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Industrial + Commercial + Residential P.Eng Stamped $5M Insured
Scarborough lot near a ravine edge with an excavator kept back from the slope
Serving Guildwood to Birch Cliff

Underpinning and Excavation in Scarborough: Bluffs Lots to Industrial Yards

Pro Excavation Toronto provides P.Eng stamped underpinning and excavation throughout Scarborough, backed by 22+ years combined Toronto excavation and underpinning experience. This is the most varied part of Toronto we work in. Post-war bungalows on large lots in Wexford and Agincourt, ravine-edge homes along Highland Creek and the Scarborough Bluffs, and rail-served industrial land along the CN and GO corridors. Each needs a different approach, and we bring the engineering and fleet for all three.

  • Site visit within 48 hours
  • Permits via Toronto Building, Scarborough Civic Centre
  • P.Eng stamped, $5M + WSIB
  • 24h emergency water + sewer
Request a Free Site Visit Call (647) 277-2002
22+
Years
1
Case studies here
4h
Emergency
Fixed-Price Proposal

Book a Free Site Visit

Site visit in 48 hours. Written quote on letterhead in 24 hours after that. Fixed-price. P.Eng stamped where required.

No obligation. Written quote on letterhead before any contract.

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

Slope or Site Risk in Scarborough? Get It Engineered

Building near the top of the Bluffs or a creek valley

You want an addition, a walkout or a deeper basement, but the lot ends at a slope and the neighbours talk about the yard moving.

Why it happens here: The Bluffs rise more than 60 m and keep eroding, and homes near the brink have been condemned, so any load or cut near the top of slope gets close review.

How we fix it: Our P.Eng sets the setback with the geotechnical report, and we design shoring and keep machines and stockpiles back from the edge before any digging starts.

Plan rejected on first submission

Underpinning and deep excavation are structural work. Drawings without an Ontario P.Eng stamp, a 1.2 m pin sequence and shoring details come back from Toronto Building, Scarborough Civic Centre for revisions, which can add 6 to 10 weeks.

Neighbour objection mid-project

Shared walls and tight side yards mean the neighbour is part of the job. Skip the notice package and condition survey, and a complaint or variance objection can stop work for months.

A live utility strike

Gas, hydro, water and telecom lines run under almost every yard. Digging without Ontario One Call locates and hydrovac daylighting risks a strike that costs $15K to $120K and shuts the site down.

Local Overview

Excavation Across Scarborough Bluffs, Bungalows and Rail Land

Scarborough mixes roomy residential lots with ravine edges and active industrial land. We bring shoring for slopes near the Bluffs and Highland Creek, and heavy fleet for rail-adjacent earthworks.

Typical housing and sites
Post-war bungalows on large lots, ravine-edge homes, and rail-adjacent industrial land
Permit office
Toronto Building, Scarborough Civic Centre (City of Toronto (Scarborough district))
Why this area is different
Large-lot excavation, Highland Creek ravine and Scarborough Bluffs slope constraints under TRCA, and a local $420K rail-adjacent industrial earthworks + brownfield soil haul project.
Rail-adjacent industrial earthworks in Scarborough with lined soil stockpiles
Rail-adjacent industrial earthworks in Scarborough with lined soil stockpiles
Most Requested Here

Shoring, Dig-Outs and Earthworks We Deliver

The services clients here ask us for most, listed by how often local conditions call for them. Every one is quoted in writing within 24 hours of the site visit.

Shoring Services

$25K-$150K

We design and install temporary shoring that holds back soil and protects neighbouring foundations while excavation and underpinning proceed. Marko Pavlovic P.Eng stamps each system, whether soldier piles and lagging, rakers, tiebacks, trench boxes or 1.2 m benching, and inspects it as each lift is exposed. On narrow lots we pair shoring with a condition survey and movement monitoring, so any shift is caught in millimetres rather than cracks.

P.Eng StampedMovement MonitoredO. Reg. 213/91
Includes
Design, install, inspection, monitoring
Timeline
1-4 weeks install, monitored through excavation

Yonge-Eglinton mid-rise excavation shored with daily monitoring and zero neighbour claims ($310K project).

Request a Shoring Design for Shoring Services

Basement Excavation

$12K-$45K

We remove the slab and soil inside your existing basement, or dig a new-build basement from grade, so you gain the height for a family room or a legal second suite. On narrow Toronto lots we work through side yards under 1 m with conveyors and mini-excavators, stage soil in permitted bins and haul it off daily. Every dig-out is paired with the structural method our P.Eng specifies, then finished with weeping tile, clear stone, XPS and a new slab, which means one contractor owns the whole hole.

Conveyor SystemsTight-Access RigsClean-Site Protocol
Includes
Strip-out, dig, haul-off, drainage, slab
Timeline
3-8 weeks on site after permit, depending on access and structural method

Riverdale 1920s semi dug out to 10 ft ceilings with zero cracks on the party wall ($186K incl. underpinning).

Quote My Dig-Out for Basement Excavation

Site Preparation + Earthworks

$15K-$250K

We turn raw or cleared land into a build-ready site for new homes, subdivisions, commercial pads and plants across the GTA. Work starts with clearing, topsoil stripping and erosion controls, then cut and fill to the engineer's grades with fill compacted in lifts and density tested. We aim to balance the site so less soil moves on or off, which is usually the biggest cost lever, and near ravines we work within TRCA permit conditions.

Cut + Fill BalancedTRCA AwareCompaction Tested
Includes
Clearing, grading, stormwater, controls
Timeline
1-8 weeks depending on site area

Scarborough rail-adjacent earthworks with brownfield soil haul under O. Reg. 406/19 ($420K).

Quote My Site for Site Preparation + Earthworks

Industrial Excavation

$100K-$2M

We prepare industrial sites across the GTA for warehouses, plants, loading docks and rail-adjacent yards, at $100K to $2M scale. Our 10-ton class excavators, articulated dump trucks and hydrovac are owned, so mobilization is fast and there is no rental markup. Pads are built to P.Eng drawings with proof-rolled subgrade and Proctor-tested Granular B and A, and brownfield soil is tracked under O. Reg. 406/19, which means your MOECP file stays clean.

10-Ton Heavy FleetMOECP ComplianceCompaction Testing
Includes
Design, earthworks, testing, soil tracking
Timeline
4-20 weeks depending on pad size and soil conditions

28,000 sq ft Mississauga warehouse pad and loading dock delivered on a fixed-price contract ($1.1M).

Request an Industrial Proposal for Industrial Excavation

Also available

How It Works

How We Take a Job From Visit to Handover

The same five steps on every project, from the first call to the handover package.

  1. 1

    Site Visit in 48h

    Free, no obligation

    We walk the property, measure access and the foundation, and our P.Eng reviews structural work before any deposit.

  2. 2

    Written Quote in 24h

    On letterhead

    A fixed-price CAD quote with every line item, the draw schedule and the permit path for your address.

  3. 3

    Permit + Notices

    2-8 weeks

    Stamped drawings filed with Toronto Building, Scarborough Civic Centre, neighbour notices sent, locates and hydrovac daylighting booked.

  4. 4

    5-Stage Build

    Fixed price

    Excavation, structural, backfill and final, each inspected and paid only when complete. No change orders without your signature.

  5. 5

    Written Handover

    Clean site

    Final inspections signed off, site cleaned, and a handover package with photos, engineer letters and permit close-out.

Talk to Our P.Eng About Your Lot

Book a free site visit. Our P.Eng reviews the foundation before any deposit, and you get a fixed-price quote in writing within 24 hours. No change orders without your signature.

(647) 277-2002 Request a Free Site Visit
Local Expertise

Room to Work, and Slopes to Respect

Lots here are generally larger than in the old city, which helps.

  • Machine access. Most bungalows in Wexford, Agincourt, Dorset Park and West Hill have driveways and side yards wide enough for a mini or mid-size excavator, so dig-outs and foundation work move quickly.
  • Ravine lots in Guildwood, Highland Creek and along the Bluffs need machines kept back from the slope and soil staged away from the edge.
  • Industrial sites along the rail corridors and in the Golden Mile and Progress Avenue areas need heavy equipment, articulated haulers and railway coordination.
  • Highway access from the 401 and the 2 keeps trucks moving to receiving sites and quarries.

We book site visits within 48 hours and dispatch the right size of crew for the job, from a compact rig for a Birch Cliff semi to a full earthworks spread for an industrial yard.

Local Expertise

Bungalows, Bluffs Homes and Industrial Yards

Three kinds of project make up most of our work here:

  • Post-war bungalows and side-splits on large lots. Basements are usually around 7 ft with poured or block foundations. Dig-outs with a bench footing or underpinning, and conversions to legal second suites, are the most common residential jobs.
  • Ravine and Bluffs homes in Guildwood, Cliffside, Highland Creek and West Hill. Anything near the slope gets engineering review, and deeper excavation near the edge may need shoring. Our P.Eng looks at slope stability before we quote exterior work.
  • Industrial and brownfield land. Our $420K rail-adjacent earthworks project involved segregating and testing impacted soil, tracking every load under O. Reg. 406/19 and balancing cut and fill more tightly than the civil estimate, which saved the developer real money on export.

Birch Cliff and Cliffside also have older, narrower homes closer to the downtown pattern, where party walls and conveyor access come into play.

Local Expertise

TRCA, Slope Stability and Brownfield Soil

Permits go through Toronto Building, with district review at the Scarborough Civic Centre.

TRCA regulated areas. The Scarborough Bluffs, Highland Creek, the Rouge and many smaller ravines fall under TRCA regulation. Exterior excavation, additions, grading and retaining walls near these features can need a TRCA permit and a slope stability or geotechnical report.

Slope stability. Near the Bluffs and steep ravine edges, the setback from the top of slope matters. We work with the geotechnical engineer and keep heavy loads back from the edge.

Brownfield soil. Industrial land often comes with a Phase I or II ESA. Under O. Reg. 406/19 we plan soil movement, arrange sampling by a Qualified Person and track every load for the MOECP file.

Railways. Work beside rail corridors follows the railway's setbacks, access and flagging rules, arranged in advance.

Local Expertise

Bluffs Sand, Creek Valleys and Clay Uplands

Ground conditions range widely. The tableland around Agincourt, Wexford and Malvern is mostly clay till that suits underpinning and deep foundations. The Bluffs expose layered sand, silt and clay deposits that erode, which is why setbacks from the top of slope are strict. Highland Creek and the Rouge valleys bring softer alluvial soils and groundwater near the valley floor. On industrial land, fill from earlier uses is common, and soil quality has to be confirmed before it moves.

Why Us

Why Homeowners and Developers in the East End Hire Us

  • Fast bungalow dig-outs and legal suite conversions on larger lots
  • P.Eng slope review and shoring near the Bluffs and Highland Creek
  • Owned heavy fleet for industrial and rail-adjacent earthworks
  • O. Reg. 406/19 soil tracking and Qualified Person coordination
  • TRCA permit experience across east-end ravines
  • Written fixed-price quote within 24 hours of the site visit
Project Examples

Recent Projects Nearby

Recent work in this area and in similar house and site types across the GTA. No addresses or faces, as our clients prefer.

Rail-adjacent earthworks in Scarborough with graded benches and lined soil stockpiles Industrial $420K

Scarborough

Rail-Adjacent Earthworks + Brownfield Soil Haul

Impacted soil was segregated, stockpiled on liners and tested before export, with every load tracked for the MOECP file. Cut and fill was balanced on site beyond the civil estimate, which cut export volume and cost. Work beside the rail corridor followed the railway setback and flagging requirements.

Site Preparation + Earthworks
Warehouse pad site prep in Mississauga with an excavator and dump truck placing compacted granular base Industrial $1.1M

Mississauga

28,000 sq ft Warehouse Pad + Loading Dock

We stripped and proof-rolled the subgrade, replaced soft pockets, then placed Granular B and A in lifts with Proctor testing on every lift. Two loading dock pits were excavated and backfilled in phases so the existing building never lost a shipping door. Fixed-price contract, P.Eng stamped drawings, zero change orders.

Industrial Excavation
Emergency watermain repair in North York with a hydrovac truck exposing the break Emergency $28K

North York

Emergency Watermain Repair

The call came on a Sunday morning and a crew was on site within 3 hours. The hydrovac exposed the break without touching the gas line beside it, and a trenchless repair was finished by Tuesday. The property manager's adjuster was billed directly.

Sewer and Watermain
Client Results

What Our Clients Say

"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

"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

"We needed a 28,000 sq ft warehouse pad and two loading docks built while the existing building kept shipping. Pro Excavation Toronto gave us a fixed-price contract with P.Eng stamped drawings before we signed, and the 5-stage draw schedule matched our capital approvals. Their own 10-ton machines and dump trucks were on site the week after award, which our previous contractor never managed with rented gear. Every granular lift was Proctor tested and the reports landed in my inbox the same day. Truck traffic was phased around our shipping windows so we never lost a dock door. The pad passed the slab contractor's level check first time, with not one change order on a $1.1M job."

Pat M.

Facilities Director, GTA distribution warehouse, Mississauga

Project value $1.1M

Coverage

Neighbourhoods We Cover in Scarborough

Highway 401 and Kingston Road carry our heavy fleet east, with short runs down to the Bluffs neighbourhoods and the rail-side industrial land.

Neighbourhoods

  • Guildwood
  • Cliffside
  • Highland Creek
  • West Hill
  • Agincourt
  • Wexford
  • Birch Cliff

Postal codes we cover: M1C, M1E, M1M, M1N, M1P, M1R, M1S

Local landmarks

  • Scarborough Bluffs
  • Scarborough Town Centre
  • Scarborough Civic Centre
  • University of Toronto Scarborough
  • Toronto Zoo
  • Rouge National Urban Park

Highways and transit

  • Truck routes: Highway 401, Kingston Road, Highway 2A
  • Transit: Kennedy station (Lines 2 and 5), Guildwood GO, Rouge Hill GO, Agincourt GO
Open in Google Maps
Straight Answers

Scarborough Excavation Questions

Can you excavate near the Scarborough Bluffs?

Yes, with engineering. The Bluffs run about 14 km and rise more than 60 m in places, and erosion has condemned homes near the brink, so work near the top of slope needs TRCA review and usually a geotechnical report. Our P.Eng sets the setback, and we keep machines and stockpiles back from the edge or design shoring.

Do you do industrial earthworks on rail-side land?

Yes. Our Scarborough rail-adjacent earthworks project was $420K, with brownfield soil segregated, tested and tracked under O. Reg. 406/19, and cut and fill balanced beyond the civil estimate.

How much does a bungalow dig-out cost on a large lot?

With good machine access, the excavation scope is often at the lower end of $12K to $45K. Underpinning or a bench footing is quoted separately, and legal suite work such as walkouts adds to it.

Do I need a TRCA permit for my Highland Creek property?

If your property is in a TRCA regulated area, exterior excavation, additions and grading may need one. Interior underpinning usually does not. We review the regulation map for the property before we price any exterior work.

Can you convert my basement into a legal second suite?

Yes. We plan the dig depth, walkout or egress windows and drainage to OBC Part 9 and Toronto zoning, and our expeditor handles the permit.

Which permit office covers Scarborough?

Toronto Building is the permit authority, and its Scarborough Civic Centre district office handles plan review for east-end addresses. Our expeditor manages the file and books inspections.

Do you work beside rail lines?

Yes. We arrange railway access, flagging and setbacks before work starts, as we did on our $420K rail-adjacent earthworks project.

Why does Highland Creek flood so quickly after storms?

Highland Creek is the most urbanized watershed in Toronto, with about 85% of its land in urban use, so rain runs off roofs and roads instead of soaking in. Homes near the valley need good drainage, backwater protection and careful grading on any exterior dig.

Nearby Service Areas

Areas Near Scarborough

Same crew, same P.Eng, same written quote. These neighbouring areas are covered from the same dispatch.

East York Danforth semis + clay laterals North York Bungalow dig-outs + infill rebuilds Markham Custom homes + Unionville heritage All Service Areas
Site visit in 48 hours

Request a Scarborough Site Visit

Site visit within 48 hours. Written fixed-price quote on letterhead within 24 hours after, P.Eng stamped where required.

Request a Free Site Visit Call (647) 277-2002
  • Fixed-price, 5-stage draws
  • $5M liability + WSIB
  • 24-hour emergency water + sewer line
Call (647) 277-2002Request Site Visit