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Excavation Contractors in Salt Lake City, Utah

Find excavation contractors serving Salt Lake City, Utah, 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 Salt Lake City

35 excavation contractors serving Salt Lake 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 Salt Lake 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 Salt Lake 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 Salt Lake City-specific average. For the full breakdown, see excavation cost.

Salt Lake City Permits and Local Rules

Salt Lake City requires its own Public Utilities stormwater permits before land disturbance on sites of 1 acre or more, even when the state’s low erosivity waiver applies, and work within 100 feet of a stream falls under riparian corridor review.

RuleWhat it means for your projectSource
City stormwater (SWPPP) permitDisturbance of 1 acre or more (or part of a common plan of 1 acre or more) requires a City NOI, SWPPP and drainage review by Salt Lake City Public Utilities, and city permits must be obtained before land disturbance; the city does not accept state low erosivity waivers as an exclusion. Smaller sites need a truncated SWPPP under the city’s small construction program, and sites over 0.25 acre need a fugitive dust control plan.[Source](https://www.slcdocs.com/utilities/Stormwater/Stormwater Quality and Permitting/Salt Lake City Construction Permit Forms/Additional Documents/SLCDPU_SWPPP-Permitting&ReviewProcess_Flowchart_2022_V4.pdf)
Riparian Corridor OverlayThe city’s Riparian Corridor Overlay ordinance, passed July 22, 2008, restricts land uses within 25, 50 and 100 feet of above-ground stream channels, measured from the annual high water level.Source
Public (park strip) tree removalTrees in park strips and other public property may be removed only through Urban Forestry’s Public Property Tree Work permit, with inch-for-inch replacement or payment (currently $200 per inch) for inches that cannot be replanted. Urban Forestry does not service trees on private property.[Source](https://www.slcdocs.com/parks/Forestry/UF Tree Removal Mitigation Policy 2019.pdf)
County flood control permitSalt Lake County requires a Flood Control Permit for projects within the right-of-way or within 20 feet of the top bank of a county flood control facility.Source
Call 811 before diggingHomeowners and professional excavators must notify Blue Stakes of Utah 811 at least 3 business days before excavating, with specific dig site location information, by calling 811 or submitting an online request.Source
Construction stormwater permitUtah DEQ’s Division of Water Quality requires a UPDES construction stormwater permit for soil disturbance (clearing, grading or excavating) of an acre or more, or smaller sites that are part of a common plan of development or sale over an acre. Current permit is UPDES Construction General Permit UTRC00000, effective July 1, 2024.Source
Burning cleared brushOpen burning requires a valid permit from the county or municipal fire authority, issued only during set windows and clearing-index conditions (in nonattainment and maintenance areas, April 1-May 31 and September 15-October 31). The rule allows burning of clippings, bushes, plants and tree prunings incident to property and residential clean-up; open burning may be prohibited in some areas.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 Salt Lake 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 Salt Lake City land clearing contractors.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much do excavation contractors charge in Salt Lake 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 Utah Directories

Sources

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