Get matched with an excavation and grading contractor — free

Gradeline is a free education and matching service for US property owners. We help you explain your project clearly so local excavation and grading contractors can review it and decide whether it is a fit.

You tell us the basics, like whether you need cut and fill, rough grade, finish grade, drainage work, a building pad, trenching, haul-off, or erosion control. Photos, rough measurements, and a short description of access for equipment like a mini-excavator or skid steer can help.

Then we match you with vetted local contractors where available. You can compare communication, scope, timing, and typical price ranges, then choose who you want to contact or hire. Gradeline does not perform excavation or grading work, and we do not give engineering, structural, or legal advice.

We can help with many common site-work projects for homes, land, and small commercial properties. This includes land clearing prep, grading and regrading, drainage improvements, trenching, utility trench prep, driveway and parking area prep, building pad preparation, foundation and footing excavation, culvert installation, swales, French drains, topsoil spreading, fill placement, compaction, and haul-off.

We can also help if you are trying to fix standing water, soggy yards, low spots, washout, poor slope around the house, or erosion issues that may need silt fence or other erosion control. Contractors may look at positive slope away from the foundation, soil conditions, access, spoils management, and whether rough grading or finish grading is needed.

If your project may require plans, permits, engineered details, utility coordination, shoring, or specific footing depth requirements, ask the contractor what is included and check with your local building department. Always call 811 before any digging so utilities can be marked.

The more concrete your project details are, the easier it is for contractors to respond. Helpful information includes the property address, your project goal, approximate area or dimensions, photos of the site, and whether you know the issue is grading, drainage, excavation, or a mix.

You can also share details like:
- access width for equipment and trucks
- expected depth or elevation change, if known
- whether you need soil moved on site or hauled off
- whether you need clean fill, compacted fill, or topsoil
- if there are retaining walls, fences, trees, septic, wells, or other obstacles
- when you want the work done

We only need project and contact information so contractors can follow up. We do not ask for sensitive financial, ID, or immigration information.

Excavation and grading pricing depends on site conditions and scope. Contractors often look at cubic yards of material to cut, fill, import, or remove. They may also price by equipment needs, labor, trucking, disposal, compaction requirements, drainage features, and how easy the site is to access.

For example, a simple regrade with a skid steer is very different from deep excavation near a foundation, trenching through rocky soil, or building a compacted pad for a structure. Drainage work may involve swales, French drains, catch basins, culverts, downspout routing, or reworking the slope so water moves away from the home.

If you are comparing bids, ask what is included. Good questions include whether finish grading is included after rough grade, whether topsoil and seeding are included, who handles haul-off, how compaction will be done, whether erosion control is included, and whether permits or inspections are needed. You can also review typical ranges on our costs page.

Many property owners know they have a yard drainage or grading problem but are not sure what words to use. We help you describe the project in plain English so you can have better conversations with contractors. That matters for issues like pooling water, a negative slope toward the house, a low building pad, unstable fill, or a driveway washout.

Our goal is to make the early steps simpler. Instead of starting from scratch, you can use Gradeline to understand common site-work terms, learn what contractors may ask about, and get matched with local companies that handle this kind of work. You stay in control of who you speak with and who you hire.

Before hiring anyone, verify that the contractor is licensed if required in your area, and that they are insured and bonded when applicable. Ask for a written scope, confirm cleanup and haul-off terms, and make sure utilities are marked through 811 before digging begins. For more background, see our services and guides.

If you are ready, start with a short project request. Tell us what you need, where the property is, and the best way to reach you. We will use that information to help match you with vetted local excavation and grading contractors where available.

There is no cost to request a match through Gradeline. You can compare responses, ask questions, and decide whether to move forward. Start here: get matched.