Foundation Excavation In Windsor, Ontario

Foundation Excavation Follows The Plans And The Surveyor's Stakes

A foundation excavation is dug to the drawings, not by eye. Before we start, the surveyor's stakes and offsets mark where the walls go. We dig past those lines enough to leave room for the forms, the footing and safe working space beside the wall.

The footing has to sit below the frost line on undisturbed soil. In Windsor that soil is usually firm clay, and we keep the bottom of the foundation excavation clean so the footing crew finds a solid, even base.

Clay Soil Changes How A Foundation Excavation Is Dug

Windsor clay holds water, and an open hole can fill with it after a heavy rain. We plan for that by digging in dry weather where possible, sloping the walls of the hole and keeping a pump ready on site.

Clay is also heavy, so the trucking part of the job matters. A basement for a typical house can mean dozens of truckloads of soil. We plan where the soil goes, how much stays for backfill and how much leaves the site.

Additions And Garages Need Careful Foundation Excavation Next To A House

An addition means a foundation excavation right beside your existing walls. We dig carefully along the old foundation so it is not undermined, and we keep the soil back from the edge. If the old wall is exposed, it is a good time to check it and add waterproofing while the excavation is open.

Detached garages and sunrooms usually need a shallower foundation excavation for frost walls or a slab. The same rules apply: dig to undisturbed soil, keep the base clean and plan for water.

Foundation Excavation Pricing

Foundation excavation for a new house in Ontario often runs from $7,500 to $30,000. A garage or small addition costs less, and a deep basement in wet clay with a lot of trucking costs more. The written quote lists the depth, the size of the hole, the trucking and the backfill.