Excavation Contractor in Burlington — OCM Excavation
We are OCM Excavation, an owner-operated excavation contractor working homes across Burlington and the wider Halton Region. From Aldershot bungalows backing onto the escarpment to new builds in Alton and Orchard, we run foundations, drainage, underpinning, walk-up basements, demolition, and pool excavation. Burlington’s mix of mature lots, sloped lakefront properties, and tight side-yards means most jobs here need compact equipment and a careful approach. If you want a real number on a Burlington excavation job, call 416-317-3090.
Excavation services we run in Burlington
We are a full-service excavation contractor in Burlington, not a one-trick crew. Most projects we get called for fall into a handful of buckets, and we self-perform the dig, the haul, the backfill, and the grading on every one of them.
- Foundation excavation — new home foundations, additions, garage builds. We dig to footing depth, manage spoil offsite, and leave a clean pad for your forming crew.
- Foundation waterproofing & drainage — full perimeter dig, blueskin or membrane application, weeping tile replacement, drainage board, granular backfill. The most common Burlington call we get, especially in older Aldershot and Downtown Burlington homes.
- Underpinning & basement lowering — bench footing or traditional underpinning to gain ceiling height in older Burlington bungalows. We work in 3-4 foot sections to stay safe under the existing structure.
- Walk-up basement conversions — cutting through the foundation wall, excavating the stairwell, forming the retaining walls, and installing drainage. Very popular for Burlington homeowners adding a basement suite.
- Pool excavation — inground pool digs across Burlington’s larger Tyandaga and Roseland lots, with attention to slope and shoring where the grade falls toward the escarpment or ravine.
- Demolition & site prep — garage tear-downs, pool removals, partial home demos, full lot clears for rebuilds in Downtown Burlington and Aldershot.
- Grading & lot drainage — surface regrading, swales, French drains, sump pits. Lake-facing lots in Burlington frequently push water back toward the house and need engineered grading to fix it.
- Trenching — water service replacement, gas, electrical, weeping tile, downspout extensions, dry wells.
Why Burlington homeowners hire OCM
- Owner on every Burlington job. The person you talk to on the phone is the person running the machine on your driveway. No salesperson hand-off, no project manager you’ve never met.
- Compact Yanmar equipment that fits real Burlington lots. Our Yanmar Vio17 fits through a 38-inch gate. Our Yanmar SV40 needs about 6 feet of access. That covers most older Burlington homes where the side-yard is the only way in.
- 5.0-star Google rating, 16 verified reviews. Real homeowners across the GTA, not bought reviews.
- $2M commercial general liability insurance. We carry full $2M CGL coverage, and provide certificates on request before we set foot on your Burlington property.
- Honest scope, honest price. If a job needs an engineer, a structural drawing, or a Halton Region permit you didn’t budget for, we tell you before we start, not after the hole is open.
Burlington-specific access and site challenges
Burlington is not a flat city. The Niagara Escarpment runs through the north end, and the lakefront sits roughly 60 to 90 metres below the brow depending on where you stand. A lot of the city’s older neighborhoods are built on transition slopes. That changes how we approach an excavation contract in Burlington compared with a flat lot in Brampton or Vaughan.
Aldershot and Tyandaga. Older neighborhoods with mature trees, narrow side-yards, and a lot of slope falling toward Hamilton Harbour and Grindstone Creek. We bring the Yanmar Vio17 for tight side-yard access and shore up any cut face that exceeds safe slope limits. Tree protection is a real concern here, and we coordinate with arborists when roots will be impacted.
Downtown Burlington. Postwar bungalows and infill homes, often on narrow lots between Brant Street and the lake. Heritage considerations come up on some streets, and parking the truck plus the dump trailer takes planning. We typically run a smaller truck rotation here instead of one big haul.
Alton and Orchard. Newer suburbs north of Dundas. Lots are bigger and access is generally easier, but the soils up there are heavier clay, which changes how water moves around a foundation. Drainage design has to account for that, otherwise water just sits in the backfill trench against your wall.
Ravine and escarpment lots. Anything backing onto a ravine, creek, or escarpment slope has additional considerations. Conservation Halton may need to be consulted, setbacks may apply, and shoring is often required if you are cutting close to the slope face. We have done this work and we will tell you up front when an engineered shoring drawing is needed.
Halton Region permits, locates, and bylaws
Burlington sits in Halton Region, not York or Peel, so the permit and inspection pathway is its own thing. The City of Burlington handles building permits for foundations, additions, walk-ups, and most structural excavation work. Halton Region handles water and sewer service connections. Conservation Halton gets involved if your lot is regulated for slope, creek, or escarpment proximity.
Standard sequence on a Burlington excavation:
- Building permit application to the City of Burlington (if required for your scope).
- Ontario One Call locate request — free, mandatory, minimum five business days before digging.
- Private locates for anything One Call does not cover (irrigation, low-voltage, private gas).
- Excavation, with daily site cleanup and signage.
- Inspections at the required stages (footing, waterproofing, backfill, depending on scope).
- Backfill, compaction, and final grade.
Permit fees in Burlington vary by scope and square footage. We point you to the City of Burlington building department for the current fee schedule rather than quote a number that may be out of date by the time you read this.
Burlington excavation pricing snapshot
Every Burlington job is different. Slope, soil, access, depth, and disposal all move the price. The numbers below are general GTA ranges we work within, not Burlington-specific quotes. For a real number, we come out and walk your site.
- Foundation waterproofing (full perimeter, 2-storey home) — typically $18,000 to $40,000 depending on depth, length, and finish.
- Underpinning / basement lowering — typically $1,200 to $1,800 per linear foot of perimeter, plus floor and drainage scope.
- Walk-up basement conversion — typically $25,000 to $55,000 turnkey for the excavation, retaining walls, and drainage portion.
- Pool excavation — typically $8,000 to $20,000 for the dig and haul, before pool shell and decking.
- Garage or pool demolition + haul — typically $4,000 to $12,000.
- Trenching for water service — typically $4,000 to $9,000 for a standard residential run.
For service-by-service detail, see our pages on foundation work, drainage, underpinning, and pool excavation.
Want a full breakdown? Burlington excavation cost ranges — what each job actually runs, Aldershot to Orchard — every common job, what drives the price up, and the gotchas this city throws at quotes.
in Burlington? Let’s talk.
Frequently asked questions about excavation in Burlington
Do you actually work in Burlington, or just Toronto and York Region?
Yes, we work in Burlington regularly. Our shop is in King City so the drive is about an hour each way, which we factor into the schedule and the mobilization. We do not charge a travel surcharge for Burlington jobs at typical residential scopes. Larger or multi-day jobs get the same Burlington pricing structure as our York and Peel work.
My Aldershot lot has a steep side-yard. Can you still get equipment in?
Most likely yes. Our Yanmar Vio17 fits through a 38-inch gate and handles moderate side-slopes. If the side-yard is very tight or very steep, we size up to the Yanmar SV40 with a different access plan. In the rare case access is truly blocked, we use a crane or conveyor to move material. We assess that on the site walk before quoting.
Do I need a building permit for foundation waterproofing in Burlington?
Straight waterproofing (excavate, membrane, weeping tile, backfill) does not always require a building permit in Burlington, but structural work, underpinning, walk-up cuts, and additions do. Halton Region locates and Ontario One Call are always required. We confirm permit status with the City of Burlington for every job and pull whatever your scope needs.
My property backs onto the escarpment or a ravine. Does that change the job?
Yes. Conservation Halton regulates work near regulated slopes, creeks, and escarpment features in Burlington. You may need a permit from Conservation Halton in addition to the City permit, and engineered shoring may be required if we are cutting near the slope face. We will tell you on the site walk whether your scope triggers those requirements.
How long does a typical Burlington foundation waterproofing job take?
For a standard 2-storey Burlington home, full perimeter waterproofing usually runs 4 to 8 working days from first dig to final backfill, weather depending. Tight access in older Downtown Burlington or Aldershot lots can add a day or two. We give you a real schedule with the quote, not a wishful one.
Are you insured for work in Burlington?
Yes. We carry $2,000,000 commercial general liability coverage, and we provide certificates of insurance naming you or your property as additional insured on request before the work starts. Every Burlington job we run is fully insured.
Do you handle the disposal of the excavated soil?
Yes. We haul the spoil to a licensed receiving site, and we handle the soil testing paperwork (Excess Soil Regulation O. Reg. 406/19) when your Burlington job triggers it. Disposal is included in the quote unless the soil is contaminated, in which case we tell you up front what the change order looks like.
Ready to get a real number on your Burlington excavation job?
Call or text 416-317-3090, or use the free quote form. We come out to your Burlington property, walk the site, talk through the scope, and send you a written quote, usually within 24 hours of the site visit. No high-pressure sales, no fake discounts, no salesperson who has never run a machine. Just a real excavation contractor in Burlington.
More Burlington Services — Complete Coverage
OCM Excavation has dedicated Burlington pages for every service we offer. If you’re in Burlington, find the specific service you need here:
Hardscape & Outdoor Construction — Burlington
- Armour Stone Wall Burlington
- Deck Building Burlington
- Interlocking Paver Burlington
- Retaining Wall Burlington
- Fence Installation Burlington
- Concrete Driveway Burlington
Demolition & Foundation — Burlington
Drainage & Water Management — Burlington
Excavation, Trenching & Site Prep — Burlington
- Land Grading Burlington
- Site Preparation Burlington
- Pool Excavation Burlington
- Yard Cleaning Burlington
- Trenching Burlington
Free Burlington quote on any of these services: 416-317-3090