Excavation Contractor in Richmond Hill, ON

OCM Excavation & Construction is a licensed, WSIB-certified excavation contractor based right here in Richmond Hill. We dig basements, prep building lots, run trenches for utilities, drill post holes, and grade properties across Richmond Hill and the surrounding GTA. With 35 years on the machines and the company operating across the GTA since 2008, we know the clay-heavy soils west of Yonge, the sandy pockets near the Oak Ridges Moraine, and the high water tables you can hit east of Bayview. Call 416-317-3090 for a free on-site quote.

Excavation Services We Provide in Richmond Hill

Richmond Hill projects include custom-home builds, additions, and lot clears. Core offerings:

• Basement and foundation excavation — typical residential digs run 8 to 10 feet deep, hauled off-site within 2 to 4 days depending on access.
• Site preparation and lot clearing — stripping topsoil, removing stumps, prepping pads for new builds.
• Land grading and drainage — fixing the negative grade that plagues a lot of older Richmond Hill backyards.
• Trenching — water lines, sewer connections, electrical, gas, and weeping tile.
• Post hole drilling — deck footings, fence posts, sonotubes drilled to 4-foot frost depth.
• Mini excavator work — tight side-yard access in older Richmond Hill neighbourhoods where a full-size machine won’t fit through the gate.

Working in Richmond Hill — Permits, Access, Neighbourhoods

Most structural excavation in Richmond Hill flows through the Building Services Division at 225 East Beaver Creek Road, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4 (phone 905-771-8800). Foundations, additions, walkout basements, pools, retaining walls over 1.0 m of exposed height, and any work that disturbs structural grade need a Town of Richmond Hill building permit before the bucket goes in the ground. Trenching for water or sanitary services across the boulevard usually adds a road occupancy permit through Public Works. We pull what’s needed and book inspections so you don’t sit waiting on a stop-work order.

Richmond Hill’s road network shapes how we stage every job. Yonge Street, Bayview Avenue, Bathurst Street, Major Mackenzie Drive, 16th Avenue, Elgin Mills Road, Bloomington Road, and Stouffville Road are the arterials we work off — dump trucks, float deliveries, and material drops all get routed around peak windows on these corridors. A 16th Avenue route in at 7 a.m. is a different job than the same route at 4 p.m., and that matters when you’re billing by the day.

Each Richmond Hill neighbourhood has its own quirks. Mill Pond — the historic core around Mill Street — has narrow lots, heritage trees, and 1950s-60s clay sewer laterals that fail without warning. Bayview Hill, built out through the 1990s, has bigger lots, walk-up basement potential, and aging in-ground pools coming due for removal. Jefferson and Oak Ridges sit north of Bloomington Road inside the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan area — that adds an approval layer on top of the standard Richmond Hill permit, with restrictions on vegetation removal, impervious cover, and slope disturbance. South Richvale is teardown country: infill builds, deep digs against existing foundations, and tight property-line work. Beverley Acres, Richmond Hill Heights, and Crosby are 1960s-70s ranches and side-splits where original weeping tile is past end-of-life and basement floods are common. We bid each neighbourhood like a different city, because in practice they are.

Richmond Hill Soil & Geology

Most of Richmond Hill sits on Halton Till — a stiff, silty clay with cobbles, deposited by the last glacial advance. South of 16th Avenue you’re typically digging weathered Halton Till over older Newmarket Till, which is denser and harder on bucket teeth. North of Bloomington Road, the surface changes character entirely: the Oak Ridges Moraine brings sand and gravel deposits that drain fast but can collapse in unsupported trench walls. The East Don River valley cuts through eastern Richmond Hill and triggers TRCA setback requirements under Ontario Regulation 41/24 — top-of-bank measurements drive the buildable line, not the lot line.

The frost line for footings in Richmond Hill is 1.2 m under Ontario Building Code Part 9. Local practice on water services and post footings often pushes deeper — 1.5 m is standard on municipal water connections, and a lot of inspectors want the same on deck sonotubes when the soil is wet clay. Soil type drives the price more than people expect: clay digs slowly, holds water, needs bracing in deeper excavations, and costs more to haul because it weighs more wet. Sand and gravel digs fast and drains well but eats more shoring on anything past 4 feet. When we quote a Richmond Hill basement, the soil call is half the number.

Common Richmond Hill Excavation Projects

Walk-up basements on Bayview Hill homes. A lot of 1990s-2000s builds in Bayview Hill have unfinished walk-out potential at the rear. Cutting a walk-up door, excavating the stairwell, and installing an areaway typically runs $25,000 to $40,000 depending on grade, soil, and waterproofing scope. We brace the dig, tie into the existing foundation, and coordinate the concrete and waterproofing crews.

Pool removals on 1980s-90s Bayview and Crosby properties. Liners are leaking, decks are heaved, and homeowners want the yard back. Full removal with backfill, compaction, and topsoil restoration is usually 2 to 4 days on a standard pool.

Sewer lateral replacements in Mill Pond. The original clay laterals from the 1950s and 60s are at end of life — roots, bellies, and full collapses are common. Open-cut replacement from the house to the property line runs faster than people expect when access is decent.

Site prep for Oak Ridges teardowns. Larger lots, mature trees, and moraine grading rules mean Oak Ridges site prep is a full week or more on most builds — tree protection fencing, sediment control, and careful stripping all add time.

Drainage retrofits on flat clay properties. Older Richmond Hill backyards west of Yonge often have negative grade running back toward the house. Regrade, swale, and weeping tile tie-in is a 2-to-3-day job that ends years of wet basements.

Foundation underpinning on 1960s-70s ranches. Beverley Acres and Crosby ranches with 6-foot basement ceilings get underpinned for a 9-foot finished height. It’s slow, sequential work — pit by pit — but it’s the only way to get usable basement space in those homes without demolishing them.

For a real-world example, see our recent Richmond Hill walk-up basement project — same trade-offs in action.

How Much Does Excavation Cost in Richmond Hill?

Excavation costs in Richmond Hill depend on depth, soil type, disposal fees, and access. A standard residential basement dig usually runs $4,500 to $12,000. Trenching for a water or sewer line typically falls between $90 and $180 per linear foot. Lot grading on a standard 50-foot Richmond Hill lot averages $2,500 to $6,000. Hard digs — rock, heavy clay, contaminated soil, or sites with no rear access — cost more. We give a firm written number after a site visit.

Want a full breakdown? Richmond Hill excavation cost guide — CAD ranges from basement digs to pool removal — every common job, what drives the price up, and the gotchas this city throws at quotes.

Why Richmond Hill Homeowners and Builders Hire OCM

We’re local. Our yard is in Richmond Hill, so dispatch is fast. We’re fully insured with $5M commercial general liability, WSIB-compliant, and we pull our own locates through Ontario One Call before a bucket touches the ground. We work clean — track mats on driveways, plywood over walkways, soil hauled in covered trucks. When the job’s done your Richmond Hill property looks like a job site that was respected, not trashed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a permit for excavation in Richmond Hill?

Yes for most structural work. The City of Richmond Hill requires a building permit for foundations, additions, and pools. Utility trenches usually need a road occupancy or plumbing permit. We’ll tell you exactly what’s required for your scope.

How long does site preparation take in Richmond Hill?

For a single-family lot, site prep including stripping, rough grading, and pad compaction is typically 2 to 5 days. Larger lots with mature trees or fill removal can run a week or more.

Can you get a machine into a tight Richmond Hill backyard?

Usually yes. We run mini excavators that fit through a 36-inch gate. For really tight access we’ll crane the machine over the house if needed. Send us a photo of your side yard and we’ll tell you straight up if it’s doable.

Do you handle soil disposal?

Yes. We haul to licensed receiving sites and provide documentation. Richmond Hill and York Region require excess soil tracking under O. Reg. 406/19 — we handle the paperwork.

Are you insured and WSIB certified?

Yes. $5M liability, full WSIB coverage. We’ll send certificates before the job starts.

Where do I submit a Richmond Hill building permit application?

The Town of Richmond Hill Building Services Division is at 225 East Beaver Creek Road, Richmond Hill, ON L4B 3P4. Phone 905-771-8800. Most residential permits can be submitted online through the Richmond Hill permit portal. We can coordinate the submission, or work directly with your designer or architect — we just need the stamped drawings and a site plan to get started.

How does the Oak Ridges Moraine affect my excavation project?

If your Richmond Hill property sits north of Bloomington Road, you’re inside the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan area. That adds a layer on top of the standard Town of Richmond Hill permit — restrictions on vegetation clearing, impervious cover, slope disturbance, and well-head protection. Excavation timelines stretch because approvals take longer. We’ve worked Oak Ridges and Jefferson properties for years and know what triggers a flag.

What’s the soil like in different parts of Richmond Hill?

Most of Richmond Hill is Halton Till — stiff silty clay with cobbles. South of 16th Avenue you’ll often hit denser Newmarket Till underneath. North of Bloomington Road, the Oak Ridges Moraine brings sand and gravel — fast to dig but prone to collapse in unsupported trenches. East of Bayview, water tables run high and you can hit groundwater at 5 to 7 feet. Soil drives 30 to 50 percent of the total excavation cost.

How much does foundation excavation cost in Richmond Hill?

A standard residential basement excavation in Richmond Hill runs $4,500 to $12,000 for the dig, haul, and rough backfill. Walk-out and walk-up basement upgrades push the number to $25,000 to $40,000 once you add the stairwell, areaway, waterproofing, and bracing. Hard soil, deep groundwater, no rear access, or rock all add cost. We quote firm after we walk the lot.

Get a Free Quote for Your Richmond Hill Excavation Job

Call 416-317-3090 or request a free written quote. We answer the phone, we show up to look at the job, and we don’t pad the number. Serving the GTA since 2008.

Our Excavation Services

Excavation Services  ·  Site Preparation  ·  Land Grading  ·  Trenching & Post Drilling  ·  Mini Excavator  ·  Pool Excavation

Wondering what your project will cost? Read our 2026 excavation cost guide for the GTA — real numbers, no fluff.

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More OCM Services in Richmond Hill

OCM Excavation also handles these specialty services in Richmond Hill:

Pool Removal in Richmond Hill · Sump Pump Installation in Richmond Hill · Egress Window in Richmond Hill · Window Well in Richmond Hill · Sewer Lateral Repair in Richmond Hill · Catch Basin in Richmond Hill · Emergency Excavation in Richmond Hill · Excavation Shoring in Richmond Hill