Excavation in Sydney
Dig it right. Build it level.
Excavation and earthmoving for footings, building platforms, basements and site cuts on Sydney homes and commercial sites, dug to the levels on your plans. Compact machines for the tight sites between boundary walls.
5.0 from 22 Google reviewsWhat are you digging for?
- Restricted demolition licenceAD204777Held since 2007Check the register
- Non-friable asbestos licenceAD211698Held since 2013Check the register
- Insured on every job$20M + $20MPublic & asbestos liabilityOur insurance
- Experience30+ yearsIn demolition
The excavation scope
What are you
digging for?
We dig to the levels on your plans. The depth and dimensions set the job; the access and the ground decide how it’s done.
Open-ground excavation only. We don’t take on digs underneath existing houses. Our excavation is on open ground, often straight after we’ve demolished the house.
Our excavation work
Real sites.
Different challenges.
Below the ground next door in Alexandria, between boundary walls in Bronte and a residential block in Lane Cove West. Every photograph is from our own digs.
Customer reviews
Good work.
In their words.
Just had my house, garage and 3 trees demolished… The builder was very impressed with the cleared block which is on a slope with difficult access.
Our business has used Active Demolition on many occasions. Bill, Hussein and the team are professional and well priced.
After weeks of putting us off and not giving us a start time, we had to look elsewhere and Active were able to fit us in at short notice. Very impressed with how the lot was left.
Working with Sydney’s builders, certifiers and trades
Getting into your site
Will it fit down
the side?
Often, yes, but not every excavator will fit. The machine needs room to work and the spoil needs a way out. Send a photo of the entrance and its narrowest measurement so we can assess these three things.
The entry
The narrowest width, the turns and anything overhead.
The working area
Retained structures, boundaries and any underground services already located.
The material route
Where trucks can load, and whether spoil stays on site or leaves it.
Ground and spoil
What’s under
the surface?
Sydney ground varies from sandstone and clay to fill from an earlier build, and not all of it can be confirmed before digging. Four things set the method and the price.
Rock
Rock can change the machine, the attachment and the time needed. The quote says how it will be assessed and priced if we reach it.
Old fill and buried material
Fill from an earlier build or anything buried can mean extra loads and different disposal.
Spoil: stays or goes
Some can stay for fill or landscaping where your plans allow; the rest is loaded and trucked away. Tell us which.
The finish you need
Cleared, excavated or set to final levels are three different jobs, so the quote names yours.
How an excavation runs
From plans
to level ground.
Five stages, in the order they happen. Your plans set the depth and the finish; the ground and the access decide how it’s done.
Before work starts
- 01Free quote
Plans, levels and photos
Send the plans, the levels and a few photos of the way in. We assess the depth, ground and access, then quote in writing.
- 02Before we dig
Access and spoil plan
The entry, the working area and where trucks load, and whether spoil stays on site or leaves it.
On site
- 03Where needed
Checks beside structures
What sits next to the dig and how close the machine can work, checked against your plans and any engineering requirements.
- 04On site
Dig and load out
Excavation to the depth and dimensions on your drawings, with spoil trucked away or kept for fill where your plans allow.
- 05Agreed finish
Levels for your builder
The ground left to the finish in your quote: cleared, excavated or set to final levels.
We give you timing once we’ve seen the scope and the site. Approvals, assessments and disconnections affect when work can start; access and ground conditions affect how long it takes. We plan around your builder’s target date.
How a job runsExcavation costs
What will it
cost to dig?
Excavation can’t be priced from floor area alone. We look at your plans, the ground and the access, then quote the job. Quotes are free.
- Depth and ground
- Dimensions, rock, old fill and anything buried.
- Loading and disposal
- How much spoil there is, how it leaves and what can stay on site.
- The finish you need
- Cleared, excavated or set to final levels: three different jobs.
Where the ground is unknown, the quote says so and explains how it will be checked, rather than guessing it into the price.
Typical Sydney prices
A planning guide: we quote every site in writing, and the quote is free. Checked 10 October 2026.
| Job and what the figure covers | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Mini excavator (1–2 t) with operatorEx GST. Minimum hire and float extra. | $110–$170per hour |
| Mini excavator (3–5 t) with operatorEx GST. Minimum hire and float extra. | $120–$210per hour |
| Bulk digging in soilGST may be extra. Rock costs two to four times as much. Check whether a quote includes disposal. | $50–$120per m³ |
| Tip fees for general or unclassified soilGST may be extra. Includes the NSW waste levy (about $170 a tonne in 2025–26); trucks are extra. | $200–$400per tonne |
What these prices cover. Hourly rates are for an excavator with its operator and fuel (wet hire), ex GST. Most hire has a minimum of 3 to 4 hours, plus the float that brings the machine in and takes it away.
Excavation across Sydney
Do you dig
in my suburb?
Find excavation in your suburb or region, with local planning information for the work.
All excavation locationsExcavation questions
Before you book
an excavator.
What to send for your excavation quote
- Plans, survey and proposed excavation dimensions
- Access width and photos
- Known services, rock or previous fill
- Whether spoil stays on site or needs removal
Photos and plans help, but you can enquire without them.
Can excavation follow house demolition?
Yes. We can plan the demolition and the excavation together, with the structures, the concrete and the ground preparation each priced on its own line.
House demolitionWhat if you hit rock or old fill?
Sydney ground varies from sandstone and clay to fill from an earlier build, and it can’t all be confirmed before digging. The quote sets out what is known, what still needs checking and how unexpected material will be assessed and priced. Rock can change the machine, attachment and time needed; old fill or buried material can mean extra loads and different disposal.
Excavation costs in SydneyDoes the spoil have to leave the site?
Not always. Some can stay for fill or landscaping where your plans allow; the rest is loaded and trucked away. Tell us which, because it changes both the method and the price.
How much does excavation cost in Sydney?
It depends on the depth and dimensions, the ground, the access and how much spoil leaves the site. The typical Sydney prices in our price section give a ballpark; your free written quote sets your price.
Excavation costs in SydneyDo you dig under an existing house?
No, we don’t take on under-house digs. Our excavation is on open ground: footings, building platforms, basements and site cuts, often straight after we’ve demolished the house.
Is a quote free?
Yes, by phone or through the form. If a job needs testing, reports, professional advice or approval work, those costs are agreed with you before anything is ordered.
How long will the job take?
We give you timing once we’ve seen the scope and the site. Approvals, assessments and disconnections affect when work can start; access and ground conditions affect how long it takes. We plan around your builder’s target date.
How a job runs
Get a free quote
Get your free excavation quote
Send the plans, levels and a few photos of the way in. If some details are still being worked out, send what you have.
0402 548 0047 days a week · 7am–7pm- We talk it throughThe work, what stays and when you need it done.
- We look at the siteWhere the job needs it, before we price the work.
- You get a written quoteThe scope, separately priced items and the agreed finish.