers a lot of different ground. West of MoPac you are into Hill Country limestone with thin soil. East of I-35 you get into blackland clay that digs easy but moves with the weather. Same city, two completely different dirt jobs.
Inside the city there is a second issue, which is access and neighbors. Tight lots, tree protection and getting a machine in and out cost real time. We factor that into the number instead of finding out about it on day one.
Excavation and Dirt Work Services in Austin, TX
Six things we get called for most around Austin. Most jobs end up being some mix of them.
Building Pads
Cut, filled and compacted pads ready for a slab, a barn or a shop. Built to drain away from the structure.
Drainage Correction
Fixing low spots, boggy pasture and water running toward a building instead of away from it.
Grading and Reshaping
Reworking ground that drains the wrong way. Cuts, fills and finish grade to move water where it should go.
Demolition and Haul Off
Old barns, sheds, slabs and pens taken down and hauled off, leaving clean ground behind.
Bulk Dirt Moving
Moving material where it needs to go, whether that is a cut and fill on site or bringing dirt in.
Ranch Roads
Roads cut, based and crowned so they shed water and carry a truck and trailer year round.
How We Price Dirt Work
Most excavation and grading work gets priced as a day rate. That covers the machine, the operator, fuel and getting the equipment to your place. We work that way because on a lot of dirt jobs nobody knows exactly what is under the ground until we open it up. A day rate means you pay for the work that actually gets done instead of paying a padded number built to cover the worst case.
When the scope is tight and we can see it on the ground, we will bid it as a fixed price. A building pad at a set size and elevation, a stretch of road with a known length, an old barn coming down and going to the landfill. Those we can put a firm number on before we start.
What moves the number either way is rock, haul distance, how wet the ground is and how far the equipment has to travel to reach you. Call us with what you are trying to do and we will tell you straight which way it ought to be priced.
Day Rate Work
Open ended dirt work where the scope can change once we get into it. Grading, clearing out a wet spot, general earthmoving.
Fixed Price Work
Jobs with a defined scope. A pad at a set size, a road of known length, a structure coming down and getting hauled off.
What Changes the Price
Rock, haul distance, wet ground and travel time. We tell you which of those are in play before we start, not after.
Start to Finish
Look at It
No quoting off a satellite image. We drive out, walk the job and dig where we plan to work.
Price It
Scope, method and cost, explained plainly. You know whether it is day rate or firm before you agree to anything.
Build It
Cut, fill, compact and shape. Dozers and excavators, run by people who do this every day.
Finish It
Final grade, cleanup, and a walk through together before we call it done.
Who We Work For Around Austin
Most of our work is on ranches, acreage and rural homesites, but we do plenty of commercial pads and site work too.
Residential Properties
Prepare homesites, foundations, drainage systems, and utility installations for residential construction.
Ranch Properties
Support road construction, pond development, drainage improvements, and general land management projects.
Agricultural Properties
Create functional land conditions for farming operations, water management, and infrastructure improvements.
Commercial Properties
Prepare development sites for construction, utilities, and future expansion projects.
Development Properties
Provide excavation services that support site preparation and large-scale land development activities.
Why Choose Us for Excavation Services in Austin, TX?
Experience in the Seat
Our operators are not learning on your job. Flat pads and roads that drain come from hours in the seat, not from the machine.
The Right Iron
Bulldozers and excavators, matched to the job. A big machine on a small pad wastes your money and a small one on bulk work wastes your time.
No Surprises on the Invoice
You know before we start whether it is a day rate or a fixed bid, and you know what could change it.
You Deal With Us
One point of contact from the walk through to the finish. No passing you around.
Local Knowledge
Johnson City is home. We have worked ground in every county we list and we know what is under most of it.
We Understand Working Places
Livestock, gates, fences and wet ground. We work around your operation instead of through it.
Locations We Serve
We cover 13 counties across Central Texas from our yard in Johnson City. If you are inside that footprint we can get equipment to you.
Our Expertise
Project Gallery
Dirt work we have finished around Austin and the surrounding counties. Pads, roads, drainage and demolition.
9-Acre Selective Land Clearing & Grading Project –
Lexington, TX
18-Acre Cedar Clearing & Site Grading - Completed
Project
10-Acre Selective Clearing & Grading Project Completed – Bastrop, TX
Frequently Asked Questions
What does dirt work cost around Austin?
Most of it goes on a day rate covering the machine, the operator, fuel and getting the equipment to you. Around Austin the two things that move the number are rock on the west side and access on tight lots. When the scope is defined, like a pad at a set size, we bid it fixed.
Do you work inside Austin city limits?
Mostly not. Tree protection, land development rules and utility congestion make small city lots a poor fit for what we do. Our work is on the acreage past the city limits, out 290 East, out 71, up 183 and in southwest Travis County.
Can you build a pad on a rocky lot west of Austin?
Yes, but it changes the approach. Where limestone is close we will often build the pad up with imported material rather than cut down into rock. That sounds like more work and it is usually faster and cheaper than running a hammer for days.
Do I need a permit for grading in Travis County?
It depends on where you are. Floodplain and the Edwards Aquifer recharge zone in southwest Travis both bring requirements, and inside the city or ETJ there are more. We will tell you what applies to your parcel before we start.
Can you fix drainage running toward my house?
That is one of the most common calls we get around Austin. Usually it is a grading problem, not a plumbing problem. We reshape the ground so water leaves the structure instead of collecting against it.