Excavation, Grading & Construction Contractor in Aurora, ON
Aurora sits on the Oak Ridges Moraine — a geography that turns every shovelful into a soil-science question. Beautiful estate lots on Bayview, older bungalows along Yonge south of Wellington, and the newer subdivisions off St John’s Sideroad all behave differently underground. OCM Excavation & Construction has been digging, grading and building in Aurora since 2018, from Aurora Village basement walk-ups to Bayview Wellington pool digs and Hills of St Andrew lot-regrading jobs. We size the machine to the lot — a 36-inch mini-ex for the tight Yonge-Edward corridor, a full tracked excavator for new-build foundations on a Henderson Drive estate.
Services We Provide in Aurora
Most-Requested Services
- Excavation & Site Preparation — basement digs, pool excavations and foundation holes — mini-ex through estate-lot gates or full-size machines for new builds.
- Land Grading & Yard Levelling — laser-guided lot grading sloped toward swales and rear-yard catch-basins, critical on Aurora’s moraine kettle topography.
- Trenching & Post Drilling — water-line, gas-line, irrigation and electrical trenching; deck-post and 4×4 fence-post holes drilled to OBC frost depth.
- Deck Building — pressure-treated, cedar and composite decks with engineered footings poured for Aurora’s clay-till frost line (1.2 m).
- Fence Installation — wood privacy, chain-link, composite and aluminum fencing, fully respecting Aurora’s Fence Bylaw 4753-05 setback rules.
- Walk-Up Basement Entrances — side-entry walk-ups with underpinning, structural steel lintels and waterproofed retaining walls — common on Yonge Street bungalow conversions.
Specialty & Add-On Services
- Septic System Installation & Repair — rural-lot septic installation and tank replacements east of Bathurst, including LSRCA-overlay permit coordination.
- Retaining Walls — engineered segmental block, armour-stone and poured-concrete walls for the sloped lots common on Aurora Heights.
- Interlocking Pavers — driveway, walkway and patio interlock with polymeric jointing and properly compacted 3/4-clear base.
- Foundation Waterproofing — exterior dig-down membrane, weeping-tile replacement and sump installation — especially for older Aurora Village homes.
- Yard Cleaning & Debris Removal — post-construction haul-away, stump removal, full lot clean-outs.
Why Aurora Homeowners Choose OCM
- Local team based in Richmond Hill — most Aurora jobs reached in 15–20 minutes via Yonge or Bathurst.
- Familiar with Aurora’s Site Alteration Bylaw 5366-11 — any fill, grading or topsoil removal over 30 m³ needs a permit; we handle the paperwork.
- Experience with LSRCA (Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority) permit applications — most rear-yards north of Wellington fall in their regulated area.
- WSIB-certified, $2M liability — the level Aurora’s gated estate communities and HOAs require.
- Free on-site quote within 24 hours, written breakdown by soil class, disposal volume and reinstatement work.
Local Knowledge: Aurora Permits & Conditions
Site Alteration & Lot Grading Bylaw
Aurora enforces a site-alteration and lot-grading bylaw on most residential lots. Before any major dig, regrade or fill import we file the lot-grading plan with the Aurora building department and book the pre-pour and final-grade inspections so your deposit gets released on schedule.
Tree Preservation & Protection
Aurora protects mature trees on private and boulevard lots. We assess the tree-protection zone before mobilising, install snow-fence hoarding where required, and coordinate with the city arborist on any work inside the drip line so you avoid surprise stop-work orders mid-dig.
Conservation Authority Setbacks
Lots near rivers, ravines or wetlands in Aurora fall inside the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) regulated area. We flag this on the quote, prepare the permit package and engineering letters, and stage the dig so the inspector signs off the first time — no two-week resubmission delays.
Aurora permitting flows through Aurora Town Hall at 100 John West Way. Any excavation over 1.2 m for footings, a pool or walk-up basement triggers a building permit reviewed under the Ontario Building Code 2024. Two Aurora-specific rules trip up homeowners more than anywhere else in York Region: the Site Alteration Bylaw 5366-11, which requires a permit before importing or exporting more than 30 cubic metres of fill, and the Tree Permit Bylaw 5850-16, which protects any tree over 20 cm DBH on a lot of 0.2 hectares or larger.
Geology matters here. The Oak Ridges Moraine runs right through Aurora’s north end, so lots on Hills of St Andrew, Henderson Drive and the older Aurora Heights often hit a mix of glacial sand, gravel pockets and clay till — perfect for drainage but unforgiving on shoring. Lots east of Bayview, particularly near Tannery Creek or the Holland River headwaters, fall inside the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) regulated area. OCM flags this on the quote and routes the LSRCA permit application for you. Typical Aurora jobs we run: pool excavations off Bathurst, side-entry walk-ups in Aurora Village, and full lot regrading on the newer estates between Wellington and St John’s Sideroad.
Areas Near Aurora We Also Serve
Get Your Free Aurora Quote Today
Ready to start your Aurora project? Call OCM Excavation & Construction at 416-317-3090 for a free on-site quote within 24 hours, or use our online quote form. OCM is WSIB-certified, fully insured, and has served Aurora homeowners and contractors since 2018. Financing available on projects over $5,000.
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Aurora Excavation FAQ
Do I need a permit to excavate in Aurora?
Yes for most digs. Aurora requires a building permit any time you excavate deeper than 1.2 m for footings, a pool, a walk-up basement or an addition — applications go through Aurora Town Hall. Site-alteration and lot-grading bylaws also apply: most new builds and major regrades require a grading certificate signed by an Ontario Land Surveyor or P.Eng before the city releases your deposit. OCM files the permit, books the inspections and coordinates with Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) when your lot is inside a regulated area.
How much does excavation cost in Aurora in 2026?
Most Aurora residential excavation jobs land between $3,500 and $25,000, depending on volume and access. A 16×32 pool dig is typically $9,000–$14,000; a foundation hole for a 2-storey addition runs $6,500–$12,000; a single-side walk-up basement runs $14,000–$24,000 with shoring. Costs rise with deeper digs, tight rear-yard access requiring a smaller machine, hauling soil offsite, or hitting groundwater. Every OCM quote is itemised: machine time, trucking, disposal, permit fees and restoration — call 416-317-3090 for a free site visit.
How long does a typical residential excavation take in Aurora?
Most Aurora residential digs finish in 1–5 working days on site. A standard 30×50 foundation hole is usually 1–2 days of machine time. A rear-yard pool excavation is 2–3 days including soil haul-away. Walk-up basement entrances take 4–7 days because of underpinning, structural steel and concrete pouring. The full project clock is longer because of permitting (2–6 weeks) and Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) review when applicable. OCM books a site visit within 48 hours and gives you a written start-to-finish schedule before any dig begins.
What soil conditions are common in Aurora and how do they affect cost?
Aurora soil varies block to block. Older neighbourhoods like Aurora Heights often sit on dense clay till with seasonal high water tables — that means trench-box shoring past 1.5 m and slower digging. Newer subdivisions like Aurora Village are often built on engineered fill that's looser but mixed with debris. Lots near rivers, ravines or the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) regulated area can hit groundwater that needs a dewatering pump on site. OCM's site visit always includes a hand-dig test pit so the quote reflects real soil — no surprise change orders mid-project.
Do you serve Aurora Heights, Aurora Village, Bayview Wellington, Hills of St. Andrew, Aurora Estates?
Yes — OCM Excavation works across all Aurora neighbourhoods including Aurora Heights, Aurora Village, Bayview Wellington, Hills of St. Andrew, Aurora Estates. We dispatch from our yard in the GTA and arrive same-week for most quotes. We handle the full job: permit application at Aurora Town Hall, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) review if your lot is regulated, machine and operator, soil haul-away, and final restoration. Same crew, same project manager, start to finish. Tell us the postal code and we'll have a written quote in your inbox within 48 hours. Call 416-317-3090 or request a quote online.
Does OCM handle emergency or same-week excavation in Aurora?
Yes — for true emergencies (collapsed retaining wall, foundation leak, sewer-line failure, sinkhole) we mobilise within 24–48 hours in Aurora. Same-week starts are routine for non-emergency jobs when permits are already in hand. We carry full $5M commercial liability and WSIB coverage so insurance adjusters and homeowners can sign off without delay. For ongoing damage, call 416-317-3090 and ask for the emergency line — a project manager will be on site the same day with a hand-dig assessment and a written stabilisation plan.
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