Excavation quotes, signed before the machine moves
Clients send the job, rough size, soil, the width of the way in and photos, and you send a quote they sign before you float the machine.
Free, no subscription. Ready in a few minutes. Just 1% when a client pays you by card.
| Mini excavator and skid steer with operator, per hour10 × $165.00 | $1,650.00 |
| Machine float, delivery and pickup | $300.00 |
| Screened topsoil, delivered and spread, per yard12 × $55.00 | $660.00 |
| French drain to the back corner, per ftoptional60 × $35.00 | $2,100.00 |
| Hydroseed the regraded areaoptional | $450.00 |
| Total | $4,710.00 |
Try an excavation quote form
Riverside Excavation and Grading is a sample business. Fill in its form as a client would, open the quote it sent, and look around the dashboard. It's the real app with sample data, and nothing you enter is sent.
What your clients see first. The questions this trade starts with, plus their details and up to 10 photos.
The quote they get. Every line, optional extras they can tick, and one button to accept and pay your deposit.
What you see. A sample dashboard (a moving company): new requests, quotes out, upcoming jobs and payments.
Common quoting problems in excavation work
- Rock and clay change the hours. Hitting ledge rock or wet clay can stretch a one-day job into two, and a flat price takes the loss.
- Access decides the machine. A narrow gate or soft lawn may limit you to a smaller machine and more hours.
- Trucking often costs more than digging. Hauling spoil and bringing in fill adds loads and tipping fees that are easy to underprice.
- Unlocated utilities stop the job. Arriving before buried lines are marked means waiting or rescheduling, and a lost day of machine time.
What your excavation quote form asks
Excavation prices depend on job size, soil, access and what happens to the dirt. The form asks for each, plus whether utilities are located, and photos of the way in show which machine fits and how many loads to expect.
Your form has its own page at your-name.quotefalcon.com. Clients can fill it in at any time, including evenings and weekends, and you get an email for each request. Share the link by text, on your Google Business Profile or social pages, or add the form to your website.
You can change, remove or add questions at any time in your settings.
The questions your form starts with
- What is the job?Pick any: Grading or levelling, Drainage (French drain, swale), Trenching (water, power, gas), Digging (footings, foundation, pool), ...
- Describe the jobIn their own words
- Rough size (length x width x depth, trench length, or acres)A short answer
- How wide is the way in?Pick one: Open - a truck can drive up, 1.5 m (5 ft) or wider, 1-1.5 m (3-5 ft), Under 1 m (3 ft), ...
- What is the ground like?Pick any: Normal soil, Clay, Rocky or bedrock, Wet or swampy, ...
- Dirt and debrisPick one: Haul it away, Spread it on site, Bring in fill or gravel, Both - haul away and bring in, ...
- Have buried utilities been located? (811 / Click Before You Dig)Pick one: Yes, Not yet, Not sure
- For clearing: how dense is it?Pick one: Light brush and saplings, Mixed brush and trees, Heavily wooded, No clearing
Every form also asks for: a preferred date and time of day · the address of the job · their name and email, and their phone if you ask for it · notes · up to 10 photos
How quoting works in Quote Falcon
Share your link
Clients fill in your form and add up to 10 photos. You get an email for each request.
Send the quote
Add line items, quantities and tax from your phone or computer. Saved lines go in with one tap, and any line can be optional.
Get it signed and paid
The client signs online and pays your deposit by card. Collect the rest with a card payment link, or record cash and e-transfer.
What changes the price of an excavation job
The factors that most often change the price, and the reason the form asks about them.
- Machine and operator time
- Many excavation contractors bill by the hour or day with an operator. Published residential rates often fall between about $100 and $300 an hour, depending on machine size and region.
- Trucking and disposal
- Hauling spoil or bringing in gravel, fill and topsoil is often priced per load or per yard, plus tipping fees, and can cost more than the digging.
- Access
- Narrow gates, soft lawns, overhead wires and slopes may limit you to a small machine, need ground protection mats, or add hours.
- Soil and rock
- Clay, rock or a high water table slow the work. Ledge rock and large boulders can need a breaker.
- Mobilization
- Floating a machine to the site and back is often its own line, especially on small jobs or longer distances.
- Drainage and finish work
- French drains, swales, topsoil and seed are common add-ons clients choose between.
- Permits and locates
- Utility locates are usually required before digging. Large grading changes or work near waterways may need permits, depending on the area.
An excavation job, from request to deposit
Regrade a backyard that slopes toward the house, where water pools at the foundation, with 9 ft wide side access.
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Backyard regrade and drainageNew quote requestNew
- What is the job?
- Describe the job
- Rough size (length x width x depth, trench length, or acres)
- How wide is the way in?
+21. The request comes in
The client answers your form's questions and adds photos. You get an email, and the request waits in your dashboard.
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Quote Backyard regrade and drainage
Mini excavator and skid steer with operator, per hour $1,650.00 Machine float, delivery and pickup $300.00 Screened topsoil, delivered and spread, per yard $660.00 French drain to the back corner, per ftoptional $2,100.00 Hydroseed the regraded areaoptional $450.00 Total $4,710.00 2. You send the quote
The French drain and hydroseeding are optional lines, so the client can add the drain and choose hydroseed or do their own seeding.
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✓Quote acceptedSigned online by the clientTotal$4,710.00Deposit paid by card$942.00Balance due$3,768.00
3. They sign and pay the deposit
They pay your 20% deposit by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay. They are emailed a signed PDF (you can download it from the job), and you collect the rest by card payment link or record cash or e-transfer.
Deposits and payment terms for excavation jobs
On residential excavation, many contractors ask for 10-30% up front, enough to cover mobilization, the first loads of material and locate time, with the balance on completion. Very small jobs are often paid in full when done, and larger site prep is commonly staged. Some states cap home-improvement deposits, so check what applies to residential work where you are.
How deposits work in Quote Falcon
You set your usual deposit once: a percentage, a fixed amount, the full price, or payment stages for bigger jobs. Clients pay by card, Apple Pay or Google Pay through your own Stripe account.
Optional lines. The client can tick or untick optional lines on their quote page, and the total and deposit update. If they want something else changed, they ask from the quote page and you send a new version for them to sign.
No subscription, no plans, nothing to upgrade to.
only on card payments clients make through Stripe, on top of Stripe's own fee. Cash, e-transfer and cheques: no fee.
Everything's included
- Your own quote page with questions for your trade
- Photos with every request, up to 10
- Itemized quotes with saved lines and tax
- Optional lines clients tick themselves
- E-signatures with a signed PDF
- Card deposits and payment stages
- Follow-ups when a quote goes quiet
- Calendar you can share with your crew
- Website button or built-in form
- Spam protection on every form
Common questions
How do I quote an excavation job?
Estimate machine hours from the volume and soil, then add mobilization, trucking and materials, plus your margin. Many contractors quote hourly with an estimated range, while others give a fixed price with a clause for rock. In Quote Falcon each item is its own line with a quantity and price.
How do you charge for excavation work?
Most small excavation contractors charge by the hour or day with an operator, plus mobilization, trucking and materials. Fixed prices are common on well-defined jobs like a trench of known length. Your terms can say how rock or unexpected conditions are billed, and clients agree to them when they accept.
Can clients send photos of the site?
Yes, up to 10 photos per request. The starter form asks for the job type, rough size, access width, soil and what to do with the dirt. Photos of the area and the way in often show which machine fits before you visit.
Do utilities need to be located before I dig?
Generally yes. Buried lines are located through 811 in the US or Click Before You Dig services in Canada. Who makes the request varies by area, and many contractors handle it themselves. The form asks whether utilities have been located, so you know where things stand.
How much deposit should an excavation contractor ask for?
Many ask for 10-30%, enough to cover mobilization and the first loads of material, with the balance on completion. Small jobs are often paid in full when done. In Quote Falcon you set a percentage, a fixed amount or payment stages, and clients pay the first part by card when they accept.
What if the job takes more hours than quoted?
Edit the quote to update the hours and send it to the client. A higher price only counts once they sign the new version, and every version is kept on the job's Proof of agreement page. Showing your hourly rate on the quote makes extra hours easier to approve.
Make your free excavation quote form
Your form starts with the questions above. Setup takes a few minutes and there's no credit card or subscription.
Create your free quote form