# Residential Excavation Toronto | Pro Excavation Toronto

> Residential excavation in Toronto for driveways, pools, retaining walls and backyard site prep. Mini-excavators for tight access. $5K-$40K, quote in 24h.

URL: https://proexcavationtoronto.ca/residential-excavation/

![Backyard pool excavation in a Toronto yard with a mini-excavator and protected lawn](/images/misc/backyard-pool-excavation-in-a-toronto-residential-.webp)

24-Hour Written Quote

# Residential Excavation Toronto, ON | Driveways + Pools + Site Prep

Last updated: October 13, 2026

Pro Excavation Toronto

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 provides residential, commercial and industrial excavation throughout Toronto, backed by 22+ years combined Toronto excavation and underpinning experience. We handle the smaller digs Toronto homeowners and landscapers need done properly: driveway base replacement, pool excavation, retaining wall footings, garden suite pads and backyard grading.

Our mini-excavators fit side yards under a metre wide, so we rarely need to remove fences or touch the neighbour's property, and we protect city trees under the Tree Protection By-law. Soil is hauled off the same day, granular base is compacted in lifts, and you get a written quote before anything starts.

$5K-$40K per project

-   Tight Side-Yard Access
-   Same-Day Haul-Off
-   Locates First
-   $5M liability + WSIB + Tarion

Quote My Project

[#quote →](#quote)

 

Call (647) 277-2002

[tel:+16472772002 →](tel:+16472772002)

22+

Years Combined

100%

P.Eng Stamped

24h

Written Quote

Thanks, we have your request.

We will call within 24 hours (business hours) to book your site visit. For a water or sewer emergency call (647) 277-2002 now.

-   22+
    
    Years Combined
    
-   100%
    
    P.Eng Stamped
    
-   24h
    
    Written Quote
    
-   $5M
    
    Liability + WSIB
    
-   4h
    
    Emergency On-Site
    

Quick Answers

## Residential Excavation in Toronto, Explained

Residential excavation covers the everyday digging around a Toronto home that is not a basement or a new foundation: pool holes, driveway base replacement, retaining wall and garden suite footings, and backyard grading. The work is smaller, but the risks are the same. Gas, hydro and water lines run under most yards, side yards are narrow, and city trees are protected, so planning matters as much as the machine.

### What residential excavation costs in Toronto

Typical Toronto residential digs run $5K to $40K. Replacing a driveway base is usually $5K to $12K. Retaining wall or garden suite footings are often $8K to $20K. A backyard pool excavation commonly costs $15K to $40K, depending on pool size, access and how much soil has to leave the property. Narrow side yards, protected trees and lines that need hydrovac daylighting are what move a quote up.

### The rules for digging around a Toronto home

Ontario One Call locates are required before any excavation, even a fence post line. The Toronto Tree Protection By-law protects city trees and many private trees, so digging in a root zone can need a permit and hoarding. Pools need a pool enclosure permit for the fence, and garden suites need a building permit. Driveway changes that touch the city boulevard need City approval. Soil leaving the site falls under O. Reg. 406/19.

### Who does residential excavation in Toronto

Hire a contractor with small machines that fit your access, its own trucks for haul-off, WSIB clearance and liability insurance, and a habit of locating lines before every dig. Ask how they will protect your lawn and fence and when the soil will leave. Pro Excavation Toronto does residential digs with the same safety process we use on underpinning and industrial jobs.

What We Do

## What Is Included in Our Residential Excavation Work?

Driveway, pool, retaining wall and backyard digs with mini-excavators sized for narrow Toronto side yards.

-   Pool excavation and soil haul-off
-   Driveway excavation and compacted granular base
-   Retaining wall and garden suite footings
-   Backyard grading and drainage correction
-   Mini-excavators for side yards under 1 m

**Includes:** Locates, dig, haul-off, base prep. **Timeline:** 1-5 working days for most residential digs.

![Mini-excavator passing through a narrow Toronto side yard between a house and a fence](/images/content/mini-excavator-fitting-through-a-narrow-0-9-metre-.webp)

Beaches backyard pool dug through a 0.9 m side yard without touching the fence ($24K).

## What Is Residential Excavation?

Residential excavation is the digging work around a home that is not a basement dig-out or a new foundation. In Toronto that usually means a pool, a driveway, a retaining wall, a garden suite pad or a backyard that needs regrading. These jobs are smaller than the 

underpinning and industrial excavation

[/ →](/)

 work we are known for, but they carry the same risks: buried utilities, tight access, protected trees and soil that has to go somewhere legal.

We take these jobs because homeowners, pool companies and landscapers kept telling us the same story. The small excavator showed up late, dug without locates, left a pile of clay on the lawn for a week and cracked the walkway on the way out. Our process is the same on a $6K driveway as it is on a $1M warehouse pad.

## The Residential Digs We Do

### Pool excavation

We dig in-ground pool holes to the installer’s layout and depth, then haul the soil away the same day. Pools are the most common residential job for a reason: Toronto backyards are deep and narrow, and getting 100 cubic metres of soil out through a side yard takes the right equipment.

### Driveway excavation and base

A failing driveway is usually a base problem. We excavate to firm subgrade, place Granular A or B in lifts and compact each lift, so the paving or interlock on top does not sink and crack. Where the work touches the city boulevard, we follow the City’s requirements.

### Retaining walls and garden suite footings

Sloped Toronto lots, especially near ravines in North York and Scarborough, need retaining walls. We dig the footing trench, install drainage stone and pipe, and backfill behind the wall. For garden suites and studios we dig pads and footings to the permit drawings.

### Backyard grading and drainage

Water that flows toward the house ends up in the basement. We regrade yards, cut swales, and install French drains or dry wells so water goes somewhere useful.

![Mini-excavator passing through a narrow Toronto side yard between a house and a fence](/images/content/mini-excavator-fitting-through-a-narrow-0-9-metre-.webp)

## Locates, Trees and Permits

**Utilities.** Ontario One Call locates are required by law before any excavation. In Toronto, gas services often run just under the lawn, and cable lines can be inches deep. Marks are approximate, and private lines such as a garage feed or a sprinkler main are not marked at all. We daylight lines near the dig with our own 

hydrovac truck

[/hydro-excavation/ →](/hydro-excavation/)

 before the bucket goes in.

**Trees.** The Toronto Tree Protection By-law covers city trees and many private trees over a set diameter. Damaging roots can bring fines and replacement costs. We set up hoarding, dig carefully near roots and help you get permits when needed.

**Permits.** Pools need a pool enclosure permit for the fence. Garden suites need a building permit. Retaining walls over about 1 m may need engineering. We tell you which apply at the site visit.

| Project | Usual permits or approvals | Typical time on site |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Pool excavation | Pool enclosure permit, locates | 1-3 days |
| Driveway base | Locates, boulevard approval if widening | 1-2 days |
| Retaining wall footing | Locates, engineering if over about 1 m | 1-2 days |
| Garden suite pad | Building permit, locates, tree review | 2-4 days |
| Backyard grading | Locates, tree review near roots | 1-3 days |

## Why Small Digs Go Wrong

Most residential excavation problems come from rushing: no locates, no plan for the soil, the wrong machine for the access. A gas strike on a pool dig can mean evacuating the street, a five-figure repair bill and fines. A clay stockpile left on a lawn for a week kills the grass and blocks the driveway. A heavy machine in a narrow yard cracks walkways and foundations. We avoid all three by planning before we arrive and sending the right size of equipment.

## Bigger Than a Backyard?

If your project is a full basement, a new house or a commercial pad, see our 

basement excavation

[/basement-excavation/ →](/basement-excavation/)

, 

foundation excavation

[/foundation-excavation/ →](/foundation-excavation/)

 or 

site preparation

[/site-preparation/ →](/site-preparation/)

 pages. For anything else, 

book a free site visit

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

 and we will quote in writing within 24 hours.

Toronto Pricing

## How Much Does Residential Excavation Cost in Toronto?

Typical range, per project

$5K to $40K

Access, soil volume and haul-off drive cost.

**Timeline:** 1-5 working days for most residential digs

-   Driveway base replacement$5K-$12K
-   Retaining wall or garden suite footing$8K-$20K
-   Backyard pool excavation$15K-$40K

Get My Written Quote

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

CAD, before HST. Fixed price once signed, paid in 5 stage draws.

### What Moves the Price

| Cost driver | How it affects your quote |
| --- | --- |
| Soil volume | A pool or a garden suite pad moves far more soil than a driveway, and every cubic metre has to be loaded, trucked and tipped. |
| Access width | Side yards under 1 m limit machine size; very tight jobs may need a conveyor or small track loader. |
| Utilities and trees | Lines near the dig need hydrovac daylighting; protected trees need hoarding and sometimes an arborist report. |
| Base and compaction spec | Driveways and pads need granular base placed and compacted in lifts, which adds material and labour. |
| Restoration | Putting back lawns, interlock or fences after a tight dig is quoted as its own line. |

We do not give verbal estimates. Every number on this page is a planning range; your firm price comes in writing on letterhead within 24 hours of the site visit, with every line item shown.

Why Us

## Why Choose Pro Excavation Toronto for Residential Excavation?

### Small Machines, Tight Yards

Our mini-excavators go through gaps under a metre, so we keep fences, gardens and the neighbour's property intact.

### Locates Every Time

Pool and driveway digs are where gas strikes happen. We locate and daylight first, even on small jobs.

### Same-Day Haul-Off

We own our trucks, so soil leaves the day it is dug and your driveway is usable again fast.

### Trees Respected

We follow the Tree Protection By-law, hoard root zones and dig carefully near city trees to avoid fines and damage.

### Ready for the Next Trade

Pool installers, pavers and landscapers get a hole or base built to their spec, on the day they planned.

5-Stage Process

## How Does Our Residential Excavation Process Work?

Every contract is fixed-price and paid in draws tied to these stages, so you only pay for work that is done and inspected.

1.  1
    
    ### Plan + Locates
    
    3-7 days
    
    Site visit, written quote, Ontario One Call locates, tree protection and any pool enclosure or building permit paperwork.
    
2.  2
    
    ### Excavation
    
    1-3 days
    
    Lines daylighted by hydrovac where close, then the dig with a mini-excavator sized for your side yard.
    
3.  3
    
    ### Haul-Off
    
    Same day
    
    Soil loaded and hauled daily so your yard and street are not buried under a stockpile.
    
4.  4
    
    ### Base + Backfill
    
    1-2 days
    
    Granular base placed and compacted in lifts, or backfill around walls and footings, ready for the next trade.
    
5.  5
    
    ### Final
    
    Half day
    
    Grading, cleanup and a walk-through with you or your pool or landscape contractor.
    

Free Calculator

## Try Our Free Excavation Soil Volume + Truckload Calculator

Work out how much soil a dig produces once it swells, and how many truckloads it takes to haul away.

Excavation Soil Volume + Truckload Calculator

[/tools/excavation-soil-volume-calculator/ →](/tools/excavation-soil-volume-calculator/)

## Not sure if you need underpinning or a bench footing?

Book a free site visit. Our P.Eng reviews the foundation before any deposit and tells you in writing which method fits your house and budget.

(647) 277-2002

[tel:+16472772002 →](tel:+16472772002)

 

Request a Free Site Visit

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

Our Work

## Residential Excavation Project Photos

Real Toronto and GTA job sites. Click any photo to enlarge.

 

Case Studies

## Recent Residential Excavation Projects

![Hydrovac daylighting a collapsed sewer lateral beside a gas line in East York](/images/features/hydrovac-truck-on-an-east-york-street-daylighting-.webp) Residential $18K

East York

### Hydrovac + Sewer Lateral Replacement

The failed clay lateral ran within a hand-width of the gas service. Hydrovac exposed both lines safely, the lateral was replaced, and the front lawn was restored. Written quote the next morning, finished in two days.

Hydro Excavation

[/hydro-excavation/ →](/hydro-excavation/)

See all projects

[/projects/ →](/projects/)

Client Results

## What Toronto Clients Say About Our Residential Excavation

> "We were told a pool was impossible with our 0.9 m side yard. Their mini-excavator and conveyor got every load out without removing the fence. Gas and hydro were located before digging, soil was hauled daily, and the pool installer started on the planned day."

Grace N.

The Beaches

Project value $24K

> "1920s semi with heritage brick. Marko's crew hit every structural detail. Zero cracks on the neighbour's party-wall side."

Alex and Jen M.

Riverdale

Project value $186K

> "Rail-adjacent earthworks on a brownfield lot with impacted soil. They segregated and tested the soil, tracked every load under O. Reg. 406/19 and kept the haul records clean for our MOECP file. Cut and fill came in more balanced than the civil estimate, which saved real money on export. Their superintendent sent photo reports daily, and the fixed price held to the dollar."

Dana W.

Project Director, industrial developer, Scarborough

Project value $420K

Straight Answers

## Residential Excavation FAQs

### How much does pool excavation cost in Toronto?

Most backyard pool excavations in Toronto cost $15K to $40K. The price depends on pool size and depth, how wide the access route is, how much soil leaves the property and whether any lines or trees need protecting. A typical in-ground pool moves 60 to 120 cubic metres of soil once swell is counted, so trucking and tipping are a big part of the cost. When the side yard is under a metre, we use compact machines and sometimes a conveyor, which is slower but saves the fence. We dug a Beaches pool through a 0.9 m side yard for $24K without removing a single fence board.

### Can you dig a pool through a narrow side yard?

Usually yes. Our smallest machines pass through gaps under a metre wide. Where even that will not fit, a conveyor carries soil out to the street. We protect lawns and walkways with plywood or ground mats along the route. The pool installer gets the hole on the planned day, and your yard is restored afterwards.

### Do I need locates for a small backyard dig?

Yes. Ontario law requires Ontario One Call locates before any excavation, and Toronto yards are full of gas, hydro, cable and water lines, many of them shallower than people expect. We request locates on every job and daylight lines with our own hydrovac where the dig gets close. A pool dig is one of the most common places for a gas strike, which can mean evacuation, fines and a repair bill well into five figures.

### How much does driveway excavation cost?

Replacing a driveway base in Toronto usually costs $5K to $12K for excavation and new compacted granular base, before paving or interlock. Longer or wider driveways, poor subgrade and boulevard work push it higher.

### Can you dig near a city tree?

Yes, carefully. The Toronto Tree Protection By-law protects city trees and many large private trees. We install hoarding around root zones, dig by hand or hydrovac near major roots, and help you get an arborist report and permit where one is needed.

### Do you build retaining walls?

We excavate and prepare the footing, drainage and base for retaining walls, and backfill behind them. Walls over about 1 m usually need an engineered design, which our P.Eng can provide.

### Do you fix backyard drainage problems?

Yes. We regrade yards so water runs away from the house, cut swales, and install French drains or dry wells where the soil allows. If water is getting into the basement, see our basement waterproofing service as well.

### How quickly can you start?

We visit within 48 hours and quote within 24 hours after. Most small digs can be scheduled within one to three weeks, allowing about a week for locates.

### Do you restore the lawn afterwards?

We grade and leave the area clean and ready for topsoil and sod, and we can quote full restoration of lawns, interlock or fences as a separate line.

Often Paired With

## Related Services

Most projects touch more than one trade. These are the services we most often combine with this one, quoted on the same letterhead.

![Basement dig-out in progress in a Toronto house with a mini-excavator inside and a conveyor carrying soil out](/images/misc/toronto-basement-dig-out-in-progress-with-old-slab.webp)

[/basement-excavation/ →](/basement-excavation/)

### 

Basement Excavation

[/basement-excavation/ →](/basement-excavation/)

$12K-$45K

Interior dig-outs, crawlspace conversions and new-build basement digs using tight-access conveyors and mini-excavators.

Conveyor SystemsTight-Access RigsClean-Site Protocol

Quote My Dig-Out for Basement Excavation

[/basement-excavation/ →](/basement-excavation/)

![Hydrovac truck daylighting buried utilities on a Toronto residential street](/images/misc/hydrovac-truck-with-vacuum-boom-daylighting-buried.webp)

[/hydro-excavation/ →](/hydro-excavation/)

### 

Hydro Excavation

[/hydro-excavation/ →](/hydro-excavation/)

$1.5K-$15K

Non-destructive hydrovac digging that exposes live utilities safely before excavation, from potholes to slot trenches.

Zero Utility Strike RiskOntario One CallSlot Trenching

Book the Hydrovac for Hydro Excavation

[/hydro-excavation/ →](/hydro-excavation/)

![Site preparation in the GTA with an excavator and dozer cutting and filling to engineered grades](/images/misc/large-gta-site-preparation-with-excavator-and-bull.webp)

[/site-preparation/ →](/site-preparation/)

### 

Site Preparation + Earthworks

[/site-preparation/ →](/site-preparation/)

$15K-$250K

Clearing, cut and fill, grading, stormwater and erosion control that hands builders a balanced, compacted, inspection-ready site.

Cut + Fill BalancedTRCA AwareCompaction Tested

Quote My Site for Site Preparation + Earthworks

[/site-preparation/ →](/site-preparation/)

![Custom-home foundation excavation on a Toronto infill lot with an excavator and benched walls](/images/misc/custom-home-foundation-excavation-on-a-toronto-inf.webp)

[/foundation-excavation/ →](/foundation-excavation/)

### 

Foundation Excavation

[/foundation-excavation/ →](/foundation-excavation/)

$8K-$30K

Accurate foundation digs for custom homes and additions, benched or shored to the P.Eng design and handed over on schedule.

GC Schedule ReadyFrost Depth 1.2 mBackfill Included

Book a Foundation Dig for Foundation Excavation

[/foundation-excavation/ →](/foundation-excavation/)

![](/images/misc/wide-dusk-view-of-a-clean-organized-toronto-underp.webp)

Site visit in 48 hours

## Ready for Residential Excavation Done Properly?

We walk your site within 48 hours and send a fixed-price CAD quote on letterhead within 24 hours after. P.Eng stamped where required, and no change orders without your written approval.

Request a Free Site Visit

[/contact/ →](/contact/)

 

Call (647) 277-2002

[tel:+16472772002 →](tel:+16472772002)

-   Fixed-price, 5-stage draws
-   $5M liability + WSIB
-   24-hour emergency water + sewer line