Overview
Excavation is priced per cubic metre of dirt, and the dirt has to go somewhere
Excavation looks like a plant-hire job and ends up being something else. The dig itself is per cubic metre at a plant rate. Then the spoil has to leave. Sandy soil goes one way, clay another, contaminated ground (a buried tank, old fuel oil, asbestos in the soil) goes to a specific tip at a much higher rate. The contractor's risk is not the digger or the operator. The risk is what comes out of the ground on day two. A quote that just says 'excavation' at a flat day rate is a quote that wears every surprise as a loss.
QuoteGenio gives excavation contractors room to surface that risk. Plant and operator by day or by hour, spoil removal by tonne or by load, tip fees broken out by category, a contingency line for soil tests if the customer hasn't had one done, and dewatering or shoring where the depth or water table demands it. Send the quote via WhatsApp from the survey, take a deposit on acceptance, raise progress invoices as the excavation reaches each level, and the final invoice when the dig is signed off and the site is clean.
Who it is for
Who uses QuoteGenio
Built for every kind of excavation business, from solo mini-digger operators to small bulk earthworks teams.
The problem
The quoting headaches every excavation contractor knows
Excavation is plant-heavy and disposal-heavy. Without a structured quote with plant rates, operator hours, and disposal volumes, the muck-away tipping fees always end up unbilled or disputed.
Disposal volume under-quoted
20 cubic metres of clay weighs differently to 20 cubic metres of topsoil. Without per-load disposal pricing, the muck-away fees absorb into the headline price.
Verbal plant-hire rates
Mini-digger, 5-tonne, 8-tonne, and 13-tonne all have different hourly rates. Customers want plant size and rate on paper before you arrive.
Reinstatement absorbed
Backfill, compaction, and surface reinstatement are real labour. Without lines on the quote, the customer expects them included.
The fix
QuoteGenio makes it simple
A clean workflow for the excavation crew. Quote plant by size and hours, operator labour, disposal by load, and reinstatement as separate lines. Send via WhatsApp from the site visit.
The payoff
What you get with QuoteGenio
The everyday wins that add up across a year of quoting and invoicing.
Built for earthworks
Line items for plant hire by size (mini-digger, 5T, 8T, 13T), operator hours, mobilisation, muck-away by load, reinstatement, and traffic management.
Works from the site
Send a quote from the gate before plant arrives, push a variation quote from the trench. Branded PDF on every send.
Quote in under 5 minutes
Build templates for foundations, drainage trenches, bulk earthworks, and pool dig. Each new site visit is a few tweaks from sent.
Track jobs and finals
See which deposits have landed and which finals are still unpaid. Track plant hire days against quoted hours per job.
Built for your trade
Quoting calibrated to how excavation contractors actually work
Pick your trade in Settings and the entire quote flow switches to fit. Line item presets, compliance fields, on-the-quote calculators, and per-m² / after-hours pricing all change to match your industry.
Trade-specific line items
Quick add picker pre-fills the common items your trade quotes. Skip the blank rows.
Brand-specific catalogues
Pylontech, Hikvision, Canadian Solar, Sunsynk and others pre-named. Pick the brand, the description writes itself.
Compliance fields built in
IOPSA, ECASA, PIRB, PSIRA, NHBRC, SAQCC. Set once. Every quote prints them under FROM.
Registration expiry alerts
Dashboard notification 60 days before your PSIRA, CoC or any dated registration lapses.
Per-m² / hour / day billing
Unit selector on every line item: m², hr, linear m, days. Stop doing the maths externally.
After-hours and emergency
1.5× and 2× multipliers as a one-tap toggle. Customer sees the breakdown on the quote.
Quote-flow calculators
Solar size, battery backup, cable run cost. Compute on the spot, drop straight onto the quote.
Staged payments
Deposit on acceptance + balance on completion as two separate amounts on the quote PDF.
Scope-of-work checklist
Structured Included / Not included lists. Client acceptance = signing the scope.
Site-survey mode
Log a location per line item: camera positions, fixtures by room, sensors by zone.
Regional rate hints
Pricing ranges per item per currency shown as you quote.
Free on every plan
All of the above included on the free plan. Premium is for capacity, not the trade tooling.
Why QuoteGenio
Why Excavation Contractors choose QuoteGenio
The tools that matter most when you are quoting on-site, under pressure, and between jobs.
Quote from your phone
Most Excavation Contractors build and send quotes directly from the job site. No laptop, no office, no delays.
Win more jobs, faster
The first professional quote a client receives usually wins. Respond in minutes, not hours.
Quote to invoice in one click
When the job is accepted, convert to an invoice instantly. No retyping, no double entry.
Pricing guide
Typical Excavation Contractors job pricing
A rough guide to what excavation contractors charge for common work. Pricing varies by plant size, day vs hourly rate, dig depth, ground type (clay, rock, made-ground), and disposal distance to nearest tip. Bulk earthworks and basement excavation sit at the top of these ranges.
| Job | Typical range |
|---|---|
| Mini-digger (1.5T) + operator (per day) | $ 380 - $ 720 / day |
| 5T tracked excavator + operator (per day) | $ 580 - $ 1,200 / day |
| 8T excavator + operator (per day) | $ 850 - $ 1,800 / day |
| 13T excavator + operator (per day) | $ 1,200 - $ 2,800 / day |
| Muck-away tipper (per load, 20 ton) | $ 280 - $ 580 / load |
| Bulk excavation (per cubic metre) | $ 22 - $ 65 / m³ |
| Reinstatement (backfill + compact, per m²) | $ 38 - $ 95 / m² |
Pricing shown in USD as a rough benchmark. Rates vary significantly by country, region, currency, and market.
Call-out fees
Disposal is usually the second-biggest cost on excavation work. Quote muck-away per 20-tonne load with the disposal site stated and the per-load tipping fee included. State on the proposal that the load count is approximate based on excavated volume; final load count is invoiced on completion. Customers respect the transparency.
Hourly vs fixed pricing
Use day-rate pricing for plant + operator on standard jobs (foundations, drainage trenches, small bulk dig). Use per-cubic-metre pricing for large bulk earthworks where the volume drives the cost. Use hourly rates only for ad-hoc or unknown-scope diagnostic dig. Always quote disposal separately by load count.
See it in action
Example quote breakdown
Here's what a clean foundation excavation quote looks like. Plant + operator, mobilisation, bulk volume, muck-away by load, reinstatement, and a provisional sum each visible on the proposal. Customers accept faster when they see the muck-away load count separately and the contingency for hard ground.
Try it yourself
Job size
Region
Sample quote
Foundation excavation, 12m x 6m new build, 1.5m deep
5T tracked excavator + operator (3 days)
Plant mobilisation (within 30 km)
Bulk excavation (108 m³ approx)
Muck-away (estimated 6 loads, 20T tippers)
Reinstatement at edges (backfill + compact)
Provisional sum: rock or hard ground (charge if encountered)
| Description | Qty | Rate | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5T tracked excavator + operator (3 days) | 3 | $ 850 / day | $ 2,550 |
| Plant mobilisation (within 30 km) | 1 | $ 240 | $ 240 |
| Bulk excavation (108 m³ approx) | 108 | $ 32.00 / m³ | $ 3,456 |
| Muck-away (estimated 6 loads, 20T tippers) | 6 | $ 380 / load | $ 2,280 |
| Reinstatement at edges (backfill + compact) | 18 | $ 65.00 / m² | $ 1,170 |
| Provisional sum: rock or hard ground (charge if encountered) | 1 | $ 1,400 | $ 1,400 |
| Subtotal | $ 11,096 | ||
| Tax (10%) | $ 1,110 | ||
| Total incl. tax | $ 12,206 | ||
Totals recalculate as you change the controls above. Tax rate inferred from the sample quote.
Items often forgotten
Plant mobilisation fees beyond standard radius, traffic management on roadside dig, hand-dig around services, asbestos surveys on pre-2000 demolition sites, water-table dewatering, and load-count variations on the actual dig. Add these as standard or provisional lines.
Peer snapshot
How Excavation Contractors actually use QuoteGenio
Indicative activity for Excavation Contractors on the platform. Use it as a benchmark for how often to quote and how fast to respond.
19
Quotes sent per month
49%
Average quote acceptance
5 min
Median time to send quote
$ 12,206
Typical quote value
Figures are indicative platform averages for this trade segment.
Start quoting Excavation Contractor jobs like this, free
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Avoid these
Common quoting mistakes
We talk to a lot of excavation contractors. The same disposal, mobilisation, and provisional-sum mistakes come up dig after dig. Fix these and your day rate will reflect the actual labour and disposal involved.
Mistake: No mobilisation fee
Better: Quote plant mobilisation as a separate line, especially on jobs over 30 km from base. Mobilisation is real fuel and time and must be billed openly.
Mistake: Disposal absorbed into bulk rate
Better: Quote muck-away per 20-tonne load on its own line. Customers respect transparency and accept the variability of load count on completion.
Mistake: Verbal plant-size promise
Better: State the plant size and operator hours on the description: '5T tracked excavator, 3 days'. Customers comparing on plant size accept higher rates when itemised.
Mistake: No provisional sum for rock
Better: Add a provisional sum line for hard ground, rock, or unknown obstructions. Once exposed, raise variation quotes in writing for the customer to accept.
Mistake: Reinstatement absorbed
Better: Quote backfill + compaction + surface reinstatement as separate lines. The labour is real and customers accept it when itemised.
Mistake: No deposit on bulk jobs
Better: Take 30 to 50 percent deposit on bulk earthworks and basement digs because plant hire is committed at the start. State on the proposal so the customer agrees in writing.
Mistake: No expiry on the quote
Better: Set a 30 day validity. Plant rates and tipping fees move; old quotes can bind you to outdated rates. State the validity so old quotes do not bind you.
Mistake: No follow-up after sending the quote
Better: Most quotes that don't close, don't close because nobody followed up. Send a polite check-in 48 hours after the quote lands, and a second nudge at day 7. Two of every three accepted quotes get there because someone followed up.
Step by step
How to quote excavation work
Always survey the site before quoting bulk earthworks or basement digs. A 30 to 60 minute survey tells you the access (gates, side passages, road access for plant), the ground type (clay, sand, rock, made-ground), the dig depth required, the spoil disposal route, and any services or trees to work around. Quote based on what you saw rather than guessing from a phone description; ground conditions can double the dig cost.
Itemise plant + operator, mobilisation, bulk volume or day rate, muck-away by load, reinstatement, and any provisional sums separately. State the plant size and quoted hours on the description. List muck-away per 20-tonne load with the tipping fee included. Add a provisional sum for hard ground, rock, or unknown obstructions so a variation can be raised when exposed.
Take a deposit on bulk and basement jobs. Standard small foundations and drainage trench work usually invoices on completion. Bulk earthworks, basement digs, and pool excavations need 30 to 50 percent deposit because plant hire is committed at the start and non-refundable. State the deposit clearly on the proposal.
Send via WhatsApp from the site visit. Excavation customers want fast quotes when other trades are scheduled. Share via WhatsApp link, follow up after 24 hours, and once accepted invoice the deposit and book plant. Set a 30 day validity to protect against tipping fee and plant hire rate moves.
FAQ
Common questions from excavation contractors
Everything you need to know before getting started.
Per day for standard foundations and drainage trenches where the time is the driver. Per cubic metre for bulk earthworks where the volume is the driver. State which on the proposal and the customer accepts the structure.
Yes. Once your quote is ready, share the public link via WhatsApp. The customer opens a branded PDF on their phone, accepts online, and you have a time-stamped acceptance on file.
Quote muck-away per 20-tonne load on its own line. State the disposal site and the per-load tipping fee. Final load count is invoiced on completion based on actual loads dispatched.
Yes. Quote plant mobilisation as a separate line, especially on jobs over 30 km from base. Mobilisation is real fuel and time and customers respect seeing it itemised.
Add a provisional sum line for hard ground, rock, or unknown obstructions. Once exposed, raise variation quotes in writing for the customer to accept before continuing.
Yes. The free plan gives you 5 quotes and 2 invoices per month with no credit card. Upgrade to Premium for unlimited quotes during busy build seasons.
Yes. 30 to 50 percent deposit on bulk earthworks and basement digs because plant hire is committed at the start. State on the proposal so the customer agrees in writing.
Yes. Drainage trench can be quoted per linear metre at the standard depth, with extras for additional depth or hard ground. State the trench width and depth on the description.
If you are tax registered, yes. Show tax as its own line on the proposal so the customer sees the full price before they accept.
30 days. Tipping fees, plant rates, and fuel surcharges move. State the validity on the proposal so old quotes do not bind you to outdated rates.
Still have questions? We would rather answer them now than after you have signed up.
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General Contractor · Denver, CO
Guides
Guides for Excavation Contractors
Practical advice to help you quote better, get paid faster, and grow your business.
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