Excavation cost calculator: machine hours and hauling
What it costs to dig and haul away a hole, trench or pad: the volume in place and loose, the machine hours, the truckloads, and the total.
Your numbers
The digMachineHauling See your resultResult
Estimated cost $4,150$12.45 per in-place cubic yard Volume 333.3 yd³ in place416.7 yd³ loose to haul Machine hours 5.6 h$1,000 Truckloads 35$3,150 Stop working this out by handFleetZap keeps every machine’s hours and repair cost, and FleetZap Dispatch plans the trucks hauling the spoil.
See FleetZap Maintenance · Try the demoThe formula
In place yd³ = L × W × D ÷ 27 · Loose yd³ = In place × (1 + Swell) · Cost = Hours × Rate + Loads × Cost per load
With the example: 50 × 30 × 6 ft is 333 cubic yards in place, 417 loose, 5.6 machine hours ($1,000) and 35 loads ($3,150), so about $4,150. This is the digging and hauling only: shoring, dewatering, rock, utilities locates, permits and backfill come on top. Production depends on the machine, the soil and the truck cycle, so use your own numbers from past jobs.
Using the numberWhat to do with it
- Trucks waiting on the excavator, or the excavator waiting on trucks, wastes the most money; match their cycle times.
- Keep production rates per machine and soil type from your own jobs; they beat any book figure.
- A machine with frequent breakdowns raises every estimate. Its repair history belongs in the bid.
Guides behind this calculator
Heavy equipment cost per hour Dump truck and concrete dispatch Excavator maintenanceMore free calculators
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The heart of FleetZap, and everything a maintenance team needs in one place: work orders and preventive maintenance, inspections and the field app, plus a parts store with purchasing, compliance and certificate tracking, multi-location assets with a full lifecycle, and the KPIs that prove it’s working.
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Good to know
How do you estimate excavation cost?Work out the cubic yards in place, the machine hours at your production rate, and the truckloads after swell, then add machine cost and hauling cost.
What is swell in excavation?Soil takes up more space once it's dug. The loose volume to haul is the in-place volume times (1 + swell).
What isn't included?Shoring, dewatering, rock, utility locates, permits, disposal fees beyond the per-load cost, backfill and compaction.
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