Commercial Contractors Directory

Commercial Excavation and Sitework Contractors

Commercial excavation and sitework encompasses the ground-preparation disciplines that must be completed before any structure can be built — including earthmoving, grading, utility trenching, erosion control, and drainage installation. This page defines the scope of these services, explains how the work is sequenced and executed, identifies the project types where excavation and sitework contractors are engaged, and outlines the decision boundaries that help owners and general contractors assign this scope correctly. Understanding what sitework involves — and where its boundaries lie — is critical to accurate pre-construction budgeting and schedule planning.

Definition and scope

Excavation and sitework is the collection of earth-disturbing and site-preparation activities governed primarily by civil engineering specifications rather than vertical building codes. The scope typically includes:

  1. Mass grading — bulk earthmoving to establish finish-grade elevations across a site
  2. Cut and fill operations — redistribution of on-site soil to minimize import/export haul costs
  3. Structural excavation — precision digging for foundations, footings, and below-grade walls
  4. Utility trenching — open-cut trenches for water, sewer, storm drain, gas, and electrical conduit
  5. Erosion and sediment control (ESC) — silt fencing, sediment basins, and inlet protection required under EPA Construction General Permit (CGP) rules (EPA CGP)
  6. Subbase preparation — compacted aggregate layers for pavement structures and slabs on grade
  7. Dewatering — removal of groundwater to allow dry working conditions for foundations
  8. Compaction testing coordination — sitework contractors work alongside geotechnical inspectors to verify density per project specifications

The line between excavation/sitework and commercial concrete contractor services is the subgrade surface: the sitework contractor delivers a compacted, properly graded subgrade; the concrete contractor places formwork and pours above it. Similarly, the boundary with commercial demolition contractor services is typically the removal of above-grade structures — demolition clears the site, and sitework reshapes it.

Sites disturbing 1 acre or more of land in the United States must obtain coverage under the EPA's Construction General Permit, which mandates a Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPPP) (EPA CGP Fact Sheet). States with delegated NPDES authority — 46 states as of EPA program records — may administer their own equivalent permit programs.

How it works

Sitework on a commercial project follows a defined sequence tied directly to the overall commercial contractor project delivery methods chosen for the job.

Phase 1 — Mobilization and erosion control installation. Silt fencing, construction entrances, and sediment traps go in before any ground disturbance begins. This is a regulatory prerequisite, not optional staging.

Phase 2 — Clearing and grubbing. Vegetation, topsoil, and organic material are stripped and stockpiled or removed. Topsoil is often stockpiled for reuse in final landscaping.

Phase 3 — Mass grading. Scrapers, motor graders, and excavators move bulk material to achieve rough grade. The earthwork balance — the ratio of cut to fill — is calculated during pre-construction services to minimize trucking costs.

Phase 4 — Structural excavation and utility installation. Foundation trenches, utility corridors, and detention structures are excavated to design dimensions. Underground utilities are installed and backfilled in lifts, with compaction verified at intervals specified by the geotechnical engineer of record.

Phase 5 — Subbase and final grading. Aggregate base is placed and compacted beneath pavement and slab areas. Final grading establishes positive drainage away from structures, meeting civil plan contours within tolerances typically specified at ±0.1 foot.

Phase 6 — Erosion control demobilization. Temporary ESC devices are removed once permanent vegetation or hard surfaces achieve stabilization thresholds defined in the SWPPP.

Compaction standards for structural fill commonly reference ASTM D698 (Standard Proctor) or ASTM D1557 (Modified Proctor), with specifications frequently requiring 95% of maximum dry density for subgrade under pavements (ASTM International).

Common scenarios

Ground-up commercial development. New retail centers, office parks, and industrial contractor services facilities almost always require a dedicated sitework subcontractor. The scope often represents 8–15% of total hard construction costs on suburban greenfield sites, though this range varies significantly with soil conditions, topographic relief, and utility depth.

Healthcare and education campus expansions. Healthcare facility contractor services and education facility contractor services frequently involve phased sitework around occupied buildings. Excavation sequencing must account for vibration limits near occupied structures and utility tie-in windows that minimize service interruption.

Mixed-use and infill urban projects. Urban sites present shoring and underpinning requirements, limited staging area, and proximity to existing utilities. These constraints require geotechnical reports from the owner and coordination with the commercial building permit process before any excavation begins.

Parking and paving projects. Commercial paving and asphalt contractors typically receive a prepared subgrade from the sitework contractor. The division of scope — who owns final subbase compaction — must be defined explicitly in contract documents.

Decision boundaries

Sitework contractor vs. general contractor self-performing. On projects where earthwork volume exceeds roughly 5,000 cubic yards, owners and general contractors typically subcontract to a dedicated sitework firm with heavy equipment fleets. Below that threshold, some general contractors self-perform with rented equipment.

Licensed specialty vs. general sitework. Utility installation — particularly water and sewer — may require specialty contractor licenses separate from a general excavation license. Commercial contractor licensing requirements vary by state; confirming license classifications before subcontractor selection is a standard due-diligence step in the commercial contractor bid process.

Earthwork vs. environmental remediation. If site investigation reveals contaminated soil, the scope transitions from standard earthwork to regulated remediation under EPA or state environmental agency oversight. Standard sitework contractors are not licensed hazardous-material handlers; a separate remediation contractor must be engaged.

Sitework vs. landscaping. Final grading, topsoil placement, and seed or sod installation sit at the boundary between sitework and commercial landscaping contractor services. Contract documents should specify which trade is responsible for topsoil respread and fine grading to avoid scope gaps.

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