Excavation Questions And Answers For Windsor
These are common excavation questions from Windsor homeowners, from what an excavation costs to who owns the sewer line under the road.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Canadian price guides put most residential excavation between $1,500 and $30,000. A short excavation to reach a pipe is at the low end, and a full waterproofing excavation or a new foundation excavation is at the high end. Our excavation cost page lists the ranges by job.
Yes. The City of Windsor says the homeowner owns the sewer connection from three feet inside the house to the City's sewer main, so part of it usually runs under the boulevard or the road, and replacing it takes an excavation at the street. Read more on our sewer line replacement page.
The City's Private Drain Connection Replacement Program can pay an excavation and replacement rebate of up to $4,000, or up to half the cost in some cases. The work has to be done by a contractor who qualifies under the program and pass a City inspection, so check the rules with the City before you sign any excavation contract.
The City of Windsor's Basement Flooding Protection Subsidy can pay up to $3,500 per home for a backwater valve and sump pump. You must be approved before work starts, and a City of Windsor licensed plumber has to do the plumbing, while an excavation contractor can dig the access.
Windsor sits on clay, the same clay we meet on every excavation, which lets water through very slowly. Low spots and poor grading collect that water. A French drain or lot grading, both small excavation jobs, give the water somewhere to go.
The excavation goes down to the footing at the bottom of the basement wall, which is often seven or eight feet deep. That lets the wall be sealed from top to bottom and the weeping tile be replaced at the base.
Ontario One Call arranges free locates, and we request them before every excavation. Each utility then marks its lines with paint or flags so the excavation can avoid them.
Some soil from the excavation is set aside to go back in the hole, and the rest is trucked away. Wet clay next to a basement wall is replaced with clear stone and clean fill instead of going back into the excavation.
You do not need to be home for the whole excavation, but we like to meet you on the first morning and at the end. We also ask you to look at the open excavation before it is backfilled when possible.
Most site visits happen within a few days of your call. Small excavation jobs can often start within one to two weeks of the quote, once locates are marked, and larger excavation work is booked into the schedule.
Read About Each Excavation Service
Every service page explains how the excavation is done, the usual price range and how long it takes.
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Foundation Excavation
Foundation excavation is the first job on any new home, addition or garage. We dig the hole to the depth on your plans, keep the floor of the excavation level and flat, and set aside topsoil for the finish grade. The excavation work is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs -
Waterproofing Excavation
Waterproofing excavation means digging down the outside of your basement wall so a leak can be fixed from the outside, where the water gets in. We dig to the footing, expose the wall and replace the weeping tile, then backfill with clear stone. Every excavation is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs -
Sewer Line Replacement
Sewer line replacement means digging out the old pipe that carries wastewater from your house to the City sewer and laying a new one. In Windsor that pipe belongs to the homeowner all the way to the main. We dig, lay new pipe on a stone bed at the right slope and restore the ground. The excavation is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs -
Water Line Replacement
Water line replacement means digging out the pipe that brings drinking water from the City's water stop at your property line into your house, and laying a new one. We dig the trench, lay new pipe below the frost line and make the connection ready for the plumber. We carry full insurance on every excavation.
How it works and what it costs -
Weeping Tile Replacement
Weeping tile replacement means digging down beside your foundation to the footing, taking out the old drain pipe and laying new perforated pipe in clear stone. The new weeping tile carries water away before it can build up against the basement wall. All of this excavation work is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs -
French Drain Installation
A French drain is a trench filled with clear stone and perforated pipe that carries water away from a wet area of the yard. We dig the trench at a steady slope, line it with filter fabric, lay the pipe in stone and finish the top with stone or sod. Our drain excavation work is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs -
Lot Grading And Site Prep
Lot grading means shaping the ground so rain and snowmelt run away from your foundation. We cut down high spots, fill low spots and slope the soil away from the walls with a laser level, then finish it ready for sod or seed. Our lot grading and excavation work is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs -
Trenching
Trenching is digging a long, narrow trench to bury a line, such as hydro to a garage, a gas line to a barbecue or heater, a water line to a barn or irrigation across a lawn. We do the trenching to the depth the line needs, keep it straight and backfill it neatly. Every trenching and excavation job is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs -
Driveway Excavation
Driveway excavation means digging out an old driveway, or a new one, down past the soft soil, and building a packed gravel base for asphalt, concrete or pavers. A good base keeps a driveway from cracking, sinking or heaving. All driveway excavation is fully insured.
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Lot Clearing
Lot clearing means removing brush, small trees, stumps, old fences and debris so a piece of land is ready to build on or use. We clear the area with a machine, haul away what you do not want and leave the ground rough-graded. Our lot clearing and excavation work is fully insured.
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Demolition And Concrete Removal
Demolition means taking down an old structure and hauling it away, and a careful demolition protects the yard around it. Our demolition work covers detached garages, sheds, decks, pools and old concrete slabs, driveways and walkways, and we clean up the site and leave the ground ready for what comes next. Every demolition job is fully insured, and so is the excavation that follows it.
How it works and what it costs -
Excavation Cost
Excavation cost depends on the job, but Canadian price guides put most residential digs between $1,500 and $30,000. This page lists typical excavation cost ranges for each job we do, so you can plan before you call. Every job we quote is fully insured.
How it works and what it costs
Request A Free Excavation Quote
Fill in the form, and we will call you to book a site visit and a written excavation quote. Calls go to +1 (548) 481-5154.