Excavation is a crucial first step for any construction project in your yard. Whether you’re planning to install a deck, walkway, fountain, garden, pond, or an inground pool, proper excavation is essential to start your project right.

However, don’t just start digging randomly. There is an important process that must be followed to ensure the best results and comply with regulations.

Here we will guide you through the excavation process step-by-step, so you know exactly what it looks like.

Preparing the Site for Excavation

Before starting any digging, it’s essential to understand what lies beneath the surface. Power lines, pipes, and other utilities could be present, and you need to avoid them. It’s important to check with your local government to understand the regulations regarding excavation.

Contact local utility companies (power, gas, water, etc.) to get a map of underground utilities in your yard. This information will help you determine safe areas for digging. 

Once you’re ready to begin, start by clearing the area to be excavated. Remove trees, bushes, rocks, plants, and any other obstacles. If there are structures like benches or sheds, relocate them temporarily.

When removing trees, ensure you extract the entire tree, including the roots, to prevent any future shifting issues. The same applies to bushes to ensure a stable excavation site.

Staking Out the Excavation Area

It’s time to mark the outline of the area you will be excavating. Use white waterproof marking paint for this task.

Take your time with this step, as it will define the dimensions of your pool, garden, patio, or whatever you are building.

Double and triple-check all your measurements before making any marks. Just as the adage “measure twice, cut once” applies to woodworking, it also applies to marking your excavation lines.

This is the ideal time to make any final adjustments or changes to the measurements or size of your project. Once you begin digging, making further changes will be much more difficult, if not impossible. Ensure everything is as accurate as possible before you start excavating.

Proper Tools and Equipment

Now that everything is in place, it’s time to gather your tools and equipment. You’ll need:

• Shovel
• Wheelbarrow
• White marking paint (from the previous step)
• Plastic tarp
• Gloves
• Boots
• Portable trencher or mini-excavator (depending on the size of your project)
• Fill dirt

You can rent a trencher or mini-excavator from your local hardware store. Unless you plan to do a lot of excavating in the future, renting is a more cost-effective option and saves you from the hassle of storing the equipment.

Excavation

After completing your excavation project, you’ll need to purchase fill dirt to fill in the areas around your new structure.

Fill dirt is non-organic material, which means it won’t shift or degrade over time, making it ideal for keeping the ground around your project level. After applying fill dirt, a thick layer of topsoil can be added on top, allowing you to grow grass or plants.

For an inground pool, you might need only a small amount of fill dirt to ensure the pool is level.

However, for larger projects like a building, large shed, patio, outdoor kitchen, or garden, you’ll need more fill dirt to fill the majority of the excavated area.

One dump truck can carry 10–12 cubic yards (270–324 cubic feet) of dirt. For a small backyard project, one dump truck load may suffice. 

Compaction Testing

Now it’s finally time to start digging. Depending on the scope of your project, you can use a shovel or the mini-excavator you rented. Lay down a tarp near your workspace and place the excavated dirt on top to avoid leaving it on the bare ground. If you need to place the tarp elsewhere, use your wheelbarrow to transport the dirt.

During this step, consider having your soil tested for stability and checking for any drainage issues. If necessary, install trench drains to help divert rainwater away from your new structure. These drains can be purchased at a hardware store.