EXCAVATION & GRADING IN UPSTATE SC
Building pads, driveway cuts, trenching, and regrading — with both a mini excavator for tight backyards and a full-size machine for real dirt work. Nelson Stump & Land Clearing serves Greenville, Anderson, Pickens, Spartanburg, and Oconee Counties. Free estimates!
TWO EXCAVATORS. ONE CREW. EVERY SIZE OF DIRT WORK.
Most dirt-work jobs are either too small for the big excavation companies to bother with, or too big for a guy with a rented mini. We run both machines — a mini excavator that fits through backyard gates for trenches, small pads, and drainage work, and a full-size excavator for building pads, driveway cuts, and serious earth moving.
Because we also do land clearing and stump grinding, we're usually the only crew you need between raw land and a build-ready site: trees down, stumps out, pad cut, drive in — one mobilization, one invoice.
Upstate red clay rewards doing grading right the first time. We cut and compact to rough grade with water flow in mind, so your pad stays dry, your yard drains, and your concrete crew shows up to a site they can pour on.
Dirt Work We Handle
Excavation
- • Building pads (house, barn, shop, garage)
- • Driveway cuts and culvert setting
- • Utility and drainage trenching
- • Footer digs and backfill
Grading
- • Yard regrading and leveling
- • Erosion and washout repair
- • Rough grading after clearing or demo
- • Slope shaping and swales
WHAT WE'RE HIRED FOR MOST
Building Pads
House, barn, shop, and garage pads cut, filled, and compacted to rough grade — ready for your builder or concrete crew.
Driveway Cuts & Culverts
New driveway cuts through slopes and tree lines, with culverts set so the drive survives the first big storm.
Trenching
Clean trenches for water lines, power, and drainage — dug to depth and backfilled after your utility work is done.
Yard Regrading
Fix negative grades, low spots, and erosion problems by reshaping the ground so water works for you, not against you.
EXCAVATION & GRADING PRICING
Small excavator jobs in Upstate SC typically run $800 to $1,500, building pads and driveway projects $1,500 to $4,000, and multi-day site work $4,000 to $8,000+. Free on-site estimates.
Factors That Affect Price:
- • Cut and fill volume — How much dirt actually has to move
- • Slope — Pads on hillsides need more cutting and benching
- • Material in/out — Hauling fill in or spoil out adds trucking
- • Rock and roots — What's under the surface sets the pace
- • Access — Tight backyard work means the mini and more time
GOT DIRT THAT NEEDS MOVING?
Contact Nelson Stump & Land Clearing today for a free excavation or grading quote in Greenville, Anderson, Spartanburg, Pickens, Oconee, and throughout Upstate South Carolina.