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Excavation Contractors in Knoxville, Tennessee

Find excavation contractors serving Knoxville, Tennessee, 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 Knoxville

49 excavation contractors serving Knoxville 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 Knoxville

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 Knoxville?

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

Knoxville Permits and Local Rules

In Knoxville you need a City site development permit before grading, filling or clearing any site in a way that disturbs soil, and you must leave a 30- to 60-foot riparian buffer along streams undisturbed.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
Site development permit for any land disturbance (City Code 22.5-22, 22.5-26)A site development permit from the City engineering department is required to grade, fill, excavate, remove vegetation not exempted by the tree protection ordinance, clear a site in a way that disturbs soil, or begin any land disturbance; site development of one acre or more also needs a construction general permit. Residential projects need an erosion and sediment control plan only if they disturb more than 10,000 square feet (or when the director requires one); commercial projects need a stamped plan.Source
Riparian buffer zone and floodplain no-fill area (City Code 22.5-35, 22.5-34)A riparian buffer measured from top of bank must be kept along waters: at least 30 feet where the drainage area is under one square mile and 60 feet (may be averaged, minimum 30 feet) where it is one square mile or more; disturbing the buffer is prohibited except for listed activities such as stream restoration, invasive removal and native replanting, and any approved encroachment needs mitigation. In the flood fringe between the floodway line and the no-fill line, construction fill that alters floodplain conveyance or storage is prohibited unless a listed waiver applies.Source
Hillside Protection OverlayThe Hillside and Ridgetop Protection Plan was codified as the Hillside Protection Overlay in the City of Knoxville zoning code effective January 1, 2020. Projects require a formal application and fee; staff decide whether an Exemption, Level I (staff) or Level II (Planning Commission) Certificate of Appropriateness is needed, and a slope analysis shows how much land can be disturbed.Source
Tree protection: 25% limit on clearing (City Code 14-29, 14-34)On land other than parcels used for a single- or two-family dwelling (and other listed exemptions), destroying more than 25% of the trees on a parcel without a building permit or subdivision approval is prohibited without the urban forester’s prior approval; the article covers trees 2 inches DBH and up. Where a building permit or subdivision approval is required, at least six trees per acre must be retained unless cut or fill makes that impossible, in which case mitigation trees are expected.Source
Floodplain managementKnoxville participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and must identify, manage and protect flood-prone areas; its current flood maps became effective August 5, 2013. Development in floodplains is handled by Engineering Development Services under the City’s floodplain ordinance.Source
Call 811 before diggingAnyone who plans or performs any excavation must contact Tennessee 811 at least three working days (72 hours, excluding weekends and holidays) before digging. Each excavating company needs its own locate request; a homeowner’s ticket does not cover a hired excavator.Source
Construction stormwater permitConstruction activities (including clearing, grubbing and grading) that disturb one acre or more, or less than one acre if part of a larger common plan of development or sale, need coverage under TDEC’s Construction Stormwater General Permit (TNR100000). The current permit is effective October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2031.Source
Burning cleared brushTDEC’s open burning rule (TAPCR 1200-03-04) has an exception for burning wood waste solely for disposal, subject to Tenn. Code Ann. 68-201-115(c): within 200 feet of an occupied building someone must attend the burn the whole time, each burn may last no more than 48 hours, and no more than twice in 30 days; within 100 feet an adult occupant must give written authorization. Construction/demolition debris and vegetation not grown on site may not be burned. Separately, a Tennessee Division of Forestry burn permit is required from October 15 to May 15 where local rules do not supersede, and cities may have their own permit systems.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 Knoxville

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 Knoxville land clearing contractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do excavation contractors charge in Knoxville?

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 Tennessee Directories

Sources

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