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Excavation Contractor · Central NH

Excavation Contractor in Central NH

Foundations, driveways, septic excavation, utility trenches, and full site prep across the Lakes Region. Owner-operated out of Hill, NH — with the right-sized equipment to handle residential and light commercial projects without tearing up the yard.

Excavation work in central New Hampshire breaks down into a handful of regular jobs: new driveways, foundation digs, septic system excavation, utility trenches, drainage work, and full site prep before a building goes up. All of it runs through Hill (03243), Bristol (03222), Franklin (03235), Plymouth (03264), Laconia (03246), and the towns between — from Newfound Lake down to Webster Lake and out toward the Pemigewasset.

I'm an owner-operator. The same person who walks the site is the same person on the machine, and the price you get on the estimate is the price you pay. No subs, no rotating crew, no upcharges that show up in the final invoice.

What I do most often

Foundation excavation

Foundation digs are some of the most exact excavation work I do. The hole has to be square to the builder's footprint, plumb on the walls, and at the right depth so footings sit on undisturbed soil and the slab pours level. Most residential foundations in central NH run one to three days of machine time depending on size and what shows up in the soil.

What I check before quoting: ledge potential (a two-foot ledge boulder six feet down can change the price by half a day's work), groundwater (a dig that's wet at four feet needs different drainage planning than one that's bone dry), and access (can the excavator reach the back corner without driving across the septic field). Garages, barns, sheds, and outbuildings get the same treatment as a full house pad — smaller scope, same care.

Driveway excavation & grading

Driveways are probably the single most-asked-about excavation job. New gravel driveways, driveway widening, washout repair after a heavy spring, regrading when the pitch is wrong and water's coming toward the house instead of away from it. Full base prep, proper crown, drainage that actually works.

The difference between a driveway that holds and one that needs help every spring is almost always what's underneath. A six-inch gravel layer sitting on a soft, ungraded base ruts and washes. A graded subgrade with a proper bank-run base, then crushed gravel on top, with a 2–3% crown for shedding water, is a driveway you stop thinking about. See the full NH gravel driveway cost & build guide →

Septic system excavation

Septic excavation usually runs as a coordinated job: a licensed septic designer draws the system, NH DES (Department of Environmental Services) approves it under RSA 485-A and the NH Subsurface Systems rules, and I do the dig — tank pit, leach field, distribution lines, and the final cover-and-grade. The state's separation distances from wells, surface water, and property lines all have to clear before any machine moves dirt.

If you don't have a designer yet, I can point you to one. If you've already got an approved design, send me the plan and the permit and I'll quote the excavation off it. New installs, septic replacements, and tank access digs all fall under this. More on drainage & septic systems → Or read the NH septic install guide for the full process broken down.

Utility trenching

Water lines, power, propane, and septic-line laterals all go in trenches deep enough to stay below the NH frost line so they don't heave and crack every winter. Bedding matters as much as depth — a clean sand or pea-stone cradle around a water line means the line isn't sitting on a rock that'll abrade through a service jacket in five years.

Backfill is the other half of the job. Dump-and-compact in lifts so the ground doesn't settle and leave you with a six-inch dip running the length of the line. Most residential utility trenches run half a day to a full day depending on length and what's in the way (existing landscaping, paved walks, frozen surface).

NH soil, frost line, and winter work

Central New Hampshire sits on glacial till. Ledge boulders show up at any depth, soil drains erratically, and the frost line runs about four feet down in a typical winter (deeper in a hard one). Every excavation decision — how deep to trench, how much base prep a driveway needs, whether a foundation can be poured this week or has to wait — gets shaped by both.

You won't get halfway through a foundation and find out the estimate didn't account for ledge. Utility lines go in deep enough to stay below frost without heaving. Drainage is pitched for our spring mud and our freeze-thaw cycle, not a textbook average. This is the difference between hiring local and hiring the cheapest quote.

Winter excavation: possible for some jobs, a bad bet for others. Frozen surface ground (the top 12 to 18 inches by January) actually helps for access on wet sites — equipment doesn't leave ruts. But foundation digs and trenches going below the frost line get harder and slower because the upper layer fights you the whole way down. Septic installs typically pause from late December through March because NH DES requirements around frozen-ground compaction make spring testing complicated. I'll tell you straight whether your specific job is a winter job or worth waiting until April.

What drives the cost

Excavation prices vary more than almost any other service I do, because no two sites are the same. The variables that move the number:

Most residential excavation runs as a fixed-price job once I've walked the site. Larger or more uncertain projects (deep ledge potential, unknown drainage conditions) get a time-and-materials rate with a not-to-exceed cap so you're never blindsided. Deposits on bigger projects cover materials upfront; smaller single-day work is paid on completion. Everything itemized, nothing hidden.

Towns I serve for excavation

Based in Hill (03243), with regular excavation work across the Lakes Region. There's a regional overview page covering the whole area, plus three towns with their own dedicated detail pages:

Plus regular work in Laconia, Meredith, Gilford, Ashland, Sanbornton, Andover, Holderness, Tilton, New Hampton, Northfield, Belmont, and Hill itself. From Newfound Lake down through the Pemigewasset valley and out around Winnipesaukee. If you're in a neighboring town, the answer is usually yes — ask.

What clients say

★★★★★

“I've recommended Shawn to several others over the years — tree work, drainage, dirt work, excavation. I wish there were ten stars instead of five.”

Nathan G. · Laconia

Frequently asked questions

How much does a new gravel driveway cost in NH? Most residential gravel driveways in central NH run $3,500 to $9,000 depending on length, grade, and how much base prep is needed. Uphill driveways, rocky lots, and drainage work add to that. Every estimate is free and itemized — no hidden fees.

Do you handle foundation excavation for new homes and garages? Yes. I dig and grade to your builder's footprint and leave the site ready for footings. I work across the Lakes Region including Hill 03243, Bristol 03222, Franklin 03235, Plymouth 03264, and Laconia 03246. Most residential foundation digs are one to three days of machine time depending on size, soil, and ledge conditions.

Can you fix a washed-out driveway or drainage problem? Yes — this is one of the most common jobs I do. Regrading, adding a proper crown, cutting a swale, or installing a catch basin or French drain. Fixing drainage is often the single highest-value project a property can get because it stops the damage from compounding every spring.

Do you handle excavation for new septic systems? Yes. Septic excavation is one of the more frequent jobs I run, usually coordinated with a licensed septic installer who handles the design and the permit. I do the dig, the bedding, the tank set, the leach-field excavation, and the cover-and-grade. NH DES has specific separation distances from wells and water bodies (RSA 485-A) and the design has to clear those before any digging starts — if you don't already have a designer, I can point you to one.

Can you do excavation in winter when the ground is frozen? It depends on the job. Frozen surface ground (the top 12 to 18 inches by January in a typical year) actually helps for some work — equipment doesn't leave ruts, and access to wet sites improves once everything firms up. But foundation digs and utility trenches that need to go below the 4-foot frost line get harder and slower because the upper layer fights you the whole way down. Septic installs typically pause from late December through March. I'll tell you straight whether your specific job is a winter job or worth waiting for spring.

How long does an excavation project take? Most residential excavation falls into a one to three day window of actual machine time. A new gravel driveway: one day for a short flat run, two for longer or sloped lots. A foundation dig: one to three days depending on size and ledge. A utility trench: half a day to a full day. A septic install: typically two to four days for the dig, set, and cover. Bigger or more complex jobs run longer and get phased so you're never paying for equipment sitting idle.

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