How Much Does an Excavation Cost?

In Australia, people use excavation to clear land for crops, farms, plumbing and septic systems, basements, driveways and walkways for residential and commercial properties.

The excavation site’s topography, tree density, location and size and the machinery used to excavate it impacts the cost of excavation services. On average, expect to pay anywhere between $800 to $6,500 for a professional excavation service. The hourly rate sits between $70 and $150 per hour.

Costs in Australia

City	Average Cost
Sydney	$700 – $15,000
Melbourne	$400 – $6,000
Brisbane	$500 – $2,000
Canberra	$1,2000 – $3,300
Perth	$475 – $2,800
Adelaide	$700 – $12,000

While renting excavation equipment costs $550 to $900 a day, and property owners can save money by doing the excavation themselves, there are many benefits to hiring professional excavators. Those benefits include:

Safety

Professionals are trained to avoid common excavation hazards. They include falling into trenches, having excavated materials falling on, trapping and injuring them and exposure to airborne contaminants and electrical cables overhead and underground.

Efficiency

Professional excavators can quickly and efficiently remove trees, rocks and sand and do in a day than amateurs do in a week.

Experience and knowledge

Having knowledge of and experience with proper excavation techniques makes a dramatic difference in the quality of work professional excavators do and makes excavation projects go faster and smoother.

Diagnose issues promptly

Professional excavators can quickly assess a dangerous, precarious and problematic situation, diagnose the issues involved and take the appropriate actions.

Several factors impact the excavation cost of a project and increase excavation costs per cubic metre. Those factors include:

Project size

Small excavation projects using small two-tonne excavators or bobcats can cost $95 an hour. Larger jobs requiring 6-tonne excavators start at $135 an hour. Excavation projects requiring excavators and tip trucks cost $170 an hour or more.

Project type

The site excavation cost varies depending on the project. A standard pool excavation cost can start at $510. However, pool excavation costs can be $3,000 or more depending on the dimensions, shape and type of soil to be excavated. Typical excavation costs for a house foundation can be between $850 and $15,000. The cost of basement excavation ranges from $2,000 to $13,000. Australia’s average cost to excavate driveway and walkway areas is between $550 and $900.

Soil type

The type of soil excavated affects the job’s cost. The excavation cost per cubic metre of standard sandy high bulk density soil is between $30 and $50. However, if brush, trees, roots, logs, rocks, boulders and large debris have to be removed, the excavation cost per cubic metre can rise to between $40 and $150. Rock excavation cost per cubic metre and excavator wet hire rates are on the higher end of the scale.

Essential equipment

The excavator cost per hour is impacted by the equipment used. Excavator and operator hire rates can rise significantly if using specialised equipment like 2-tonne or 8-tonne excavators, bulldozers, compactors and tip trucks. Track-mounted mini dumpers, augurs, diamond drills and other attachments can cost an additional $200 to $800 a day.

Other common types of equipment used in excavation are the Kanga and the Dingo loaders. Both machines can be used for several types of excavation tasks. While there are some differences between the two, such as performance and speed, both machines can get the job done. 

Another useful piece of equipment that can help you save time and effort is the Homelite post-hole digger. This tool can be used to quickly dig holes for fence posts or other small excavation tasks. 

You’ll need to consult with an excavation professional about how much it will cost to use this equipment for your excavation needs. 

Labour

Labour prices impact excavation costs. Labourers in Western Australia earn about $45 an hour. In Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, hiring excavation project workers cost about $55 an hour. Excavation workers in South Australia earn about approximately $60 an hour.

Accessibility

If it’s difficult for workers and equipment to get to the worksite, excavation costs will be higher than if getting there is quick and easy.

Location

The location of excavation sites affects the project’s cost. In South Australia, excavation projects cost $20 an hour more than those in Western Australia.

Price estimates for different types of excavating jobs vary based on how much work, equipment, labour, and time it takes to complete the project.

Driveway	Excavating land for a driveway usually costs between $400 and $750. Excavation costs for installing a 3 metre by 6 metre driveway on a flat surface can be $250. Building it on a sloped surface can cost $400 more.
Basement	Excavating 6 metres x 4 metres x 1 metre basements costs about $2,000. More complex basements of similar size can average $8,000 to $15,000. Excavation of a 100-square-metre basement can easily cost $15,000 to $25,000.
House	Excavating a house’s foundation cost between $700 and $13,000 depending on its size, the number of workers and the type of specialised machinery digging the foundation requires. The typical home excavation job averages between $2,000 and $5,000.
Land Clearing	Land clearing is the removal of trees, plants, shrubs, dirt, rocks and debris from an area using chainsaws, bulldozers and excavators. The site size, terrain, ease of access and the number of trees dirt and rocks to be excavated can make land clearing cost from $30 per acre to as much as $1,000 to $5,000 per acre for heavily wooded bushland.
Pool	Excavating an area for an inground pool requires the assistance of a professional excavation team. A pool excavation cost can be anywhere between $500 and $3,000
Rock Excavation	Excavating rocks of all sizes is an essential step in creating driveways, swimming pools, basements and the foundations for houses. Rock excavating costs commonly range between $30 and $100 per cubic metre.
Plumbing & Septic Systems	Having a 35-metre trench excavated to install plumbing and septic systems in Australia can cost between $350 and $1,500 depending on the job’s complexity. The average property owner pays about $850. Some property owners rent a trencher for between $140 and $500 a day and dig the trench themselves.

Land excavation and land grading are two crucial yet dramatically different processes. Some people mistakenly think these two processes are the same.

Difference between excavation and grading

Grading an area levels and smoothens it making it easier to work there. Grading also causes water to flow away from a building’s foundation and helps prevent flooding problems. Excavation is the removal of rocks, dirt and other unwanted materials from a job site.

Pricing differences

Grading costs are determined by how much soil is removed to create a smooth, gently sloping worksite. Grading land costs between $15 and $30 per square metre. Land excavation cost and rock excavation costs average between $60 and $100 an hour depending on the job’s size, location and ease of access and the type of heavy machinery required. The daily rental cost of an excavator is between $130 and $2,200.

Excavators can be rented for a few hours or by the day. The length of time it’s needed increases the project’s cost significantly.

Average cost to hire an excavator

The average cost to hire an excavator in Australia is between $600 to $1,000 a day. Prices can vary depending on the excavation job’s location, terrain, size and complexity.

Excavator and operator  rates

Hiring an excavator and an operator to run it usually cost between $100 and $150 an hour. This depends on the type of excavator and the number of hours they are needed. For most jobs property owners pay $100 an hour for an excavator and an operator.

• Contact local or national trade organisation
• Get references from family and friends
• Research excavation experts online
• Ask local excavation experts for recommendations and referrals

Quick tips to create an accurate estimate 

• Talk to 3 or more excavators about pricing
• Ask family, friends and neighbours what they paid for similar work
• Inquire about reasonable excavation pricing at local trade organisations

• Research online on excavation deals and specials
• Ask local trade organisations for referrals and recommendations
• Get quotes from at least three excavation experts

Dig the ground safely and properly

Excavation services can quickly become expensive. However, finding and investing in a licenced professional ensures an efficient and safe execution of the project.

Don’t risk getting a higher running cost by cutting corners for big projects like this. Seek out expert excavators with the skills and expertise to complete this job.

 

* The cost data is based on Oneflare and third-party sources

What is hydro excavation?

Hydro excavation is a cutting-edge green technology that uses pressurised water and an air vacuum to break up and remove soil surgically. The process creates slurry that’s transferred into a debris tank through a hose and removed from the excavated area.

How much does it cost?

Hydro excavation cost starts at ` an hour for a vacuum truck and a specially trained operator, plus GST.

What is vacuum excavation?

Vacuum excavation is a safe, precise, environment-friendly, ‘soft dig’ method of earth moving. It involves air suction to remove soil while detecting, excavating around and avoiding fibre-optic, telecommunication, electric, gas and water utility lines. Blasts of compressed air loosen the earth, and a powerful suction draws out the dirt through a 30-centimetre hose.

How much does a vacuum excavation cost?

Hiring a vacuum excavation company ranges from just under $180 an hour to as much as $250 an hour.