In the United States, there are nearly 50,000 excavation companies. 

You have probably heard of or seen excavation taking place. When a lot of people think of professional excavation, they think of mining or other forms of resource extraction and digging. 

It may surprise you, but excavation companies aren’t involved in mining. They do move dirt, but only for specific reasons. Let’s break down what an excavation company does.

Regular Excavation Work 

Excavation is done in a variety of fields and jobs. Some of the main customers for excavation companies are private landowners, real-estate developers, and construction companies. 

Most of the jobs we cover will fall into one of those three fields.

1. Project Planning

You may not think that excavation takes much planning, but modern excavation requires extensive engineering. Everything about the job needs to be discussed and planned for. This includes things like foundation work, build-site preparation, compaction testing, and more. 

A good excavation company has the experience and understands how to look at a job from the big picture down to the details. There are a lot of moving parts when it comes to construction, and excavation companies are often the first to get started.

2. Site Work and Excavation

A large part of what many excavation companies do is to prepare the ground. This can be done in a variety of ways. Grading ground for drainage, terracing, and preparing the building site for other operations. A lot of basic work is done by excavation companies to make construction possible in the first place.

Land alteration is something that a lot of excavation companies specialize in. This is done to prepare to build a foundation and also is the starting process of many road construction projects. 

3. Infrastructure

Infrastructure is built by many companies, but excavation is the start of it all. From grading land for smooth roads to basic earth moving, infrastructure projects are often large and complex operations. Preparing the ground for these large, important projects falls to excavation companies.

4. Underground Utilities

Our modern world requires a number of utilities that reach each and every building. These include gas lines, water lines, and sewer lines. In some areas, buried electrical lines are also possible. There are specific companies which specialize in laying these pipes, but excavation companies are often used to dig the trenches. 

This can be done on a small scale, such as with a single home, or on a large scale. If you have a real estate development, you’ll need to connect each home you plan to build. 

5. Erosion Protection

Erosion protection and flood protection are important aspects of excavation work. This helps municipalities or landowners prevent flooding or the destruction of their land by water. Shoring up rivers can also help to protect natural beauty and wildlife in the area. 

Detention and retention ponds are often used to protect against floods and prevent erosion. These structures are built by excavation companies, and have to be built right or they won’t work the way they are intended. 

6. Land Clearing

The work of land clearing is vital to modern agriculture. It is also vital to those who want to have usable land for hunting, growing food, or recreational activities. Land clearing has also become important in the fight against invasive species. 

There are a variety of land clearing methods, and not every excavation company does all of them. Make sure that the company you’re contracting to help you understands what you need and can deliver it. 

7. Demolition 

This isn’t something that most people think of when they think of excavation. Removing old buildings or structures is often done by excavation companies. This can be done as part of a preparatory action or as a stand alone project. Excavators and bulldozers can tear down small structures without any problems. 

8. Soil Remediation and Reclamation 

After a flood, the damage that is done will remain until it is repaired. This damage is often in the form of destroyed river banks, damaged structures, and infrastructure that has failed. What is also destroyed is the ground itself. This is where excavation companies can come in. 

A lot of reclamation and remediation is done to restore natural beauty. This can mean filling in holes, or even reshaping the land back to its original form. 

9. Other Jobs 

This isn’t an exhaustive list, but does serve to give you a baseline. There are specialized excavation companies and those that handle a broad array of jobs. Everything from foundation building to concrete work can be done by many excavation companies. 

The Best Excavation Companies

Now that we’ve covered what excavation companies do, it’s important to find the right one for your project. Some excavation contractors can develop a bad reputation that impacts the industry as a whole. You’ll hear horror stories about cost overruns and the work not being done right. 

If you want to avoid all of the trouble that comes with finding a contractor, you can hire BDH Land Solutions. We believe in professionalism and integrity. We won’t keep working and charging you, if the work requires more than we thought, we’ll give you the option of approving the additional cost. 

If you’re ready to take the next step on your construction project, BDH Land Solutions has the equipment and the experience to get the job done for you. You deserve the best results, and BDH Land Solutions is prepared to deliver them for you. 

Contact us, we can’t wait to set up your appointment with us today.