Serving the Cowichan Valley
Excavation & Site Preparation in Duncan
Site prep, footings, drains and driveways across the Cowichan Valley on Vancouver Island — quoted from a site visit, with machine time, trucking and disposal listed separately.
Free, no-obligation quote
Excavation quote request
The more detail about the property and the work, the closer the first number will be. We send a written quote after we visit your site.
Duncan Excavating is an excavation contractor providing lot clearing and grading, footings and foundations, perimeter drains and ditching, driveways and culverts, and water and sewer service trenching across Duncan, North Cowichan and Mill Bay. We price each job by what the machine hits, how far material travels, and how deep we dig. Any excavation over 1.2 metres that a worker enters must be sloped, benched or shored under the OHS Regulation.
What happens when a job needs more than one kind of work?
Most jobs involve more than one of these four. If we hit water on a foundation dig, that becomes a drainage job too. A driveway across a wet approach needs a culvert and a ditch before it needs gravel. Clearing a lot uncovers the rock and low spots the grading then corrects. One visit for the whole job costs less than three separate trips.
When we visit your property, we look at the entire site alongside the specific job you called about. Moving the machine costs money, so every quote carries a minimum charge plus a transport fee alongside the hourly rate.
We also settle early where the material is going. Spoil, stumps and old surfacing each travel to a different facility at a different rate. We can't be certain what's underground until we dig it up and see.
Excavation services in the Cowichan Valley
- Lot Clearing and GradingLand clearing in Duncan and the Cowichan Valley — brush, stumps, topsoil, grading. We walk your lot first, then quote each stage and the haul-out separately.
- Footings and FoundationsWe handle foundation digging and footings in Duncan, cutting strictly to surveyor's levels and planning around the winter water table on every new build.
- Perimeter Drains and DitchingWe install perimeter drains, foundation drainage, and water and sewer service trenching in the Cowichan Valley, where groundwater medians sit at 2.4 metres.
- Driveways and CulvertsDriveways, access road grading and culverts in the Cowichan Valley. We handle the access permits on provincial and municipal roads for you.
What every job includes
Every project begins with a site visit to walk your property and review your plan. We check access width, overhead lines, and gate openings so equipment enters and turns safely. Before any machine touches your ground, buried utilities are marked to keep your services protected.
Our work includes setting up the site, operating the equipment, and keeping your work area clean as we dig. We monitor grade changes as we move earth and keep topsoil separated from subsoil whenever possible. Trench walls are sloped or benched according to safety rules when workers enter the dig.
When the digging is finished, we shape the ground to drain water away from structures and leave the site tidy. You receive an itemized quote before work starts, breaking down machine time, trucking, and disposal into clear lines. We stay on site until the agreed work is done.
Where we work
- Service areas across the districtCommunities served throughout the Cowichan Valley.
- Excavation cost guideOur hourly machine rate, typical project ranges, and the tipping and permit fees for your job.
- Permits and setbacksWhich authority governs a parcel, the setbacks and depth thresholds that apply, and the notices that have to be filed first.
Ready for a quote on excavation in Duncan?
We quote excavation across the Cowichan Valley after a site visit.