Excavation Contractors in New Mexico
Find excavation contractors serving New Mexico properties, for site preparation, land grading, trenching, foundation and basement digs, pond excavation and other earthwork. We list 19 excavation contractors across 1 New Mexico metro, each confirmed on the company’s own website (checked October 2026). Choose a city to compare them.
Browse New Mexico Excavation Contractors by City
- Albuquerque excavation contractors: 19 verified
New Mexico Excavation Contractors at a Glance
| City | Contractors | Also land clearing | Also stump grinding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque | 19 | 4 | 1 |
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 New Mexico?
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 New Mexico-specific average. For the full breakdown, see excavation cost.
New Mexico Rules That Affect Your Project
| Rule | What it requires | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Call 811 before digging | A minimum of two full working days’ notice is required before excavation. The excavator (anyone digging, from one person with a shovel to heavy equipment) is responsible for calling 811 or using the New Mexico 811 website. | Source |
| Construction stormwater permit | EPA, not the state, issues construction stormwater permits in New Mexico under its Construction General Permit. Coverage (an NOI) is needed for sites disturbing 1 acre or more, or less than 1 acre if part of a common plan of development or sale that will disturb 1 acre or more. | Source |
| Burning cleared brush | 20.2.60 NMAC allows open burning of vegetative material (including trees, brush, stumps and limbs) within daily limits: up to 10 acres of non-piled material or 1,000 cubic feet of pile volume per day. The burner must notify the local fire department or dispatch first, notify all households within a quarter mile for burns over 1 acre or 100 cubic feet per day, keep the fire attended, and burn only in daylight hours. Burning is prohibited in nonattainment areas, and larger burns fall under 20.2.65 NMAC smoke management. | Source |
Local rules vary by city:
- Albuquerque: In Albuquerque, any job that will disturb three-quarters of an acre or more of soil, including clearing and grubbing, needs a Fugitive Dust permit from the City’s Air Quality Program.
How to Choose an Excavation Contractor in New Mexico
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
- New Mexico: 811 requirement (no date)
- New Mexico: Construction stormwater permit (Updated September 11, 2020 (archived EPA snapshot))
- New Mexico: Open burning rules (Effective December 31, 2003)
- 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.