Building a house, a shop or a garage, running a new water or sewer line, or fixing a yard that floods every spring? Tell us about the job and we'll connect you with an independent excavation contractor who works Billings and Yellowstone County. The referral is free.
What excavation contractors do
Excavating crews move earth so other trades can build. On residential jobs around Billings that usually means clearing and stripping a building site, digging basements and footings, trenching for utilities, building driveway bases, and grading so water drains away from foundations. Many also handle land clearing, stump removal, hauling and small demolition.
What it typically costs
Angi's 2026 data, based on 3,439 projects, puts the national average for residential excavation at $3,979, with most homeowners paying $1,659 to $6,715. Bigger jobs cost more: basement excavation runs about $5,000 to $15,000, trenching for plumbing $1,500 to $10,000, and land clearing $1,400 to $5,800. Labor is typically $120 to $150 an hour, and hauling dirt runs $8 to $25 per cubic yard. These are national ranges. Soil, rock, slope and access decide your price.
Before anyone digs: 811
Every excavation job starts with a call to 811. In Montana that's Montana 811, which notifies utilities so they mark buried gas, electric, water and communication lines. It's free and required before digging. A professional excavator handles the locate request as part of the job.
Safety matters
OSHA counts trench collapses among the deadliest construction hazards. Trenches 5 feet deep or more need a protective system (sloping, shoring or a trench box) unless they're in stable rock. A good contractor plans for that from the start and keeps people out of unprotected trenches.
How the referral works
- Tell us what you're building or fixing, where, and when.
- We pass it to an independent excavation contractor serving Billings and Yellowstone County.
- They contact you, look at the site and give you a written estimate.
We are a referral service, not an excavating company. Contractors are independent and set their own prices.
Services
Areas we cover
Billings, Lockwood, Laurel, Shepherd, Huntley, Worden and other communities in Billings and Yellowstone County. See service areas.