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Excavation Contractors in Nashville, Tennessee

Find excavation contractors serving Nashville, 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 Nashville

17 excavation contractors serving Nashville 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 Nashville

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 Nashville?

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

Nashville Permits and Local Rules

In Metro Nashville a grading permit from Metro Water Services is needed once you disturb more than 10,000 square feet or move more than 100 cubic yards, and any grading in a floodplain needs one regardless of size.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
Grading permitMetro Water Services requires a grading permit for any change in site elevation or removal of ground cover unless the work disturbs no more than 10,000 square feet and moves no more than 100 cubic yards. The small-project exemptions do not apply in a designated floodplain, and tree cutting and logging require a tree removal permit.Source
Water quality buffersNew development must preserve stream buffers: 30 feet from top of bank for streams draining under 100 acres, 50 feet for 100 acres to 1 square mile, and floodway plus 50 feet (75 feet total) for FEMA-studied or larger streams, plus 25 feet around wetlands and connected ponds. Zone 1 is a no-disturb zone where vegetation cannot be removed without an approved restoration plan.Source
Floodway and floodplain limitsFill, excavation, clearing and new construction are prohibited in the floodway unless an engineer certifies no rise and a buffer variance is granted. Development on undeveloped land with floodplain must leave at least 50% of the natural floodplain undisturbed (including the floodway), and fill that removes floodplain storage must be compensated.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 Nashville

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 Nashville land clearing contractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do excavation contractors charge in Nashville?

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 Nashville quotes. Permit summaries are a starting point; confirm requirements for your parcel with the city or county.