Before a house, a shop, a driveway or a drain line goes in, somebody has to move dirt. Around Knoxville that somebody usually has a track machine, a dump truck and opinions about rock. This site is a plain guide to excavating in Knox, Blount, Anderson and Sevier counties, from Farragut and Powell to Maryville, Oak Ridge, Clinton and Sevierville, and a way to reach a local excavation contractor who takes the kind of job you have.
What makes ground work here different
East Tennessee is not flat prairie. Three things shape almost every dig in this valley:
- Karst under the yard. Knoxville sits in the Valley and Ridge, a belt of long parallel ridges and valleys that the U.S. Geological Survey describes as underlain by dolomite and limestone with significant cave development. Rainwater dissolves that rock, and the result is sinkholes. Knox County's stormwater manual treats sinkholes as drainage outlets and limits what can be filled, dumped or built near them. See sinkholes, rock and steep lots.
- Slopes. Plenty of lots in the hills around the city need a cut on one side and fill on the other just to make room for a pad. Tennessee's construction stormwater permit calls a 35% grade a steep slope and wants it stabilized quickly once work stops.
- Rock where you did not expect it. Ledges and pinnacles of rock can show up a few feet down on one lot and not at all on the next. That changes equipment, schedule and price.
Tell us about the dirt you need moved and we will put you in touch with an excavation contractor who works your part of East Tennessee.
(865) 535-7266Jobs this site covers
| If you need | Start here |
|---|
| A basement or foundation dug, a hole for a pool, footings for an addition, or a general excavating contractor for a new build | Excavation and foundation digging |
| A building pad, a leveled yard, a driveway cut, fill dirt brought in, or water steered away from the house | Grading, dirt work and site prep |
| Trees, brush and stumps removed from a lot or pasture before building | Land clearing |
| A ditch for a water service, sewer lateral, conduit or drain pipe | Trenching for utility lines |
Picking an excavating company in East Tennessee
A few questions sort out the right outfit quickly:
- Do they hold the license the job needs? Tennessee's Board for Licensing Contractors requires a contractor's license before anyone bids or prices a project of $25,000 or more. In Knox County, residential improvements from $3,000 to $24,999, which the Board says includes work on land, driveways and landscaping, fall under the state's home improvement license. You can look a license up on the state's site.
- Who files the 811 ticket? Tennessee requires notice to 811 before any digging. Ask the contractor for the ticket number before work starts. The Tennessee 811 guide explains the timing, and the 811 dig date calculator gives the earliest legal start for any filing day, holidays included.
- Who handles permits? Some lots need nothing more than a small-lot erosion form. Others need a grading permit or state stormwater coverage. The Knox County and Knoxville permit guide lays out the thresholds.
- What happens if they hit rock? Get the answer in writing: hourly breaking, a unit price, or a change order.
- Proof of insurance. Ask for a current certificate. Buried lines and neighbors' driveways are expensive to repair.
Give us a call or send the form and describe the property and what you want built. An independent contractor who works your area gets the details and contacts you to look at the site.
Frequently asked
Do you do the excavation work yourselves?
No. This site is a referral service. An independent local excavation contractor takes your request, quotes the job and does the work.
What does excavation cost around Knoxville?
There is no honest flat number. Cubic yards moved, haul distance, rock, slope, access and permit requirements all swing the price. Get a written quote that says how rock and extra fill will be billed before the machine is unloaded.
Which areas are covered?
Knoxville and Knox County, plus Blount County (Maryville, Alcoa), Anderson County (Oak Ridge, Clinton) and Sevier County (Sevierville, Seymour, Pigeon Forge).
Describe the job, get a call from a local excavator
This site doesn't own a single machine. We pass your request to an independent excavation contractor in the Knoxville area, and that contractor looks at the ground, quotes the work and does it.