Excavation Contractors in Alabama

Find excavation contractors serving Alabama properties, for site preparation, land grading, trenching, foundation and basement digs, pond excavation and other earthwork. We list 34 excavation contractors across 2 Alabama metros, each confirmed on the company’s own website (checked October 2026). Choose a city to compare them.

Browse Alabama Excavation Contractors by City

Birmingham excavation contractors: 7 verified
Huntsville excavation contractors: 27 verified

Alabama Excavation Contractors at a Glance

City	Contractors	Also land clearing	Also forestry mulching	Also stump grinding
Birmingham	7	4	1	3
Huntsville	27	20	8	3
Total listings	34	24	9	6

Counts come from the listings on each city page. The Contractors column is the number of excavation companies listed; each confirms excavation on its own website. The other columns count companies whose sites also confirm that service, so one company can appear in more than one column.

How Much Do Excavation Contractors Charge in Alabama?

Excavation typically costs $2.50 to $15 per cubic yard for ordinary soil, or $100 to $300 per hour for an excavator with an operator, according to HomeGuide’s 2026 guide. Its average total project is $1,100 to $5,600, with trenching at $5 to $12 per linear foot and pond digging at $300 to $3,200. These are national figures; no published source gives a reliable Alabama-specific average. For the full breakdown, see excavation cost.

Alabama Rules That Affect Your Project

Rule	What it requires	Source
Call 811 before digging	The Alabama Public Service Commission tells homeowners and contractors to contact 811 at least two days before digging; the City of Alexander City’s official page states everyone, including homeowners, must contact Alabama 811 at least two full working days before excavating (Code of Alabama Sec. 37-15-4 governs notice).	Source
Construction stormwater permit	The Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM) Stormwater Management Branch issues coverage under General NPDES Permit ALR100000 for construction disturbing one acre or more, including smaller sites that are part of a common plan of development or sale of one acre or more.	Source
Burning cleared brush	ADEM Rule 335-3-3-.01(2) allows open burning of vegetation or untreated wood from land clearing if it is on the property where generated, at least 500 feet from the nearest occupied dwelling (other than one on the property), started only between 8 a.m. and 3 p.m. with no fuel added between 3 p.m. and 8 a.m., with wind away from built-up areas, attended at all times, and not during an air stagnation advisory or declared drought emergency. This permission is revoked May through October in listed counties including Jefferson, Shelby, Mobile and Baldwin. Separately, the Alabama Forestry Commission requires a burn permit for prescribed burns of 1/4 acre or more.	Source

Local rules vary by city:

Birmingham: In Birmingham, any non-exempt land-disturbing activity, including clearing, grading and filling, needs a soil erosion and sediment control permit from the city engineer before work starts.
Huntsville: Huntsville bans open burning except as its code allows, and burning materials grown on a tract must use an air curtain destructor or other approved device with a city open burning permit on director-designated days.

How to Choose an Excavation Contractor in Alabama

Send every bidder the same plans and dimensions. Ask whether the price is per cubic yard, per hour or a fixed total; whether spoil haul-off, imported fill, rock and compaction testing are included; who handles permits and utility locates; and what the finished grade will look like.

For background, read site preparation, excavation cost and land grading.

Sources

Reviewed October 16, 2026. Prices are attributed national estimates. Confirm permit requirements for your parcel with the city or county.