Excavation Contractors in Massachusetts

Find excavation contractors serving Massachusetts properties, for site preparation, land grading, trenching, foundation and basement digs, pond excavation and other earthwork. We list 46 excavation contractors across 1 Massachusetts metro, each confirmed on the company’s own website (checked October 2026). Choose a city to compare them.

Browse Massachusetts Excavation Contractors by City

Boston excavation contractors: 46 verified

Massachusetts Excavation Contractors at a Glance

City	Contractors	Also land clearing	Also stump grinding
Boston	46	19	7

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 Massachusetts?

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

Massachusetts Rules That Affect Your Project

Rule	What it requires	Source
Call 811 before digging	Anyone planning an excavation (defined broadly, including grading, backfilling and demolition, and even small jobs like setting a mailbox) must contact Dig Safe at least 72 business hours before digging; Saturdays, Sundays and holidays do not count. If a contractor does the work, the contractor must hold a valid ticket, though the owner may call on their behalf.	Source
Construction stormwater permit	EPA issues the NPDES construction general permit in Massachusetts. Coverage is required for construction that disturbs 1 acre or more, or less than 1 acre if part of a common plan of development or sale that will ultimately disturb 1 acre or more. Applicants file a Notice of Intent with EPA and also file through MassDEP’s EEA ePlace system with a copy of the EPA NOI (plus a MassDEP checklist near Outstanding Resource Waters, public water supplies or impaired waters). The 2022 CGP took effect February 17, 2022; EPA proposed a 2027 CGP in August 2026.	Source
Burning cleared brush	Open burning season runs January 15 to May 1 and requires a permit issued in advance by the local fire department. Only listed agricultural-type materials may be burned, including brush, residential forestry debris, and trees and brush from agricultural land clearing; brush, trees, cane or driftwood from commercial or industrial land clearing may not be burned, and stumps may not be burned. Open burning is banned year-round in 22 communities, including Boston.	Source

Local rules vary by city:

Boston: Clearing vegetation in the FEMA 100-year floodplain or within 100 feet of a wetland, stream, pond or coastal resource in Boston can require a filing with the Boston Conservation Commission under the state Wetlands Protection Act and the Boston Wetlands Ordinance.

How to Choose an Excavation Contractor in Massachusetts

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.