Bulk Excavation
Large volume dig outs, where the cartage is the other half
Bulk excavation for childcare centres, unit developments, commercial sites and any project where the volume rather than the precision is the job. On this kind of dig the rate per cubic metre matters, and so does how many loads it takes to get the material off the block.
Carried out under demolition licence AD214737
Before anything starts
Six things have to be settled first, and not all of them are ours
Most jobs that run late run late on this list rather than on the work itself. Each line says who owns it.
- 01
Levels and extent
Who You, through your surveyor or engineer
What is being removed and to what level. Bulk work is measured, so the set out has to be real.
- 02
Geotechnical report
Who You, through a consultant
Rock, fill and groundwater. On a large volume job this changes the number more than anything else.
- 03
Classification of the material
Who You, through a consultant where fill is suspect
What is coming out decides where it can go, and that is usually the biggest line.
- 04
Truck access and standing
Who Max, with council where needed
Whether a truck and dog can turn and stand decides the number of loads for the same volume.
- 05
Sediment and erosion control
Who Max
A large open area generates runoff, and controlling it is a condition on most approvals.
- 06
Service location
Who Max, with a locator
Before anything goes in the ground.
Scope
What the quote does and does not cover
Stated side by side so there is nothing to discover later. Anything in the right hand column can be added, it is simply priced separately.
Included as standard
| Item | What that means |
|---|---|
| Strip and stockpile | Topsoil and overburden off first |
| Bulk excavation | To the design level across the extent |
| Benching and batters | Where the design or the stability requires them |
| Haul roads | Within the site, where the dig needs them |
| Cartage | Classified and carted as it is generated |
| Trim to level | Base trimmed to the level nominated |
Quoted separately
| Item | Why it is separate |
|---|---|
| Rock as a fixed figure | Priced on agreed rates where no geotechnical report exists |
| Contaminated or unsuitable fill | Classified before it can be priced |
| Retention systems | Shoring and piling designed and installed by others |
| Dewatering | A separate scope with its own approvals |
| Imported fill | Supplied and placed as a separate line |
| Compaction testing | Geotechnical work, by your consultant |
The detail
What drives a bulk excavation price
- The destination, not the volume. Clean fill, VENM, suspect fill and contaminated material go to four different places at four different rates.
- The number of loads. A truck and dog carries far more per trip than a bogie tipper. Whether one can legally stand at the kerb can change the cartage cost by a third.
- Whether the trucks wait. A truck standing while a machine digs is paid for. Sequencing them together is what keeps that off the invoice.
- What the ground is. Clay rips and carts heavy and wet. Sandstone needs a hammer. Shale sits between the two.
- How far the haul is. Set by the classification rather than by proximity.
- Whether anything comes back. If fill or road base is needed, the return trip stops being empty.
What we need to quote it
- The address
- So we can look at access and what is around it
- Photographs
- One from the street and one of the work itself
- Any reports you hold
- Hazardous materials, structural, survey or levels
- Your dates
- What has to be finished by when, and what is waiting on it
We attend the site before quoting anything substantial.
On a large dig the cartage is usually the larger half
Which is why it is scoped with the excavation rather than after it, and why the truck is matched to the street before the machine is matched to the volume.
Before you book
What people ask about this one
How is bulk excavation measured?
What if the fill turns out to be contaminated?
Can you work around a staged construction programme?
Do you supply fill as well?
How much notice do you need?
Get a quote
Send the levels and the classification
Levels, extent and whether the fill has been classified. Those three turn a bulk excavation estimate into a price.
- Measured against your surveyor’s levels
- Material classified before it moves
- Trucks sequenced against the machine, not booked separately
Special demolition offer
Get your free demolition quote
Demolition and removal services from $15,999*. Tell us about your project and we'll help you understand the costs.
*Starting price applies to eligible demolition and removal projects only. Final pricing depends on structure size, materials, site access, location, waste disposal requirements, hazardous materials and any necessary approvals. A final quote will be provided following project assessment.