Foundation Excavation in Rochester, MN
A foundation dig is no place for close enough. Rochester Dirt Work digs foundations and basements in Rochester, MN — to the lines, to the depth, with footings below frost — so your concrete crew and your builder start on a hole that's right.
Minnesota frost is the governing fact. Footings that sit above frost depth will heave, and a heaved footing cracks everything above it. Around Rochester, that means digging deep and meaning it.
A basement dig runs about 200 cubic yards. A foundation for an addition might run 40 to 80. Either way it prices by the yard, with the math in your written estimate before we start.
Spoil handling is your call. Most builders want the good fill kept on site for backfill and final grading — spreading it there costs nothing extra. Hauling it off runs $300–$600 a load.
We work off your builder's plan and stake the dig with him, so the hole he measures is the hole he asked for.
How the Job Runs
First the look, with the plan in hand: lines, depths, where the spoil goes, and how the machines get in. Then the written estimate — yards, price, and order of work. On the day, we dig to the marked lines, check depths as we go, and keep the site passable for the crews that follow.
When the hole's right, we say so and get out of the way. Backfill and final grading come back around at the end of the build — same crew, same lot, no re-learning your ground.
What It Costs
Foundation and basement digging prices like all our excavation: $50–$150 per cubic yard, $1,500 floor. A 200-yard basement lands at $10,000–$30,000, matching the published range for basement excavation. A 60-yard addition foundation lands at $3,000–$9,000.
How deep do footings need to be here?
Below the frost line — in southeast Minnesota that means digging deep, and your builder's plan will spec the exact depth for your county and soil. We dig to the plan and verify as we go.
Can you dig a basement under an addition?
Yes — addition basements and crawl-space digs are regular work. Access is the main question, and we'll walk it with you before we price it.
What if you hit rock or bad soil?
Southeast Minnesota ground is mostly workable soil, but if the dig turns up something the plan didn't expect, we stop and talk before the price changes. No surprises on the bill.
Got a plan and a lot? Call (612) 260-8779 — we'll stake the dig and write the price down.