Alan ‘Bo’ BorensteinThe 6 Best Excavating Contractors in Vancouver
Do you need to dig or demolish your home, business, or commercial property?
For these kinds of projects, you should wisely choose who to hire because it can make the difference between a successful project and one that fails.
We’ve scoured the city to find some of the best excavating contractors in Vancouver. If you’re ready, read on!
How Much Do Excavating Contractors Cost in Vancouver
Excavating costs depend on the size of your property. Large projects cost CAD 2,800, while demolition services cost CAD 2,000.
These services go hand in hand, so you may want to include these on your list of expenses. As for additional services, such as clearing clogged drainage, this can cost up to CAD 4,200.
The table below lists the most common type of services these excavating contractors provide and their average estimated cost.
Best Excavating Contractors in Vancouver
Finding an excavating contractor can be a challenge. There are many types of excavating services, and you need to choose someone with the right experience, tools, and equipment to meet your needs.
We’ve assessed the following contractors based on the criteria below:
1. Van Blankers Excavating
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Fleet | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Availability | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Project Capacity | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Operating Hours | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Reputation | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Turnaround Time | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Van Blankers Excavating has been providing excavation and bobcat services for over 15 years, and we think this makes them a reliable company to work with.
They have worked on various construction projects over the years, allowing them to handle even the most challenging excavations and deliver quality workmanship.
In addition, they’re fully licensed and covered by the Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB ), so you can rest assured that you’re in good hands.
What we liked best about this company is that they offer various services in addition to digging. This includes site preparation in which they inspect the soil and make sure to minimise noise by installing noise barriers.
That said, we only wish they had an online booking system so customers could view available dates and book their slots immediately.
Even so, the majority of the customers we interviewed highly recommend them because they’re on time, have reasonable prices, and thoroughly clean the site after excavation work is completed.
All in all, we thought Van Blankers Excavating deserved a spot on our list because they provide excellent and timely excavation work regardless of the size of your property.
Pros
- Free estimate
- Years of experience
- Fully insured and WCB covered
- Comprehensive portfolio
Cons
- No online booking system
- Limited service area coverage
Customer Reviews
Can accommodate residential or small commercial jobs
“Brett is like an artist the way he manuvoures that excavator. Hire them for any residential or small commercial job. Excellent trade and highly recommend. He made my project so much easier. Thx Van Blankers!.” -Jim M.
Punctual and reasonable prices
“Very punctual,fair priced, and excellent work. Brett was helpful and made suggestions that made the project better than i had hoped.” – Rick J.
2. Headwater Management Ltd
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Fleet | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Availability | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Project Capacity | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Operating Hours | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Reputation | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Turnaround Time | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Headwater Management Ltd. is a local site development contractor that provides excavation services and landscape materials in Vancouver. They have been in business for over 20 years, serving the North Shore and Lower Mainland.
This company offers comprehensive excavation services such as site preparation, stone slinger, and perimeter drainage installation.
In our opinion, their broad range of services makes it unnecessary for clients to hire a separate contractor.
What impressed us the most was their extensive experience working on various job sites. They can do excavation work on drainage ditches, lakes, and ponds, among other things.
Another thing that drew our attention was the fact that they have a full range of excavating machinery, which we believe makes them more efficient and capable of providing a quick turnaround time.
Apart from that, this company also provides drainage services from installation to replacing drainage systems, water lines, and many more. They can also build sump systems to protect your basement from flooding.
Having said that, we were disappointed that they’re closed on weekends, as we believe this limits their availability.
Nonetheless, we believe Headwater Management Ltd. is one of the best excavating services in Vancouver. They can accommodate excavation services for almost any property and can complete projects quickly.
Pros
- Wide scope of services
- Provides landscape materials
- Drainage services available
- Full range of machinery
Cons
- Relatively higher rates
- Closed on weekends
Customer Reviews
Top-notch customer service
“If you need garden soil, landscaping rocks or boulders this is the place to do a drive through or order a delivery! Always the best customer service!.” -Shells P.
Fair rates
“Great rates for dumping and getting sand, gravel, top soil in the northshore. Highly recommended.” -William G.
3. Maysa Contracting Ltd.
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Fleet | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Availability | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Project Capacity | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Operating Hours | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Reputation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Turnaround Time | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Maysa Construction is a family-owned excavation company that services customers throughout Vancouver and Fraser Valley. They’re open seven days a week to accommodate more clients.
They offer a wide range of services, including excavating, trenching, grading, and much more. In addition, they also have snow removal services which we think are useful during heavy winters.
What we liked best about Maysa Construction is that they’re a full-service construction company that offers both design and build services from drafting to final completion.
We also particularly liked that all their workers are fully insured, bonded, and certified Excavation Safety Professionals. In our opinion, this eases the mind of clients, knowing that they prioritize the safety of their workers.
We also liked that their workers have substantial experience in the construction industry. They have worked on various projects over the years, so they know how to handle even the most challenging excavations.
Now, we would like to mention that they have a limited project capacity, so make sure to call ahead to schedule an appointment.
Overall, we highly recommend you check out Maysa Construction, as they offer a wide range of construction services for all property types.
Pros
- Free estimate
- Open seven days a week
- Full-service construction company
- Wide range of services
- Certified Excavation Safety Professionals
Cons
- Limited project capacity
- No online booking system
Customer Reviews
Diligent and responsive
“Aston possesses all the attributes necessary to be an excellent contractor: he knows his market extremely well; he is diligent, responsive, and yet very understanding with his clients he would propose something better when it benefited us…” -Octavio F.
Highly recommendable
“Great company to work with! Always a better experience when you have the company owner on site with his guys. Would def recommend them. Thanks fellas!.” -Edrice F.
4. Christensen Excavating
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Fleet | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Availability | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Project Capacity | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Operating Hours | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Reputation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Staff Feedback | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| • Turnaround Time | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Christensen Excavating is an excavating company in North Vancouver that serves residential, commercial, and municipal clients in North Vancouver and neighboring cities.
It’s also worth noting that they’re a BBB-accredited company, making them appear more trustworthy to potential customers.
We found it impressive that they have a large fleet of industrial equipment, which makes them more reliable to do business with. We also want to add that this allows them to handle larger construction jobs.
We also liked that they provide a thorough planning and organization process before beginning a project, as we believe this ensures that everything runs smoothly.
Moreover, what sets them apart is they also offer heavy-duty equipment for hire. This includes dump trucks, excavators, backhoes, and many more.
They are also closed on weekends. However, if you book ahead of time and request weekend dates, they will accommodate you.
Despite that, most of the customers we’ve spoken with have said Christensen Excavating were professional as they’re able to complete complex projects in a timely and cost-effective manner.
In conclusion, we thought Christensen Excavating deserved a spot on our list because they have a large fleet of industrial equipment to provide timely excavation services.
Pros
- Large fleet of industrial equipment
- Ideal for large construction jobs
- Heavy duty equipment for hire
- BBB accredited business
- 24-hour snow removal
Cons
- Limited service area coverage
- Closed on weekends
Customer Reviews
Very professional and performs jobs well
“I have worked with Mark and his company many times over the past number of years. He has always shown great pride in the work he performs and all his staff have been very professional. If you need it done right Christensen Excavating are the ones for the job.” -Mike T.
Punctual and cost-effective
“Christensen did a fantastic job to complete a complex project with diverse scope at a large strata property in a timely, cost-effective and professional manner. Well done! Their staff were highly experienced and responsive to the work needs, and were great to work with.” -Perry S.
5. King Kubota Services Ltd.
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Fleet | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Availability | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Project Capacity | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Operating Hours | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Reputation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Turnaround Time | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
King Kubota Services Ltd. has provided full-site servicing for residential, commercial, and government customers in Vancouver since 1986.
This company provides a wide range of excavating services, such as site preparation, grading, trenching, and demolition. We were impressed by their fleet of modern equipment, which allows them to complete the work efficiently and on time.
Another appealing feature is that they have completed over 22,000 projects, which we believe qualifies them to handle any project, no matter how complex.
King Kubota Services Ltd. specializes in custom excavation services, which we believe distinguishes them. This feature, in our opinion, allows customers to only pay for the services that they require.
Some of the features you can include in your excavation package includes asbestos abatement, debris removal, and concrete demolition.
When it comes to special requests, this company is flexible! They can accommodate requests to retain water and sewage systems, remediate contaminated sites, and stabilize slopes.
Now, we don’t like the fact that their rates are relatively higher. They do, however, offer discounts for large projects, so there is an incentive there.
If you are looking for an excavating contractor in Vancouver, then King Kubota Services Ltd. is the perfect choice for you.
Pros
- Full-site servicing
- Wide range of excavating services
- Uses modern equipment
- Completed over 22,000 projects
Cons
- Closed on weekends
- Relatively higher rates
Customer Reviews
Great to deal with
“KIng Kubota took over the underground utilities for our house construction after the original excavation company was dismissed. The difference was night and day. Fraser was great to deal with.” -Gary P.
Professional attitude and operators
“A very professional team, good attitude and efficient operators.” -Granville C.
6. Lynx Contracting
| CRITERIA | RATING |
| Fleet | ★★★★☆ 4/5 |
| Availability | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Project Capacity | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Operating Hours | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Reputation | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| Customer Service | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Staff Feedback | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
| • Turnaround Time | ★★★★★ 5/5 |
Lynx Contracting is a company that provides clients with comprehensive and versatile landscaping services such as stone paving, excavation, and lawn installation among others to help them elevate spaces into healthy and stylish ones.
Partnered with various interrelated companies such as Rhino Turf, Burnco Landscape Centre, and Rainco Irrigation among others, clients can be ensured that their products and services are of industry standards at all times.
Furthermore, we like that they are adequately equipped to handle any job size since they have heavy-duty resources and machinery to deliver efficient landscaping services in a timely and punctual manner as well.
Note though that even if the services that they offer are adequately categorized, rates of their services aren’t readily available on their website and a quotation may need to be done beforehand.
Overall, with their comprehensive and efficient approach to landscaping, versatile and inclusive services offered, and professional team of experts in the field, we highly recommend interested clients to check them.
Pros
- Flexible and accommodates all project sizes
- Professional and multidisciplinary team
- Well-equipped facilities
Cons
- Rates of their services aren’t readily available
Customer Reviews
Here are some reviews from their clients:
“Very impressed with Lynx Contracting. Andy was great to work with, a solid communicator and someone who used his initiative with an idea to allow us to make the project work closer to our desired budget. His crews were on time, very personable and skilled. They also kept the job site so tidy every day. The final results are just what I’d dreamed of. Highly recommend!”
“Thanks to Lynx Construction for such great work. Reliable, responsible and great workmanship. I would definitely hire them again. Highly recommend.”
FAQs about Excavating Contractors in Vancouver
Excavating contractors can help all kinds of people in all aspects of their life, from small residential projects to large commercial ones.
From basement renovations to complete new construction, you need a plan if you want to stay on budget and on schedule. Here are a few more articles that we think you may find useful:
