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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Monroe sits on red Piedmont clay, and the ground here does not shed water on its own. Older lots near downtown were shaped long before modern grading rules, and the fall has settled out of them. On the rural side of town, farm tracts grow up in brush and low spots stay wet for days. New lots off US-74 need a pad cut and a grade set before a slab goes down.
Cornerstone Excavation Group is an excavation contractor based in Indian Trail, a short run up US-74 from Monroe. We are 5.0-rated on Google, and the crew drives over for grading, land clearing, retaining walls, ponds, drainage and hauling. We dig for new inground pools, see pool excavation, and take old buildings down through residential demolition. Estimates are free and start with an on-site look, so call (980) 315-5707.
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Monroe's oldest housing sits in the Monroe Residential Historic District near downtown. Its rough bounds run along Hough, Franklin, Jefferson, Windsor, Church and Hudson streets. The National Register listing counts about 376 contributing houses across roughly 181 acres, built from about 1874 through 1940. Lots there are small, mature trees sit close to the house, and backyard access is often one narrow side yard.
The same jobs come up again and again on those blocks. Old driveways, walks and slabs crack and have to come out. Sheds, garages and rear additions get taken down so a new build or an addition can go in. Water stands against a foundation because the original grade flattened over the years.
We bring mini excavators and skid steers into tight yards and haul the material out by the truckload. Concrete, brick and old footing remnants leave the site. When a yard still holds water afterward, regrading and buried pipe are the usual fixes, see yard and lot drainage.
That depends on which side of the city line the property sits on. Inside Monroe city limits, permits go through the City of Monroe Permit Center. On unincorporated county land, Union County's offices in Monroe handle building and demolition permits. The owner or the general contractor holds the permit, and we can say what the job is likely to need.
Monroe runs its own erosion and sediment control program, delegated to the city by the state. The city calls for a grading permit once a commercial site disturbs 12,000 square feet or more. For residential work the trigger is one acre. Below those sizes the city still asks for an Erosion and Sediment Control Installation and Maintenance Agreement. Confirm the current thresholds with the city Engineering Department before work starts.
Monroe's stormwater ordinance also calls for a stormwater control measure on development and redevelopment. That covers the city limits and the planning area just outside them. On larger sites the pond or basin is part of the approved plan. We build it to the engineer's design. Before any dig, NC811 asks for a locate request three working days ahead, and we call it in.
The Monroe Expressway opened in November 2018 as a toll bypass signed US-74 Bypass. It runs about 18.7 miles and carries traffic around Indian Trail, Monroe and Wingate. Shorter drive times pulled more rooftops toward Monroe. The city counted 34,562 people in the 2020 Census, and a 2025 estimate puts it near 42,644.
New lots here start the same way every time. Trees and stumps come out, then the pad gets cut to grade. Fill gets compacted to what the builder or the engineer calls for. Red clay moves well when it is dry and turns to soup when it is not, so timing matters. That work is site prep and building pads on a new-construction lot.
Rough grade decides where water goes for the life of the house. We cut and fill to balance a lot, shape swales, and set a finish grade that falls away. Driveway aprons, garage pads, sheds and mobile units get the same treatment. Union County sits on the Carolina Slate Belt. Shallow rock turns up in some digs and changes how the work goes.
Union County is still farm country outside the city. The 2022 USDA Census of Agriculture counted 882 farms on 212,066 acres in the county, averaging about 240 acres each. Tracts like that get sold, split and built on, and the first job is almost always clearing.
Brush, scrub trees and stumps come out, and the debris gets hauled off. The ground gets graded if the job calls for it. Forestry mulching is one method for light brush and undergrowth. On bigger tracts we pull stumps and take the piles off the property, see land clearing.
Rural lots around Monroe also hold water. Richardson Creek runs through town, and low ground near it stays soft well after a rain. Clay basins hold water, which is why farm ponds and stormwater ponds work in this soil. We shape the basin, control the slope, and grade the ground around it to the plan.
Communities and areas we serve around Monroe: Downtown Monroe, Benton Heights, Knollwood, Rock Rest, Olde Farm, Brookhaven, Franklin Colony, Hamilton Place, Roosevelt Boulevard (US-74), Secrest Short Cut Road, Morgan Mill Road, Charlotte Monroe Executive Airport.
Monroe ZIP codes served: 28110, 28112.
Free estimates throughout Union 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 Monroe. 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.