Free Excavation Estimate Template
Create detailed excavation estimates with pre-built line items for site clearing, trenching, grading, hauling, and equipment. Download a professional PDF instantly.
- 19 pre-built excavation line items
- Fill-in estimate form with instant PDF download
- 100% free — no signup required
Your Company Name
123 Main St
Excavation Line Items
+ 15 more items →
Sample Excavation Estimate
A filled-in excavation estimate example showing how to itemize materials, labor, and fees. Use it as a starting point, then swap in your own quantities and prices.
Basement excavation for 28 x 40 ft foundation
Example| Description | Qty | Unit | Unit price | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mobilization | 1 | each | $600.00 | $600.00 |
| Utility locate & permit | 1 | each | $175.00 | $175.00 |
| Silt fence / erosion control | 200 | linear ft | $3.00 | $600.00 |
| Excavation | 400 | cu yd | $5.50 | $2,200.00 |
| Haul-off & disposal | 250 | cu yd | $14.00 | $3,500.00 |
| Gravel base | 40 | ton | $32.00 | $1,280.00 |
| Backfill & compaction | 1 | each | $1,800.00 | $1,800.00 |
| Estimate total | $10,155.00 | |||
Example pricing for illustration only. Material and labor costs vary by region, supplier, and job conditions.
Everything You Need to Estimate Excavation Jobs
Built for contractors who want professional estimates without the learning curve
Excavation Line Items
Pre-built items for fill dirt, gravel, erosion control, trenching, grading, hauling, and compaction — organized by category.
Cubic Yard Tracking
Enter cut and fill volumes in cubic yards so your estimate matches how dirt is actually measured and priced.
Equipment Rates
Separate line items for excavator, skid steer, and dump truck with daily rental rates.
Hauling Calculator
Per-load hauling costs so spoil removal is clearly priced and not buried in labor.
Utility Locate
Built-in line item for 811 calls and private utility locating to prevent costly and dangerous strikes.
Soil Contingency
Contingency field for unforeseen soil conditions — rock, clay, water table — that can dramatically change costs.
How to Create Your Excavation Estimate
Three steps. Under five minutes. No account needed.
Step 1:
Select excavation to load pre-built line items
Step 2:
Add quantities, prices, and company details
Step 3:
Professional estimate ready to send
What's Included: Excavation Line Items
Pre-loaded line items so you don't start from scratch. Customize everything in the generator.
Materials
- Fill dirt
- Gravel / crushed stone
- Topsoil
- Erosion control (silt fence)
+ 2 more
Labor
- Site clearing / brush removal
- Excavation / digging
- Trenching
- Grading / leveling
+ 3 more
Other
- Excavator rental
- Skid steer rental
- Dump truck
- Permit
+ 2 more
Create your excavation estimate now
All 19 line items pre-loaded. Fill in your prices, download as PDF.
Open Excavation GeneratorFree — no signup required
What to Include in a Excavation Estimate
Excavation estimates live and die on accurate quantity takeoffs and equipment costs. The dirt itself is cheap — moving it is where the money goes.
- Estimate cut and fill volumes in cubic yards. Measure the area, calculate depth, and convert — there's no shortcut. Over-estimating beats under-estimating because mobilizing an excavator for a half-day callback costs more than an extra hour on the original job.
- Show equipment costs separately. An excavator runs $300-600/day, a skid steer $200-400/day, and a dump truck $75-150/load. These are major costs that clients need to see.
- Include hauling as its own line item. Spoil removal can be $20-40/cubic yard depending on distance to dump — on a big dig, this alone can be thousands of dollars.
- Add a utility locate line item. A single 811 call is free, but private utility locating services run $200-500 and are often necessary for older properties.
- Price erosion control separately. Silt fence, straw wattles, or inlet protection may be required by your local stormwater permit — and skipping them can mean fines.
- Include a soil conditions contingency. Rock, clay, high water table, or contaminated soil can double excavation time and cost. A 10-20% contingency is standard for excavation work.
Who Uses This
Built for excavation contractors and businesses of every size
Foundation Excavation
Estimate basement and foundation digs with spoil removal, compaction, and gravel bedding.
Utility Trenching
Create estimates for sewer, water, gas, or electrical trenching with pipe bedding and backfill.
Site Grading
Build grading estimates for new construction lots with cut/fill balance and finish grade specs.
Pool Excavation
Generate pool dig estimates with access considerations, spoil hauling, and dewatering if needed.
Land Clearing
Estimate tree removal, stump grinding, brush clearing, and grubbing for undeveloped lots.
Drainage Work
Price out French drains, catch basins, and swale grading with pipe, gravel, and fabric included.
Common Questions
How do I estimate excavation costs?+
Calculate the volume of dirt to move in cubic yards (length × width × depth ÷ 27). Estimate equipment hours based on production rates (an excavator moves roughly 50-100 cubic yards per hour depending on soil). Add hauling costs per load, backfill material, compaction time, and erosion control. Most residential excavation runs $50-200 per cubic yard depending on access and soil conditions.
What markup should I charge for excavation work?+
Excavation contractors typically mark up 25-40% over direct costs. Equipment-heavy jobs have lower percentage markups but higher dollar margins. Factor in equipment depreciation, maintenance, fuel, and transport costs even if you own the equipment — these are real costs that need to be covered.
What should an excavation estimate include?+
A professional excavation estimate should include site clearing, cut/fill volumes, equipment type and hours, trucking and hauling, backfill material, compaction, grading, erosion control, utility locating, permits, and a soil conditions contingency. Show equipment as daily rates and hauling as per-load costs.
How do I write a professional excavation estimate?+
Start with a clear scope — what area is being excavated, to what depth, and what's the finished grade. List equipment by type and estimated days on site. Show hauling as a separate line with number of loads. Include a soil conditions clause to protect against unforeseen rock or water. Use DocJoist to generate a clean PDF.
Stop guessing. Start estimating.
Professional excavation estimates in under 5 minutes. Free, no signup required.
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