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Excavation Contractors in Des Moines, Iowa

Find excavation contractors serving Des Moines, Iowa, for site preparation, land grading, trenching, foundation and basement digs, pond excavation and other earthwork. Compare local excavation companies, check which services each one offers, and contact them directly about your project.

Excavation Contractors Serving Des Moines

18 excavation contractors serving Des Moines confirm on their own websites that they offer excavation (checked October 2026). Each listing links to the page where the company describes the service, so you can check it yourself.

Excavation Services in Des Moines

ServiceWhat to ask the contractor
Site preparationWhich stages are included: clearing, grubbing, excavation, grading, compaction
Foundation and basement excavationEngineered depths, soil conditions, spoil haul-off
Land gradingDrainage direction, imported fill, compaction testing
TrenchingUtility locates, trench safety, backfill
Pond excavationDepth, spoil placement, spillway

How Much Do Excavation Contractors Charge in Des Moines?

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 Des Moines-specific average. For the full breakdown, see excavation cost.

Des Moines Permits and Local Rules

In Des Moines, a city grading permit is required for non-agricultural earth changes such as excavation or fill over 2,500 square feet, disturbance over 20,000 square feet, or 500 square feet or more within 100 feet of a stream, pond or drainageway, and no grading permit issues until a tree removal and mitigation plan is approved.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
Grading permit (Sec. 42-86)A grading permit from the city engineer is required for non-agricultural earth changes including excavation averaging more than two feet deep over 2,500 square feet or more, a disturbed area over 20,000 square feet, fill covering more than 2,500 square feet, disturbing 500 square feet or more within 100 feet of a lake, pond, river, stream or drainageway, or grading that alters stormwater flow onto adjacent property. The city engineer can waive the permit in writing if the work will not cause accelerated erosion, will not interfere with a drainage course, and complies with the tree ordinance.Source
Grading plans, SWPPP and erosion control (Secs. 42-87, 42-121)Grading permit applications need plans including a stormwater runoff control plan, and a SWPPP for sites of one acre or more; small residential in-fill projects under one acre that remove no more than 5 mature trees may be exempted from the plan by the city engineer. Work must follow the approved plans, NPDES General Permit No. 2 and the SWPPP, and erosion control must follow Polk Soil Conservation District rules.Source
Tree removal and mitigation plan (Chapter 42, Article X)A grading permit, site plan or subdivision plat cannot be approved until a tree removal and mitigation plan is approved. Mitigation is one replacement tree per 2,000 square feet of canopy removed (or, under the tree-survey option, also 1:1 to 2:1 or more for mature trees 12 inches DBH and larger), rising to one tree per 700 square feet when canopy is removed in violation of a plan or removed ahead of redevelopment to avoid mitigation.Source
Floodplain development permit (Chapter 50)A floodplain development permit (certificate of compliance) from the City Engineer is required before any development in a floodplain area, and grading, building and site plan approvals cannot be granted without it. Development expressly includes filling, grading and excavation, even small projects, and fill generally requires compensatory storage of at least 1.5 times the displaced volume.Source
Flood Information Center guidanceThe city states that grading and/or filling of land within flood hazard areas counts as development needing a Floodplain Development Permit, applied for alongside any building or grading permit.Source
Call 811 before diggingIowa Code 480.4 requires an excavator to contact the notification center (Iowa One Call, 811 or 1-800-292-8989) before any excavation and wait a forty-eight-hour period; the notice is valid for 25 calendar days after that period ends. The only exception is an emergency, when notice must be given as soon as practical.Source
Construction stormwater permitConstruction activity that disturbs one or more acres, or less than one acre when part of a larger common plan that will disturb more than one acre, must be covered by an NPDES stormwater permit, normally General Permit No. 2, applied for with a Notice of Intent through the DNR’s Stormwater General Permit Database.Source
Burning cleared brushUnder 567 IAC 23.2(3)“d”, landscape waste (trees, branches, stumps, brush) originating on the premises may be burned, but burning of landscape waste from clearing, grubbing and construction must be at least one-quarter mile from any building inhabited by someone other than the landowner or tenant doing the burn, and tires may not be used to ignite it. These exemptions do not apply within certain cities (including Des Moines, West Des Moines, Clive, Windsor Heights, Urbandale, Pleasant Hill, Cedar Rapids, Marion, Hiawatha, Council Bluffs and Carter Lake) and apply only unless prohibited by local ordinance.Source

Confirm requirements for your parcel with the city or county before work starts. See land clearing permits for a full checklist.

How to Choose an Excavation Contractor in Des Moines

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 before you call, read site preparation, excavation cost and land grading. If the site still has trees and brush, start with Des Moines land clearing contractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do excavation contractors charge in Des Moines?

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. Get quotes from local contractors for your exact scope.

What’s the difference between excavation and land grading?

Excavation digs out or moves earth to reach required depths. Land grading shapes the surface to set slope and drainage. Many sitework contractors do both, but quotes often price them separately.

How are excavation contractors priced?

By the cubic yard, by the machine-hour or as a fixed total. HomeGuide lists $2.50 to $15 per cubic yard for soil and $100 to $300 per hour for an excavator with an operator. Ask which unit a quote uses before comparing bids.

More Iowa Directories

Sources

Listings checked October 2026 against each company’s website. Prices are attributed national estimates, not Des Moines quotes. Permit summaries are a starting point; confirm requirements for your parcel with the city or county.