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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Matthews filled in fast. The town grew from under 1,000 people in 1970 to more than 29,000 by the 2020 census. Most of its subdivisions went up between the 1980s and the 2000s, on red Piedmont clay. Those yards settle until the grade runs flat, and then water sits by the foundation after a storm. A pool dig on one of those lots has to get past full grown trees and a narrow side yard.
Cornerstone Excavation Group is an excavation contractor based in Indian Trail, east of Matthews on US-74. We are 5.0-rated on Google. The crew comes over from Indian Trail for clearing lots, site work, pool digs, demolition, walls, ponds and hauling. Most Matthews jobs start with grading the yard back to a shape that sheds water. Call or text (980) 315-5707 for a free estimate.
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The center of Matthews sits on a ridge. Ground on the north side drains toward McAlpine Creek. Ground on the south side drains toward Four Mile Creek. On a lot near that line, water can run two ways. A flat grade sends some of it at the house.
Red clay sheds water instead of soaking it up. A yard that graded well when the subdivision was new can hold water now. Decades of settling, mulch beds and added patios move the fall. The fix is usually shape rather than pipe. We cut a swale, rebuild the fall away from the foundation, and get ground cover back on the bare dirt.
When the grade alone will not carry it, we add buried drain pipe and a French drain. We also run the lines that take downspout water out to daylight. On a commercial lot in Matthews we build to the engineer's plan.
The town limits sit in Mecklenburg County. The Matthews mailing address runs past the line as well. ZIP 28105 covers the town itself. ZIP 28104 carries a Matthews address across Union County, toward Stallings, Weddington and Wesley Chapel. Which office you deal with depends on which side your parcel falls on.
On the Mecklenburg side, Mecklenburg County Code Enforcement handles building and demolition permits. Mecklenburg County Land Development reviews erosion control plans and grading permits. On the Union County side the county handles the building permit, and the state erosion and sedimentation program applies. North Carolina requires an approved erosion and sediment control plan once land disturbance reaches one acre. Charlotte and Mecklenburg guidance says smaller sites still need adequate measures. The owner or the general contractor holds the permit, not us.
The Town of Matthews also runs post construction stormwater rules through a Storm Water Administrator. The town ordinance splits Matthews into three stormwater districts. One drains to the Catawba basin. Another drains to the North Fork of Crooked Creek in the Yadkin basin. The Goose Creek district falls under state rules instead. Under that ordinance, perennial and intermittent streams draining less than 50 acres carry a 30 foot vegetated buffer. The buffer is measured from the top of the bank on both sides. If a creek runs behind your lot, confirm the buffer with the town before anything moves.
The older blocks near downtown carry small houses, detached garages and sheds nobody has opened in years. We take those down and haul the material off. Demolition here also means concrete, a cracked driveway, an old slab, or footings under a structure that is already gone.
On the Union County side of the Matthews address, builders are still cutting new lots. That work is clearing to a building pad, then cut and fill. Compaction follows what the builder or the engineer calls for. Then comes the first grade that sets drainage. We also dig footings and foundations, trench for utility lines, stack segmental block retaining walls and shape ponds.
Everything gets hauled. Spoils from a dig, brush from clearing and broken concrete all leave the site. We bring fill dirt, gravel and stone in for the work as well. The run from Indian Trail is short, up US-74 or around I-485 to the north end of town.
Most Matthews backyards sit behind a house built in the 1980s or 1990s. The side yard is narrow and the trees are full grown. We look at access first, the gate line and the path to the hole. A mini excavator gets into a tight side yard when a full size machine will not. We put down protection on the driveway and the lawn we cross.
The dirt is the other question. A pool dig makes a big pile, and most Matthews lots have nowhere to put it. We haul the spoils off, or we keep what the yard can use for grading. Red Piedmont clay digs heavy and holds water in the open hole. Move east toward Union County and shallow rock turns up more often, and rock changes the dig.
We dig to the pool builder's plan, to the shape and the depth on the drawing. NC811 asks for three working days of notice before a dig, and that call goes in before the machine moves. After the shell is set we backfill around it and bring the grade back for the deck. The pool builder builds the pool. We do the earthwork.
Communities and areas we serve around Matthews: Downtown Matthews, Historic Crestdale, Sardis Plantation, Sardis Forest, Brightmoor, Callonwood, Chestnut Oaks, Chestnut Place, Brookhaven, Shannamara, Squirrel Lake Park, Stumptown Park.
Matthews ZIP codes served: 28105, 28104.
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 Matthews. 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.