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Brush & Blade Grading

Excavation Services in Western NC — Footings, Utilities, Site Work

We dig the holes that everything else goes in: foundation footings, basement and crawlspace excavations, utility trenches for water/sewer/power/gas, and general site excavation for building pads. Family-owned out of Connelly Springs, NC, with Cory running the day-to-day on most jobs. We're the dirt-work sub on jobs across Burke, Catawba, Caldwell, and 9 other WNC counties.

What We Do & How We Do It

Footings, basements, utility trenches, septic excavation, ponds, stump removal — and NC 811 locates before any of it.

Typical Excavation Scope

  • Footing and foundation excavation — to the engineer's depth and width specs, with proper bench cuts on sloped sites.
  • Basement and crawlspace digs — including waterproofing prep (perimeter drain trench, gravel base).
  • Utility trenches — water service, sewer laterals, power conduit, gas lines, fiber/cable. We can backfill with native, sand-bed, or stone per utility company spec.
  • Septic excavation — tank holes, drain field trenches sized for the permitted system (we install Infiltrator IM-1060 and IM-1530 tanks with Quick4 chambers when we're doing the whole septic, but we also dig for other licensed installers).
  • Stump removal and tree-stump grinding as part of site prep.
  • Pond and basin excavation — small farm ponds, stormwater retention basins.

Equipment We Run

  • [Phil: excavator make/model/size class — e.g., CAT 308 mini, Kubota KX080]
  • [Phil: skid steer and any attachments]
  • [Phil: dump truck capacity for hauling spoil]

We Call NC 811 Before Every Dig

Before any dig we call NC 811 (the state's call-before-you-dig service). That's not optional — hitting a gas line or fiber bundle is a six-figure problem. We wait the full 3 business days for utility locates and we stay clear of marked lines.

The Most Common Calls

"Our builder needs a footing dug before the inspection Friday," "We need a sewer lateral run from the house to the street," and "We're putting in a pool/shop/addition and need the dirt out." We coordinate with whatever other trade is downstream — foundation, plumber, septic installer, concrete — so the dig is ready when they get there.

Excavation Services

Footings & Foundations

To engineer's depth and width specs.

Basements & Crawlspaces

Includes waterproofing prep — perimeter drain, gravel base.

Utility Trenches

Water, sewer, power, gas, fiber. Backfill to spec.

Septic Excavation

Tank holes and field trenches per permit.

Pond & Basin Digs

Farm ponds, stormwater retention basins.

Backfill & Compaction

Around new foundations, clean fill, lifts where required.

NC Permits That Layer Onto Excavation

Excavation itself usually isn't state-permitted, but four things often layer on top.

Excavation itself usually isn't permitted at the state level for residential work, but several things often layered onto excavation jobs are:

  • Land-disturbing activity over 1 acre → NC DEQ Sedimentation & Erosion Control plan required.
  • Septic-related excavation → permit from county Environmental Health (for our area, Catawba County Environmental Health).
  • Stream or wetland buffer work → may trigger NC DEQ or Army Corps review.
  • City right-of-way work (cutting a street to lay a utility) → encroachment permit from the city or NCDOT.

We figure out which apply before we mobilize, and we pull what needs pulling.

FAQ

How do I know how deep my footings need to be?
Your foundation engineer or building code official sets that. In most of WNC the frost line is around 12 inches, but most residential footings go deeper (18–24 in.) for stability. We dig to whatever your stamped drawings call for.

Do you call NC 811 before digging?
Always. We file the locate request and wait the required 3 business days. If we hit a line that wasn't marked, that's on the utility. If we dig before the locate window closes, it's on us — and we don't take that risk.

Can you backfill and compact after the foundation is poured?
Yes — backfilling around new foundations is standard work for us. We use clean fill, compact in lifts where required, and finish grade to match the surrounding site.

Land Clearing in Western NC

Every clearing job in Western NC starts with understanding where the water goes. Mountain terrain concentrates runoff — a cleared acre can shed 10x more runoff than the same wooded acre. We protect streams, install temporary erosion controls before breaking ground, and schedule seeding as quickly as possible after grading.

Request Your Free Land Clearing Quote

Tell us about your project and we'll provide a detailed scope and estimate.

We'll respond within 24 hours. Call (828) 523-9722 for immediate assistance.

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