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Excavation Contractors in Kansas City, Missouri

Find excavation contractors serving Kansas City, Missouri, 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 Kansas City

44 excavation contractors serving Kansas City 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 Kansas City

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 Kansas City?

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

Kansas City Permits and Local Rules

In Kansas City, Missouri, clearing, grading or filling one acre or more requires a city site disturbance permit and an approved tree preservation and protection plan, and even disturbances over 300 square feet must install erosion and sediment controls.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
Site disturbance permit (Secs. 63-25, 63-26)No one may clear, grade, excavate, fill, store or dispose of soil or perform other land disturbance without a site disturbance permit from the director. Disturbances under 1.0 acre but over 300 square feet are exempt from the permit but must meet city standards and install erosion and sediment controls; 300 square feet or less, home gardens, emergencies and routine crop practices are exempt.Source
Tree preservation and protection plan (Sec. 88-424)Any land/site disturbance permit involving clearing, cutting, grubbing or grading on one acre or more, development plans and plats, and building permits disturbing more than 10,000 square feet require an approved tree preservation and protection plan before a permit issues. Contiguous canopy of one acre or more must be preserved or mitigated by planting caliper inches or paying into the city tree fund; a single-family house on an already platted lot is exempt.Source
Stream buffers (Sec. 88-415)Stream buffer standards apply to stream corridors on the Kansas City Natural Resource Map when development plans, project plans and plats are approved. Any activity not listed as allowed in a required buffer is prohibited, and regulated streams may not be enclosed, relocated or dammed without all city, state and federal approvals.Source
Floodplain development permit (Sec. 28-31)A separate floodplain development permit is required for all construction or other development in the regulated flood hazard areas. Development includes filling, grading, paving, excavation and storage of equipment or materials.Source
Call 811 before diggingRSMo 319.026 requires an excavator to serve notice of intent to excavate on the notification center (Missouri One Call, 811 or 1-800-DIG-RITE) at least two working days, but not more than ten working days, before the planned start of excavation, by 24-hour toll-free phone or the internet.Source
Construction stormwater permitLand disturbance permits are required for construction disturbance of one or more acres, or less than one acre when part of a larger common plan of development or sale, through the Land Disturbance Stormwater General Permit (MO-RA) applied for via ePermitting; a separate Area-Wide permit (MO-R100) is for government jurisdictions only.Source
Burning cleared brushUnder 10 CSR 10-6.045 as summarized by MoDNR, open burning of tree trunks, limbs and vegetation from land clearing is allowed when it takes place outside city limits and more than 200 yards from the nearest occupied structure; commercial land clearing inside city limits or within 200 yards must meet the fuller open burning rule. Tires and used oil may not be used or burned, and local governments (including Kansas City and the City of St. Louis air programs) may impose stricter rules.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 Kansas City

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 Kansas City land clearing contractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do excavation contractors charge in Kansas City?

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 Missouri Directories

Sources

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