Foundations and pole-building pads
Foundation and pole-building pad excavation
A foundation excavation might be a footing trench, a crawl-space hole, or a full basement. A pole-building pad is usually different work: strip the topsoil, shape the subgrade, compact it, and place gravel so a post-frame building has a flat, drained surface. Spokane Excavation Co does not excavate either one. We are a referral service.
Ask for the scope in pieces
- Digging, and the depth the quote assumes.
- Haul-off, if soil cannot stay on the lot. HomeGuide lists dirt removal, when soil leaves the site, around $140 to $230 per cubic yard on its national table. That is a guidebook figure, not a local haul rate.
- Imported gravel: how thick, and who supplies it.
- Compaction. A pad that is only smoothed, not compacted, settles under a building.
A basement moves far more soil than a shop pad. If you compare one price for "the hole" and another for "pad, gravel, and compaction," you are not looking at the same job. Ask each contractor to use the same lines.
Soil is local, and it is not uniform
Much of the Spokane Valley floor is coarse flood gravel. Hillsides in Liberty Lake, on the South Hill, and around Nine Mile Falls can turn into rock. A quote that assumes easy digging should say that in writing. We do not test soil and we do not offer a bearing capacity. If an engineer or the building department wants a test, that is separate from this referral.
City or county grading rules can apply when a lot of soil moves or the work touches a public street. The owner or the contractor confirms that with the building department. We do not pull permits.
Clearing comes first if the pad is still in trees. See land clearing. For slope and drainage around the pad, see site prep and grading.
Questions
Straight answers
Is a pole-building pad the same bid as a basement excavation?
No. A pole-building pad is usually stripped, shaped, compacted, and covered with gravel. A basement is a deep hole, more soil, and often trucks. A footing trench for a stem wall sits between those two. Ask for digging, haul-off, gravel, and compaction as separate lines.
Why do quotes for the same pad differ so much?
One quote may assume the soil stays on site and the subgrade is already firm. Another may include imported gravel, a thicker rock section, and compaction testing the builder asked for. If the scope lines do not match, the prices are not comparable.
What if the ground is rock?
Much of the Spokane Valley floor is coarse gravel from the ancient Missoula floods, and hillsides around Liberty Lake, the South Hill, and Nine Mile Falls can hit rock. A price that assumes soft digging should say so. Rock breaking is extra work, and nobody can price it honestly without seeing the site.
Referral service
Get free quotes
Describe the project. We share the request with up to three independent local contractors. They set their own prices. We do not perform the work.