Excavation Contractors in Illinois
Find excavation contractors serving Illinois properties, for site preparation, land grading, trenching, foundation and basement digs, pond excavation and other earthwork. We list 23 excavation contractors across 1 Illinois metro, each confirmed on the company’s own website (checked October 2026). Choose a city to compare them.
Browse Illinois Excavation Contractors by City
- Chicago excavation contractors: 23 verified
Illinois Excavation Contractors at a Glance
| City | Contractors | Also land clearing | Also forestry mulching | Also stump grinding |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 23 | 8 | 1 | 2 |
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 Illinois?
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 Illinois-specific average. For the full breakdown, see excavation cost.
Illinois Rules That Affect Your Project
| Rule | What it requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Call 811 before digging | Under the Illinois Underground Utility Facilities Damage Prevention Act, anyone excavating or demolishing must notify utility owners through JULIE not less than 2 days and no more than 10 days before starting work. | Source |
| Construction stormwater permit | Illinois EPA issues the General NPDES Permit for Construction Site Activities (ILR10). It covers construction that disturbs 1 acre or more, including smaller sites that are part of a larger common plan of development. A Notice of Intent is filed electronically through EPA’s CDX system. The permit was renewed September 22, 2023. | Source |
| Burning cleared brush | State rules allow open burning of landscape waste (trees, branches, stumps, brush) only on the property where it was generated, when the air will disperse the smoke, and with no visibility hazard to roads, railroads or airfields. It is banned in municipalities over 2,500 people, in municipalities next to them, in all municipalities wholly within 40 air miles of Meigs Field in Chicago, and in rural areas within 1,000 feet of a municipality where it is banned. Local rules can be stricter. | Source |
Local rules vary by city:
- Chicago: Disturbing 15,000 square feet or more of land in Chicago makes the project a Regulated Development under the city’s Stormwater Ordinance, which needs stormwater review before building or sewer permits are issued.
How to Choose an Excavation Contractor in Illinois
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
- Illinois: 811 requirement (220 ILCS 50/4, as amended by P.A. 103-614, eff. Jan. 1, 2025)
- Illinois: Construction stormwater permit (permit renewed Sept. 22, 2023 (page undated))
- Illinois: Open burning rules (no date)
- HomeGuide: How Much Does Excavation Cost? (written February 5, 2026)
Reviewed October 16, 2026. Prices are attributed national estimates. Confirm permit requirements for your parcel with the city or county.