Excavation and site prep in Bend
Digging, grading and pad preparation for foundations, slabs, driveways and buildings. Every project RCC builds starts here.
What excavation covers
Excavation is everything that happens to the ground before anything gets built on it: clearing the area, digging for footings and foundations, cutting and filling to grade, preparing a level and compacted pad, and shaping the site so water drains away from the structure.
Site prep is where a lot of later problems start or end. A slab poured on soft or uneven ground can settle and crack. A building pad that holds water can heave in a freeze. RCC does its own excavation ahead of its own concrete and foundation work, so the dirt is prepared for exactly what goes on top.
Before anyone digs: call 811
Oregon has a free one-call system for locating buried utilities. The Oregon Utility Notification Center asks homeowners and contractors to call 811 at least two and no more than 10 business days before digging, and Oregon OSHA requires employers to notify the center at least two working days before starting an excavation. Utilities then mark their lines at no cost.
Our guide on calling 811 before you dig in Oregon covers the process, including the change that shortened locate ticket life from 45 to 30 days starting January 1, 2026.
What to send for a bid
Call or email with as much of this as you have.
- The address and what the excavation is for
- Rough size of the area to dig or grade
- Photos of the site, including trees, rock and access
- Any site plan or survey
- Whether utilities have been located
Questions about excavation
Do I need to call 811 before excavation in Oregon?
Yes. The Oregon Utility Notification Center asks everyone to call 811 at least two and no more than 10 business days before digging. The service is free.
Does RCC do excavation by itself or only with concrete?
Both. RCC excavates for its own concrete, foundation and building work, and can take on excavation and site prep as a stand-alone job.
What happens to the site after excavation?
On most RCC jobs the next steps are foundations, flat work or a building pad, done by the same crew.
Related guides
Excavation
Do you have to call 811 before digging in Oregon?
Yes. The Oregon Utility Notification Center asks homeowners and contractors to call 811 at least two and no more than 10 business days before digging.
Read the answerFoundationsHow deep do footings need to be in Central Oregon?
Deschutes County's building design criteria list a minimum frost depth of 18 inches, so footings go at least that deep to sit below the frost line.
Read the answerMetal building erectionDo you need a permit for a garage, shop or steel building in Deschutes County?
Usually yes. In Bend, an accessory structure needs a building permit unless it is 200 square feet or less and no more than 15 feet tall.
Read the answerNeed dirt moved?
Send the address and what you are building. We will plan the dig.
