Excavation equipment explained

The right machine makes a job faster and cheaper. Knowing what each one does helps you compare quotes and ask whether a contractor owns the equipment the job needs.

Mini excavator

Trenches, footings, utility and septic lines, and work on tight lots or behind houses. Light enough to cross a yard with less damage.

Full-size excavator

Basements, ponds, mass digging and loading trucks. Needs room to work and a trailer to arrive.

Bulldozer

Push-clearing land and rough grading. Leaves trees and stumps in piles to burn or haul.

Skid steer or compact track loader

Finish grading, driveways, spreading gravel and topsoil, and light clearing with attachments. A track loader is gentler on soft ground than a wheeled skid steer.

Forestry mulcher

Grinds brush and small trees in place. Good for underbrush, trails and pasture; not for a building pad.

Trencher

Narrow trenches priced by the foot for irrigation, electrical, drain and water lines.

What to ask

• Do you own the machine the job needs, or rent it, and is mobilization (trailering it in) a separate charge?
• Will the machine damage the driveway, lawn or septic field on the way in?
• Who is the operator, and how long have they run this machine?