How Much Does Excavation Cost in Colorado Springs?

How is excavation priced?

Three ways, and a good quote tells you which one it uses:

• By the cubic yard for bulk digging like basements and site work. Fixr's 2025 data puts soil excavation at $50–$200 per cubic yard, higher for heavy or rocky soil.
• By the hour for smaller or uncertain jobs. Fixr lists machine-assisted labor at $50–$150 per hour and backhoe rental at $150–$500 per day; Bob Vila's guide (last updated 2023) notes that contractors often bill $120–$150 per hour with a one-day minimum.
• By the job for defined scopes like a sewer line repair or a septic tank replacement, where depth, footage, permit and restoration are all in one number.

What do common residential excavation jobs cost?

Utility digs are where most homeowners meet an excavator. Our breakdown of sewer line repair cost in Colorado Springs goes line by line through depth, footage, pipe material and the City permit, and our water line repair page covers service lines. On rural lots, see what septic excavation and tank replacement involve.

Why does digging cost more in Colorado Springs?

• The soil. El Paso County is dense clay and decomposed granite. Both dig and backfill slower than the sandy soil many national averages assume.
• Rock. Hitting rock means heavier equipment, more hours and sometimes hauling. Bob Vila's 2023 guide notes new-construction excavation can run over $20,000 in rocky soil.
• Depth. At 6,035 feet, freeze-thaw cycles are severe, so sewer and water lines sit deeper than in milder climates, and every extra foot of depth is more machine time.
• Access and slopes. Hillside lots, tight side yards and driveways over the line add time and restoration.
• The dirt. Hauling spoil off site at $130–$200 per cubic yard (Fixr) adds up fast on a big dig.

What permits and locates does an excavation project need?

• Colorado 811: required by law at least three business days before any dig, and free. It marks public utility lines only; private lines, like a feed to a detached garage, are not marked.
• Sewer line replacement inside Colorado Springs needs a City of Colorado Springs permit.
• Septic work needs an El Paso County Public Health OWTS permit, submitted by a licensed installer; a new system permit is $961 before surcharges.
• Large site work: El Paso County Public Health requires a Construction Activity Permit for any project disturbing one acre or more; the fee is $165 per project and each permit is valid for up to six months.

A professional excavation contractor handles the locate and the permits for the work they do. If a contractor asks you to pull the permit yourself, ask why.

How can you keep excavation costs down?

1. Diagnose before you dig. For sewer problems, a camera inspection finds the break and its depth so one hole gets dug instead of three.
2. Get one written scope. Depth, footage, method, permit and restoration in writing make quotes comparable.
3. Reuse the dirt where you can. Spoil that goes back in as backfill is spoil you are not paying to haul.
4. Clear access first. Moving vehicles, fencing panels or stored materials before the crew arrives saves machine time.
5. Plan around frozen ground. Non-urgent work is easier to schedule outside the coldest months.

How do you compare excavation companies in Colorado Springs?

Ask every company the same questions: how they diagnose the problem, whether the price is in writing, who handles the permit and 811, whether restoration is included, and who will be on site. Our guide to choosing an excavation company in Colorado Springs lists all seven questions and the red flags. For our own work, see every service we offer, from sewer line repair to site excavation and grading.

Frequently Asked Questions