Frequently asked
Common questions about excavation in the Cowichan Valley
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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 answers your common questions about local site work across the Cowichan Valley, incorporating standards from WorkSafeBC, the Cowichan Valley Regional District and the Agricultural Land Commission. We schedule buried utility locates through BC 1 Call at least 3 working days before we start digging on your property.
- How much does excavation cost in the Cowichan Valley?
- We bill excavation by machine time — $125 to $165 an hour for an excavator with an operator, on a four-hour minimum covering travel and setup. A typical residential project runs $3,000 to $15,000, and lot clearing $1,500 to $3,000 an acre on lightly wooded ground. We base your price on machine size and access, haul distance and disposal, trench depth, and whether we hit rock. The cost guide sets out the full ranges.
- Is a permit needed to dig on a property here?
- It depends which authority governs the parcel. North Cowichan requires a soil removal and deposit permit above 300 cubic metres per parcel, or 60 cubic metres per acre, in a calendar year, and exempts parcels under one hectare. The Cowichan Valley Regional District adopted Soil Deposit Bylaw No. 4380 for all electoral areas in July 2021. Work in the Agricultural Land Reserve needs a Notice of Intent filed with the Agricultural Land Commission at least 60 days ahead, with a $150 fee.
- How far ahead do utility locates need to be booked?
- BC 1 Call locate requests are free, and member companies require 3 working days' notice, or 5 working days for large projects. A ticket requires excavation to begin within 14 calendar days of the request date, and once work has begun the ticket stays valid for 30 calendar days.
- Where does the excavated material go?
- Soil, sod, stumps and land-clearing debris go to a private facility such as Fisher Road Recycling at Cobble Hill. CVRD recycling centres — Bings Creek, Meade Creek and Peerless Road — take rubble at $94 per tonne and clean untreated lumber at $165, but not rock, sod, dirt or stumps, so haul routing is priced into every quote.
- What information is needed to get a quote?
- The property address, what needs to happen to the ground, and any date the work has to meet. A photograph of the site is worth more than a paragraph describing it, because access width and slope are what decide the machine. Everything after that is settled on the site visit.
- Does an excavation quote include disposal?
- It should, and we list disposal separately on every quote. CVRD recycling centres charge $94 per tonne for rubble and $165 for clean untreated lumber, but accept no rock, sod, dirt or stumps, so most excavation spoil goes to a private facility that publishes no rates.
- How far ahead does excavation work need to be arranged?
- The digging is rarely the constraint. A BC 1 Call locate request needs three working days, or five for large projects. An Agricultural Land Commission Notice of Intent runs at least 60 days, and that clock does not start until the notice is acknowledged as complete.
- What happens if the excavation hits groundwater?
- On the Cowichan Valley floor the water table sits at a median of 2.4 metres, and one provincial observation well near Duncan swings about 3.1 metres between its winter high and its summer low. Groundwater is shallowest from November through January, so timing is part of the plan rather than a surprise.
- Who is responsible for locating underground services?
- Under the OHS Regulation the location of all underground utility services must be accurately determined before excavating or drilling with powered equipment. BC 1 Call requests are free. The regulation also prohibits using pointed tools to probe for underground petroleum and electrical services.
- Does the Agricultural Land Reserve affect a residential project?
- Often, and more than people expect in this valley. Placing fill or removing soil on ALR land needs a Notice of Intent to the Agricultural Land Commission, $150, at least 60 days ahead. A structure for a principal residence affecting 1,000 square metres or less is exempt.
- What is the difference between a permit and a Notice of Intent?
- A permit is a decision that work may proceed. A Notice of Intent is a filing that starts a clock — the Agricultural Land Commission has 60 days to approve, ask for more information, or order the work stopped. The distinction changes how a schedule is built, not whether the work is allowed.
- Can excavated soil be reused on the same property?
- Often, and it is the cheapest option when the volumes work. Outside the ALR, North Cowichan sets its exemption at the lesser of 300 m³ on a parcel or 60 m³ an acre in a calendar year, and exempts parcels under one hectare outright. Inside the ALR the Notice of Intent applies.
- Is a retaining wall part of an excavation job?
- The excavation for one is. The wall itself needs a permit: the Cowichan Valley Regional District requires a permit to construct or structurally repair a retaining wall in the electoral areas, and fill slopes steeper than 1:2 need certification by a professional engineer.
- What does priced per metre mean on a trenching quote?
- Trenching is commonly quoted by length rather than as a lump sum, because depth and ground type are consistent along a run. Past 1.2 metres, an excavation a worker enters has to be sloped, benched or shored under the OHS Regulation, and that changes the rate.
Ready for a quote on excavation in Duncan?
We quote excavation across the Cowichan Valley after a site visit.