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Excavation Contractors in Albany, New York

Find excavation contractors serving Albany, New York, 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 Albany

45 excavation contractors serving Albany 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 Albany

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 Albany?

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

Albany Permits and Local Rules

In Albany, clear-cutting (removing more than 50% of trees or vegetation per acre in a five-year cycle) on a parcel over one acre is not allowed without approval of a major development plan, and any grading needs a city stormwater, grading and erosion permit.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
Clear-cutting needs major development plan approvalChapter 345 defines clear-cutting as removing more than 50% of the existing trees or vegetation per acre over any five-year cycle. On parcels over one acre, clear-cutting is not permitted without approval of a major development plan (Sec. 345-18A).Source
Permit for work on street and park treesA tree and vegetation permit from the Department of General Services is required before anyone cuts, prunes, removes or replaces a tree in a public street or park (Sec. 345-5A). The City can order removal of hazardous dead or diseased trees on private land and bill the owner if not done within 30 days.Source
Stormwater, grading and erosion permitNo one may grade land, or import or export earth materials to or from a grading site, without a stormwater, grading and erosion permit issued under Sec. 375-5E(12) (Sec. 211-4). Plans are reviewed by the City Engineer, a performance bond is required before the permit is issued, and the work is inspected.Source
Floodplain development permit (FP-O overlay)The Floodplain Overlay applies to all FEMA special flood hazard areas in the city; the Chief Building Official grants floodplain development permits. Fill or new construction in a floodway is barred without an engineering showing of no rise in flood levels, and fill below base flood elevation must be offset by equal excavation.Source
Call 811 before diggingExcavators and contractors must contact New York 811 (online ITIC or by calling 811) at least two working days but no more than 10 days before digging, not counting weekends and legal holidays.Source
Construction stormwater permitNYSDEC issues SPDES General Permit GP-0-25-001 for construction stormwater (effective Jan 29, 2025, expires Jan 28, 2030). Coverage is required for soil disturbance of one or more acres; 5,000 sq ft or more in the NYC East of Hudson watershed; and, inside New York City, 20,000 sq ft or more (or 5,000 sq ft or more of new impervious area), including smaller parts of a larger common plan of development.Source
Burning cleared brushStatewide, burning trash, leaves and treated or painted wood is banned. Downed limbs and branches under 6 inches in diameter and 8 feet long may be burned on site only in towns with fewer than 20,000 residents, and never from March 16 through May 14. Open fires of organic agricultural waste are allowed on contiguous farmland over 5 acres. The DEC page does not list land-clearing or construction debris as an allowed exception, so large land-clearing burn piles are not authorized by these 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 Albany

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 Albany land clearing contractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do excavation contractors charge in Albany?

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.

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Sources

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