Excavation
Earthwork of every kind on the east side of Charlotte: land clearing, grading and building pads, utility lines, foundation digs, pool digs, demolition and hauling under one contractor.
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Concord keeps building. The city counted 79,066 people in the 2010 census and 115,053 in the state's October 2025 estimate. New subdivisions off Poplar Tent Road need pads cut, lots balanced and a grade that sheds water. Older Concord needs the other half: sheds and garages taken down, and back yards that hold water.
Cornerstone Excavation Group is an excavation contractor based in Indian Trail, on the east side of Charlotte. The crew drives up I-485 and I-85 to work Concord and the rest of Cabarrus County. That means clearing lots and acreage, building pads and site prep, grading, pool digs, demolition, walls, ponds, drainage and hauling. Cornerstone is 5.0-rated on Google, and the estimate is free, so call (980) 315-5707.
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Most of Concord's new housing sits northwest of downtown. Afton Village, Christenbury, Winding Walk, Moss Creek, Annsborough Park and Cannon Run all grew in that corner. Poplar Tent Road and George W. Liles Parkway feed that side of town off I-85. Commercial site work follows the same corridors, out past Concord Mills at I-85 exit 49.
A pad has to sit level and compact. The builder or a geotechnical engineer sets the number the compaction has to hit, and we build to it. We cut the high side, fill the low side and compact as the fill goes in. When a lot runs short or long, fill comes in or spoils go out.
Cecil is the soil series you see most across Cabarrus County. It is red clay, and clay sheds water instead of soaking it up. That is why the first grade on a new lot matters so much. Lot grading and the final grade decide where runoff goes for the life of the house.
Concord splits the paperwork with the county. The city says construction applications are reviewed by the City of Concord for zoning and by Cabarrus County for building. Both reviews run through one shared Accela portal, so nothing gets filed twice. Cabarrus County Construction Standards handles building inspections and permitting for all areas in the county.
Grading has its own path. The City of Concord publishes an application for sediment and erosion control on grading of less than one acre. That form asks for the area disturbed, the sediment control you plan to use, and any stream or lake buffers. Once the disturbance reaches one acre, the city says an erosion control permit comes first, plus state permit NCG010000.
Water rules follow the watershed, and Concord's ordinance puts every property in one of three water-related overlay districts. The Coddle Creek Reservoir watershed is classed WS-II and the Lake Concord watershed is WS-IV. Undisturbed stream buffers run at least 50 feet on a Class 1 stream and 30 feet on a Class 2. Confirm what applies to your lot with the city.
Concord grew up around cotton mills. The Gibson, Locke, Brown, Norcott and Hartsell mill communities still hold much of the older housing near downtown. Those lots come with old slabs, sinking outbuildings and driveways that send water at the house. Three historic districts sit in there too: North Union Street, South Union Street and Edgewood.
Residential demolition and concrete removal on a lot like that is a take-down and haul-off job. The structure comes down, the slab and old foundation come out, and the debris leaves on our trucks. Utilities get disconnected first by the owner and the utility company. The permit is typically pulled by the property owner or the general contractor.
Work inside a historic district goes before the city's Historic Preservation Commission, so check before anything comes down. Drainage is the other old-lot problem here. Water that has pooled in one low spot for years will not move on its own. We regrade the lot and add a swale or pipe where needed, which is yard and lot drainage work.
Concord's newer subdivisions put large houses on tight lots. That shapes a pool dig more than the pool does. We look at the gate, the side yard and the fence line to see what a machine can reach. Access sets how the dig runs and how the spoils get out.
The dig follows the pool builder's plan: shape, depth, the deep end and the over-dig for the shell. We protect the yard and the drive on the way in, and we call the NC811 locate before digging. Spoils leave on our trucks, or stay on site for grading when the plan allows. After the shell is set we backfill, rough grade around it and shape the grade for the deck.
Clay and rock both change a dig. Weathered rock sits under the Piedmont clay, and how deep it sits changes lot to lot. Rock slows a dig, and we tell you when we hit it. Concord groups pools with residential construction that needs a zoning clearance permit, and Cabarrus County handles the building side.
Communities and areas we serve around Concord: Afton Village, Christenbury, Winding Walk, Moss Creek, Annsborough Park, Cannon Run, Highland Creek, Poplar Tent, Cox Mill Road, Edgewood, North Union Street, Gibson Village.
Concord ZIP codes served: 28025, 28027.
Free estimates throughout Cabarrus County and the surrounding area.
(980) 315-5707 Earthwork of every kind on the east side of Charlotte: land clearing, grading and building pads, utility lines, foundation digs, pool digs, demolition and hauling under one contractor.
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We clear lots and acreage across the Charlotte metro, with trees, brush, stumps and debris hauled off. The ground is left open and ready for the next phase of the job.
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We regrade yards that hold water and grade lots and pads for what gets built next. Rough grade, final grade, cut and fill and compaction, out of Indian Trail.
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We prepare lots for new homes and commercial builds around Indian Trail and Charlotte. The work covers clearing, cut and fill, building pads, compaction and the first grade.
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We install underground utilities on the east side of Charlotte: water mains and service lines, sanitary sewer, storm drainage pipe and structures, and trenching for power, gas and telecom conduit.
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We dig foundations and footings for new homes, additions, garages and outbuildings. We also trench for water, sewer and utility lines, then backfill and grade once the foundation is in.
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We excavate for new inground pools across the Charlotte metro and Union County. The hole goes in to your pool builder's plan, and the dirt leaves on our trucks.
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We take down houses, garages, sheds and light commercial buildings, then break out the concrete under them. The debris leaves on our dump trucks and the lot is graded and ready for what comes next.
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We build segmental block retaining walls that hold a slope in place and stop soil from washing out. The dig, the compacted base and the drainage behind the wall come with it.
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We dig and shape farm ponds, private ponds, backyard ponds and stormwater ponds across the Charlotte metro. The work covers layout, excavation, basin shaping, bank slopes and the grading around the finished pond.
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We fix yards and lots that hold water after it rains. Regrading, swales, French drains and buried pipe move it away from the house.
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We haul spoils, brush, concrete and demolition debris off your site. We also bring in fill dirt, gravel and stone for the work we run.
Learn MoreReal reviews from real grading, clearing and excavation jobs on Google.
Cornerstone Excavating Group LLC just completed regrading my backyard. I had a large, elevated mound running across it and close to the house making the yard essentially unusable. Cornerstone did a great job working with the limitations of the yard and created a usable space while ensuring I had proper runoff where I previously had water accumulating close to the foundation. Tim and his team were very professional and courteous. I would highly recommend Cornerstone to anyone looking for an excellent excavating company.
These guys are excellent. Excellent pricing and top tier work. I contacted them about grading and pushing a debris piles. A couple days later, they completed the job. This literally was the easiest communication I've had with a company. Awesome, awesome, awesome! I will be using them again for sure. No question about it!
Cornerstone Excavation Group did an outstanding job on my property. They handled tree removal, land clearing, and grading, and the entire process was smooth from start to finish. Communication was clear and consistent, and they showed up when they said they would, which I really appreciated.The crew was professional, respectful, and clearly knew what they were doing. They removed multiple trees, cleared the land efficiently, and graded everything perfectly in preparation for the next phase. The property looked completely transformed when they were finished, and the site was left clean and well organized.It’s easy to tell they take pride in their work. The quality, attention to detail, and reliability really stood out compared to other companies I’ve worked with. I would absolutely use Cornerstone Excavation Group again and highly recommend them to anyone needing tree removal, land clearing, or grading done right.
Cornerstone Excavation Group did an excellent job grading the front of my property while my house was being built. The work was done professionally, efficiently, and exactly as promised. The site was left clean, the grading was precise, and it made a big difference in the overall look and drainage of the property. I would highly recommend them to anyone needing excavation or grading work.
Cornerstone Excavation Group did an excellent job grading my commercial lot. Very professional, on time, and the work was done exactly as promised. The site was left clean, level, and ready for the next phase. Communication was clear throughout the process and pricing was fair. I would absolutely recommend them for any commercial grading or excavation work.
I couldn’t be happier with the quality of work! The attention to detail and craftsmanship were outstanding, and my retaining wall looks amazing now. Everything was done with super high quality, and I’m extremely satisfied with the results. Highly recommend!
A few of the questions we hear most around Concord. If yours is not here, call and ask.
Tell us about the job on the form, or call (980) 315-5707. We will get back to you and set up a free look at the site.
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