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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In Gastonia, clearing a wooded lot is dirt work that Gaston County regulates. The county treats logging, clearing and grubbing as land disturbance. It issues an erosion permit even for a single lot under one acre. Before the first tree comes down, the applicant sets up an on-site meeting with a county inspector.
Cornerstone Excavation Group is an excavation contractor working in Gastonia, NC, and across Gaston County. We are based in Indian Trail, on the east side of Charlotte, and Cornerstone is 5.0-rated on Google. In Gastonia we lead with land clearing, grading and site prep, plus demolition, retaining walls, drainage and hauling. Call (980) 315-5707 for a free estimate and an on-site look at the job.
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Gaston County runs its own erosion and sedimentation control program, delegated by the state. That is different from Union County, where we are based and NC DEQ runs it. For land disturbance under one acre, the county's Natural Resources department issues a single-lot erosion and sediment control permit.
The applicant then calls a county Natural Resources inspector to set up an on-site pre-construction meeting. At a minimum, a single lot needs a stabilized construction entrance and exit plus perimeter controls. The owner or the builder holds the permit, and the county decides what the lot needs.
With the permit in place, we set the stone entrance and the silt fence the plan shows. Then we take down trees and brush, pull stumps and haul the debris off. After clearing, we grade the lot so water drains away from where the house will sit.
Gaston County sits in the Piedmont, with Crowders Mountain State Park west of Gastonia near Kings Mountain. The USDA established its Gaston soil series in this county, from a profile dug south of Belmont. That soil has a red clay subsoil and sits on gently sloping to moderately steep uplands. The USDA lists it as well drained, with medium to rapid runoff.
Bare clay on a slope sheds rain fast, and loose dirt goes with it. That is why the perimeter controls go in before we grade. Then we cut and fill a level pad, compacted to the spec the builder or geotechnical engineer sets.
Soil can change from one lot to the next, so we look at the ground on site before we quote. Where a pad cut leaves a steep bank, a segmental block retaining wall can hold the slope. State law calls for NC811 notice no less than three full working days before digging starts.
Gastonia is the county seat and a historic textile town, the site of the 1929 Loray Mill strike. For a build inside the city, the City zoning permit comes first. Since August 29, 2022, Gaston County Permitting has issued the construction permits for projects inside the city. The county needs the City zoning permit before it takes the application.
The City's list of projects that start with its zoning permit includes demolition, retaining walls, foundations and driveways. The owner or the general contractor holds these permits, and the City and county confirm what a project needs. When an old house or slab has to go, we handle the demolition and haul the debris off. In-ground pools start with the same City zoning permit, and our pool excavation follows the pool builder's plan.
A driveway goes through the City only, and the City permits the apron inside the street right of way. A commercial apron on an NCDOT street needs an NCDOT permit. Work that reaches into the City's right of way or an easement needs a formal encroachment agreement. With those in hand, we grade the drive for the paving crew.
The city's Catawba Creek Greenway follows Catawba Creek west, past woods and open ground between several residential areas. Avon Creek cuts through Lineberger Park, and boardwalks at Rankin Lake Park cross Kaylor Creek. The county's single-lot plan calls for an undisturbed vegetated buffer of at least 15 feet along any watercourse.
NC DEQ's Division of Water Resources and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers must approve work inside a creek first. In a floodplain, the local Floodplain Administrator has to approve the work first. Ask the county and the City what applies to your lot before anything near a creek gets cleared.
Gaston County requires a stormwater permit for land disturbance of one acre or more. Inside Gastonia, projects over one acre need stormwater control measures and City permitting. The site's engineer sorts out which rules apply and designs the system.
We dig stormwater ponds and set storm pipe to that plan. Our published project is a stormwater management pond with a sand filter for a commercial property in Indian Trail.
Communities and areas we serve around Gastonia: Downtown Gastonia, York-Chester Historic District, Loray Mill Historic District, Franklin Boulevard, Union Road (NC 274), New Hope Road, Lineberger Park, Rankin Lake Park, Martha Rivers Park, Catawba Creek, Schiele Museum of Natural History, Crowders Mountain State Park.
Gastonia ZIP codes served: 28052, 28054, 28056.
Free estimates throughout Gaston 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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Forestry mulching grinds brush, undergrowth and small trees into a mulch layer that stays on the ground. It opens up an overgrown lot without the digging and hauling of full clearing.
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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 silt fence, stone construction entrances, inlet protection and seed and mulch on building sites. We also fix yards and banks that keep washing out.
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We do commercial site work for general contractors, developers and commercial property owners around Charlotte. The work covers clearing, mass grading, pads and parking areas, storm drainage and stormwater ponds, built to the civil plans.
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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 trenches for conduit, gas, water, sewer and drain lines, to the depth the trade or the plan sets. Then we backfill the trench and put the yard back.
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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 break up and dig out old driveways, patios, slabs and footings, then haul the concrete away. The hole gets backfilled and graded for the next crew.
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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.
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 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.
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 Gastonia. 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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