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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Huntersville lots sit close together, and the ground under them is red Piedmont clay. A backyard pool dig here starts with access, because most yards are fenced and the side gap is tight. Other lots sit on a slope, so rain runs toward the house instead of away from it. New homes on the north and east sides of town need a pad cut and a first grade before framing.
Cornerstone Excavation Group is an excavation contractor based in Indian Trail, east of Charlotte. We are 5.0-rated on Google, and the crew runs I-485 and I-77 north to Huntersville. We handle lot clearing and grading, plus pads, pool digs, demolition, retaining walls, ponds, drainage and hauling. Estimates are free, so call (980) 315-5707 and we will come look at the job.
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Red Piedmont clay does not soak up rain the way sandy ground does. Some lots in north Mecklenburg sit on tighter clays formed over hard rock, and those drain very slowly. Water stands in the low spot, and the yard stays soft for days after a storm.
The fix usually starts with the grade, not with pipe. We read how water moves across the lot before anything gets dug. If the ground falls toward the house, regrading sends that water the other way. When a buried line is the right answer, yard and lot drainage covers the trench, the pipe and the outlet.
The west side of town drains through McDowell Creek into Mountain Island Lake. That lake supplies drinking water for the Charlotte region. The town adopted a low impact development stormwater ordinance built around protecting it. Ask the town what applies to your lot before a project starts.
Huntersville keeps growing. The 2020 census counted 61,376 people, and the census estimate for 2023 was 64,688. New construction still fills lots on the north and east edges of town. Every one of those homes starts with dirt work.
A new house needs a pad that is cut, filled and compacted to what the builder or the engineer specifies. We do the pad, the cut and fill, the access for the trades and the first grade that sets drainage. On a sloped lot, a wall is often what turns a steep backyard into usable space again.
We build segmental block retaining walls with the excavation, the base, the compaction and the drainage behind the wall. Taller walls need an engineered design. Mecklenburg County's code office says a wall supporting five feet or more of fill needs a permit and sealed drawings. Confirm the height rule with the county while the wall is still on paper.
Zoning and subdivision rules belong to the Town of Huntersville. Building and demolition permits come from Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement, which handles permitting for the whole county. The owner or the general contractor holds the permit, and we work under it.
Erosion control and floodplain permits run through Mecklenburg County's land development program, which takes applications in Accela. The county says to contact its soil erosion staff once a site disturbs more than an acre. The same goes for property sitting inside a SWIM stream buffer. North Carolina requires an approved erosion and sediment control plan at one acre of disturbance.
We can tell you what a job looks like it will need. The town and the county make the actual call, so confirm the details with them first. On a demolition, the owner and the utility company get the services disconnected before anything comes down.
Most pools in this town go in behind a house on a subdivision lot. Access is the first question every time. We look at the gate, the fence line, the side yard and the driveway before a machine moves. A mini excavator gets into places a full size machine cannot reach.
The dig follows the pool builder's plan for shape, depth and the over-dig around the shell. Spoils either leave on our trucks or stay on the lot if the grade can use them. We take care of hauling the dirt off once the hole is open. Rock and wet clay both change a dig, so we tell you what we hit.
An inground pool needs a building permit in Mecklenburg County. Barrier fencing comes with it under the state residential code. Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement is the office that issues those permits here. The owner or the pool builder pulls it, and we call in an NC811 locate before we dig.
Communities and areas we serve around Huntersville: Birkdale Village, Skybrook, Vermillion, Monteith Park, Northstone, Wynfield, MacAulay, Bryton, Gilead Ridge, Cedarfield, Gilead Road, Old Statesville Road.
Huntersville ZIP codes served: 28078.
Free estimates throughout Mecklenburg 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 Huntersville. 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.
Tell us about the job. We will get right back to you.