Frequently Asked Questions

A useful local yardstick: HomeBlue lists Cincinnati excavator time, operator included, at $190 to $340 per hour and $1,500 to $2,700 per eight-hour day. Every truckload hauled away adds $400 to $600 or more. Across the country, HomeAdvisor reports typical projects from $1,659 to $6,713. Hillsides, ledge rock and tight access push toward the top of those ranges.

Many hillsides are covered in colluvium, a clayey soil weathered from the shale-rich Kope Formation. USGS research found it fails when slopes are disturbed by cuts, fill or grading, and that movement often follows heavy rain.

We move and shape soil for home projects: grading, clearing lots, digging ponds and pools, installing drains, trenching for water, sewer, electric and septic lines, and excavating for retaining walls and additions.

Yes. A single drain line or a small regrade on a hillside can cause problems if done carelessly, so we walk every site the same way.

It is. Under ORC 3781.28, whoever excavates must give the protection service two working days of notice, not including the day the notice is given, and cannot give it more than 16 calendar days early. We place that notice ourselves for every job we do.

Yes. Limestone ledges and shale are common here. Rock slows digging and can add significant cost, which HomeGuide puts anywhere from $1,000 to $20,000 or more depending on volume. We note likely rock at the site walk.

Yes. We work in nearby Butler, Warren and Clermont county communities including West Chester, Fairfield, Mason, Milford and Union Township.

For small surface slumps, we can assess and often repair them. If the movement threatens the house, a road or a wall, or is deep, a geotechnical engineer should design the fix and we build it.

Sometimes a stone buttress at the toe helps, but it has to be designed. Loose dirt piled at the bottom rarely holds and can trap water.

It can be. USGS research tied Cincinnati slides to fill placed on slopes, so we keep new fill off the crest unless it is engineered and drained.

Drier months. Slopes are weakest after long rains and spring thaw.

Yes. We flag trees to keep at the walk-through and work around them, protecting the root zone as much as the project allows.

A layer of shredded wood that protects soil from erosion and breaks down over time. Stumps can be ground with it or removed separately.

Yes, carefully. We clear only what the project needs and stabilize bare ground right away to protect the slope.

Some communities regulate clearing near streams, on steep slopes or above a certain area. We check before work starts.

Clay-rich subsoils often do when compacted. We check with test holes and, if needed, recommend a clay liner or other sealing.

We stop, show you, and price removal before continuing. Rock is listed as a separate possible item on the estimate.

Most residential pool excavations take one to three days, depending on size, soil and how far spoil has to travel.

Often. It can level low spots or build a berm, as long as it is not piled on a slope or in a drainage path.

Drainage often helps a great deal, since water is involved in most slides. Larger or deeper movement still needs an engineer's review.

To a stable outlet at the bottom of the lot, a channel, an emitter or a permitted connection. Never onto the face of a slope.

Usually 2 to 3 feet, deep enough to catch water moving through the topsoil and upper clay.

Yes. Downspout tightlines are often installed with the drain to the same outlet.

We dig, bed and backfill. Licensed plumbers, electricians or septic installers make the connections where required, and we coordinate with them.

Deep enough to stay below frost, as set by the local code and utility. We dig to the required depth.

Yes. Rock slows the work and adds cost, and we price it once we know how much is there.

We keep the trench narrow, stack topsoil separately and put it back on top, then seed.

Walls about 4 feet or taller usually need an engineered design, and many cities require permits above 3 to 4 feet. On unstable hillsides an engineer is wise even for shorter walls.

Usually water pressure behind it, missing drainage, a poor base or rotted timbers. Replacing it without fixing drainage leads to the same result.

We handle the excavation, base, drainage and backfill and work alongside the wall builder.

As short a time as possible. We cut in sections and backfill as the wall goes up.