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Find Excavation pros in Elsah

Avatar for Keeney Construction Excavation
Keeney Construction Excavation
4.9(
11
)

Serving Elsah, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2022

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"Martin did a great job clearing an area for where my monument was built and laying weed barrier and gravel. I am based in California so I was not able to meet up with him in person but I sent over some photos of what we needed and we messaged back and forth to confirm all the details of the work. The job was done with amazing speed and quality. I will be using him again if I have more work in the area and definitely suggest him to anyone looking to get landscaping/excavation work done."
Response time1 day
Response rate94%
9 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Green Outdoors
Green Outdoors
5.0(
11
)

Serving Elsah, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2025

Free estimates

Offers commercial services

"The work completed was exemplary! He knew what we needed done and he did exactly that. All work was performed in a timely manner which kept the cost to a minimum. You can't ask for more than that... I will definitely recommend Green Outdoors to anyone who needs property cleared!"
Green Outdoors
Response time10 hrs
4 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for AB excavation
AB excavation
New to Angi

Serving Elsah, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

Free estimates

Small jobs welcome

Credit card accepted

AB Excavation is a locally owned and operated excavation and land clearing company based in Highland, Illinois.\nWe specialize in land clearing, grading, and site preparation for residential and small commercial projects. Our work includes Fences, small lot clearing, new home site prep, demolition and haul-off, pond and water feature excavation, and culvert installation.\n\nWe take pride in doing the job right the first time, showing up when we say we will, and communicating clearly with our customers from start to finish. Whether it’s clearing property, prepping a build site, or handling drainage work, we focus on quality workmanship, efficiency, and fair pricing.\n\nWe serve Highland and the surrounding areas and work closely with homeowners, builders, and property owners to get projects completed safely and on schedule.

Avatar for J T Bell excavation
J T Bell excavation
New to Angi

Serving Elsah, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

Free estimates

Small jobs welcome

Offers commercial services

J T Bell Excavation specializes in grading, land clearing, base dig outs, backfilling, trenching, and other excavation services. Reliable work done right for residential and commercial projects

1 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Highland Hills Land Management
Highland Hills Land Management
New to Angi

Serving Elsah, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2020

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

With years of experience in the excavation industry, we are the experts you need to take care of your home or piece of property. We handle all of your excavation and land management needs with great care. We will treat your home as we would treat our own. Give Highland Hills Land Management a call today, we look forward to working with you!

Response time4 days
Avatar for Diesel Dynamics
Diesel Dynamics
5.0(
1
)

Serving Elsah, IL and surrounding areas

Approved

In business since 2024

Free estimates

"diesel dynamics came into my property in warrenton, they graded out drainage for the end of my driveway that had bad runoff issues, they also cleared the sides of the driveway where it was blocked in by honey suckle."
 Diesel Dynamics
7 neighbors recently requested a quote
Avatar for Crawlspace / Basement Waterproofing Solution
Crawlspace / Basement Waterproofing Solution
4.4(
256
)

Serving Elsah, IL and surrounding areas

In business since 1998

Free estimates

Credit card accepted

"RESPONSIVENESS TO NEEDS
There are different measures of success on any project and different constraints and issues that will challenge those measures.  My primary measure of success was a DRY basement, and Brian?s proposal to deliver it was comprehensive. He was committed to meeting my request while satisfying my second measure of success: do it at an affordable price.

ESTIMATE
Brian does all estimates himself instead of sending out salespeople (which I appreciate).  I scheduled Brian's first visit in the days following a large rainfall that caused flooding in neighboring areas, so his schedule was packed. Understandably, Brian was crunched between appointments when he arrived slightly behind schedule, but he had kept me updated in the hours preceding his arrival.  Brian quickly conveyed a focus on resolving the seepage problem.  He also listened to my concerns, identified primary and secondary issues, and said he would send a thorough e-mail containing precise details for a solution with a cost breakdown.  He arrived and left in about hour, and within a couple days he sent an e-mail estimate with two options. 1) A complete basement drain tile system with crack repairs, or 2) a partial system that he believed would resolve the problem at a lesser cost. He offered to allow me to "upgrade" to the full system in the future and pay the difference between the two estimates. This type of offer was not even discussed by the three other companies (two big names and one small business) that came for estimates.

With the exception of the extended (years-long) payment / financing options offered by the larger companies, Brian?s proposed solution was almost a hands-down winner.  The other small company was comparable, but after sending the initial estimate, Brian offered to return on the weekend to give me the opportunity to talk again when there was more time.  Other companies' approaches to doing exterior excavation ranged from doing minor reinforcement to not even wanting to touch it.  Brian, in contrast, said he can?t honestly guarantee a dry basement when he didn?t know what the previous repair looked like.  He offered to completely excavate the two walls that had work done previously and to replace (if necessary) any inferior quality materials with his own fix.  Now we're cooking with gas!  The cost of the job remained competitive, and this ?extra mile? effort on top of everything else fully satisfied my need to be 100% sure the seepage would be stopped.  I opted for the full drain tile system.

TIME
The timeframe Brian quoted was in line with all of his competitors: 2 days max.  The time element of the job met some challenges, taking 5 full working days to complete, (Tues-Fri plus half days Sat-Sun).  The reason?  The crew found the floor was new, dense 4-inch concrete poured on top of the original 4-inch concrete floor.  This meant twice the work for the breakup crew that was prepared for a conventional job, making it impossible to accommodate the original time frame. Brian promised to never leave a job unfinished, so he juggled his crews' schedules to make daily progress, and he never once raised his price despite the extra time or material (concrete) required. I was very grateful.  He also personally came to finish the job on the weekend rather than pushing it out to Monday or Tuesday.

EXTRAS AND RESPONSIVENESS
Some plumbing in the floor was impacted by the concrete breakup and required repairs due to its age and condition.  Brian took the time to find the exact materials I requested for the repair and installed them.  I was not present at installation so he took photos and video and sent them to me via smartphone so I could verify he got it right.  What other contractor does that?! He also paid attention to every detail for laying out the design of the downspout tie-ins, finishing touches, and every single special request I threw at him. He also spotted an additional leak in the corner of the foundation and sealed it up as well. His commitment to resolving every issue to my satisfaction was outstanding.

Brian made himself accessible via phone, e-mail and text, and he responded quickly to inquiries.  I wanted to know every detail of the work, and Brian accommodated. Another totally unexpected surprise came when Brian discovered that some of the promised work did not need to be performed, and he provided credit for this instead of using the difference for my extra requests.

SATISFACTION
"You'll be happy," is Brian's mantra.  He addressed a couple gripes - dust exposure to the first floor space; a few trampled plants outside - by providing equitable financial credits.  These professional oversights on his crew's part are unacceptable to Brian, and credit on the final bill was all he could do to make up for it.  Overall, the crew was polite, and one even brought a stack of extra floor tiles from his personal supply to replace some I'd lost during demolition work I had done weeks earlier!

From start to finish, despite delays and minor shortcomings, Brian executed on the proposed project by 100% nailing the two most important measures of success ? quality and cost. As for timing, the job ran long but Brian didn't quit until the job was done. I never expect perfection; nevertheless, Brian aimed to earn my satisfaction as his primary goal. I give an A+ on nearly every category, taking a point or two away for the issues mentioned.

Rain is coming in the next two days, and I'll only edit this review if the repairs fail to deliver a dry basement.  I am posting this review before the rain comes as a vote of confidence that I won't have to change a word.

The most important criterion to assess a job well done is whether you'd recommend a service provider to a family member or friend.  In Brian's case, I absolutely would."
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+13

Recommended by90%of homeowners
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FAQs for excavation projects in Elsah, IL

Depth depends on the type of installation and the regulations in your area. Water supply lines typically require 24 inches, while drainage pipes are often installed 36 inches below grade. For most general projects, a depth of 12 to 24 inches and a width of about eight inches is sufficient. Sticking to these specs keeps your utilities safe, code-compliant, and easier to maintain later.

When you need to run utilities underground, you’ve got two main options: boring or trenching. Boring employs directional drilling to install utilities without exposing a continuous channel, while trenching requires excavating an open channel to place utilities securely. Directional drilling preserves landscape integrity, whereas trenching provides direct access for installation, albeit with greater surface disruption. This clear comparison helps you select the method best suited to your project.

Plan on 12 hours to dig 100 linear feet when the soil is cooperative and you can work continuously. This timeframe applies when work is performed consistently and methodically. Factors such as rocky soil, tree roots, obstructions, and frozen ground increase the overall duration, demanding extra planning and effort. Comprehensive operational planning ensures that every challenge is managed efficiently and the project is completed on schedule.

If you want your yard to look untouched, laying fresh sod over the trench is the quickest fix. New sod needs 30 to 45 days to root and blend with the rest of your lawn. A local sod pro can provide you with a firm timeline and tips to ensure the grass takes hold and maintains your curb appeal.

The Elsah, IL homeowners’ guide to excavation services

From average costs to expert advice, get all the answers you need to get your job done.