Excavation Services in Northeast Ohio & Western Pennsylvania
Building sites, foundation digs, utility trenches, ponds and general earthmoving by an owner-operated excavating contractor based in Trumbull County. We dig it to plan and leave it ready for the next crew.
Excavation, Start to Finish
Every project that goes in the ground starts with a hole in the right place, at the right depth, with the dirt put somewhere sensible. Get that wrong and the mason is standing around, the water line is too shallow, or the basement is holding water before the walls are up. Good excavation is not dramatic. It is a dig that matches the plan, a bottom that is firm and level, spoil piles that are out of the way, and a site the next crew can walk onto and start.
Logan Earthworks is an owner-operated excavating contractor in Farmdale, Trumbull County. We dig for homeowners, farmers, builders and commercial customers close to home, as an excavating contractor around Warren and around Youngstown, and across northeastern and eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania. We run tracked excavators, a dozer and a compact track loader. That covers house and garage foundations, additions, barn sites, trenches, ponds and bulk dirt moving. Jeff, the owner, looks at the site before quoting so the number reflects your ground.
The ground here has opinions. Much of northeast Ohio sits on glacial till: dense clay with stones in it, often with a tight layer that holds water near the surface. Farther south and east, into the hills of western Pennsylvania and the West Virginia panhandle, you reach shale and sandstone sooner. Both change how a dig goes, how the banks stand and where the water ends up. We plan for the soil we expect and tell you right away if we open the ground and find something different.
Excavation Work We Do
- Building site excavation for new construction
- Foundation, basement and footer digs
- Utility trenching for water, sewer and electric
- Residential excavation for homes and additions
- Commercial excavation for shops and businesses
- General earthmoving, cut and fill
Foundation and Building Site Digs
We dig basements, crawl spaces, footers and frost walls for homes, additions, garages and outbuildings. Your builder or mason sets the layout and elevations. We dig to them, keep the bottom on undisturbed soil, and slope or bench the banks so they are safe to work beside. Topsoil is stripped and stockpiled on its own so it can go back on the yard at the end. We get the hole right, and your concrete crew or mason takes it from there. Backfill and rough grading after the walls are up can be part of the job, and that gets settled in the estimate.
Utility Trenching
Water lines, sewer laterals, electric and drainage runs all need a trench at a set depth and, for sewer and drain lines, a steady fall. We dig utility trenches for water, sewer, electrical, drainage and other underground lines, bed and backfill them the way your plumber, electrician or utility specifies, and put the surface back in order. OHIO811 says contacting them before you dig is the law, and Pennsylvania One Call asks for at least three business days of notice. A locate request has to be placed and the lines marked before any digging. We sort out who places it when we look at the job.
Ponds, Pond Banks and Bulk Earthmoving
Heavy clay is a headache for a basement and a gift for a pond. We dig new farm and recreation ponds, reshape slumped or overgrown banks, and grade the edges so you can mow and fish them. Our pond digging and pond bank shaping page covers siting, soil and overflow. Rules for ponds and dams vary with size and location, so read our guide to Ohio pond permits and siting and talk to your county Soil and Water Conservation District first. We also cut and fill for barn sites, level building areas, dig out soft spots and move dirt from where it is to where you need it.
What Changes an Excavation Job
Four things decide how a dig goes. Access: can an excavator and trucks reach the spot without crossing a leach field or a finished lawn. Soil: clay, hardpan, shale and old fill each dig differently. Water: a high water table or a spring means pumping the hole and a different plan for drainage. And spoil: whether the dirt can stay on the property or has to leave, which means trucking has to be lined up. Sort those four out and the rest is machine time. Our excavation cost guide for Ohio explains how each one shows up in a quote.
What is an excavation contractor?
An excavation contractor moves earth with heavy machines so something can be built or drained. That covers digging foundations and basements, trenching for utilities, cutting and filling to change the grade, digging ponds and shaping the finished ground. An excavator is usually the first trade on a site and often one of the last, since backfill and grading come after the building is up.
How much would it cost for someone to dig a pond?
Pond cost comes down to how much dirt has to move and where it goes. Size and depth set the volume. Soil decides if the pond will hold water without extra work. Spreading the spoil on your own ground costs less than trucking it away. Access, clearing and the overflow add to it. We look at the site, talk through what you want and give a free estimate.
Do I have to call 811 before digging on my own property in Ohio?
Yes. OHIO811 says contacting them before you dig is the law, and the service is free. Member utilities then mark their lines. Private lines an owner put in, such as power to a barn, a yard light or a gas line to a garage, are generally not marked by the utilities, so tell us about anything you know is buried. We sort out who places the locate request when we look at the job.
Can you dig a basement or foundation in heavy clay?
Yes, and around here that is the normal case. Clay digs clean and stands well when it is dry, then turns slick and soft when it is wet, so timing and keeping water out of the hole both matter. A firm, undisturbed bottom is the goal. A wet seam or a soft pocket is something to stop and show your builder before going further, because it is far easier to fix before the concrete than after.
Do excavating contractors remove the dirt or leave it on site?
Either, and it should be decided before the dig. Topsoil is worth keeping for the final grade. Clean subsoil can often be used on the same property to build up a pad, fill a low spot or shape a yard, which saves handling. If dirt has to leave, the trucking needs to be planned and priced. We will tell you how much spoil to expect and where it could go.
How a Job Runs
Talk It Through
Call or send the form. Tell us where the ground is and what you want it to look like when we leave.
We Look at the Site
Jeff walks it with you: the growth, the slope, the wet spots, the way in and out for the machines.
A Straight Plan
You get a free estimate and a plain recommendation on the approach that fits the ground.
The Work Gets Done
We bring the right machine for the job and do the work the way we said we would.
Clean and Ready
We leave the site cleaned up and ready for the next step, whatever that is for you.
Excavation Near You
Based in Farmdale, in Trumbull County, Ohio. Pick your town, or call and ask if we cover it.
Excavation pages for your town
Specific excavation jobs
Pond Digging
New ponds dug, banks shaped and tired old ponds reworked with excavators and a dozer.
DetailsUtility Trenching
Trenches dug for water, sewer, electric and drain lines, then backfilled and graded.
DetailsMore services
Need Excavation?
Call Jeff or send a few details. Estimates are free, and you get a straight answer on what the job takes.