Excavation for Home Additions in Toronto
Your addition starts with a dig just a few feet from your kitchen wall. Our excavation crews dig the footings and foundations for additions in tight Toronto backyards, protect what stays, and hand it over ready for concrete.
What Is Excavation for a Home Addition?
Small digs, close to the house, done to the plans.
Building an addition is one of the best ways to get more space without moving. But this kind of dig is not the same as clearing a big open lot. It happens in a backyard, close to your house, close to the fence and close to the neighbours. That takes care and the right size of machine. It’s one part of our wider excavation services in Toronto.
We focus on the smaller, tight-space digs that additions need. We’re not the crew for a ten-storey hole, and we don’t pretend to be. We’re the team your builder calls when an addition needs a clean dig in a tight Toronto backyard, done on time and without fuss. MAGCOR is a licensed demolition and excavation company in Toronto, working here since 2017.
Small-Scale Excavation Built for Tight Backyards
What digging beside an occupied house actually takes.
Small machines
Small excavators that fit through a normal side gate, and shovels for the corners they can’t reach.
Beside your foundation
Digging next to a house that’s staying put takes planning. We check the soil and depth first, and keep your existing footings supported.
To the plans
Footing depth, frost depth, setbacks. We dig to the lines your engineer drew, so the forms fit the first time.
A yard you still recognize
Plywood down for the machine to drive on, the good tree fenced off, and the dirt hauled away the same week.
Footing, Foundation & Walkout Excavation Services
Everything below ground, from the first utility locate to the final grading.
Footing and Foundation Digs
The main job. We dig for the footings and foundation walls of your addition, to spec and ready for forming.
Rear and Side Additions
One storey or two, on the back or the side. The digs that make Toronto houses bigger without anyone moving.
Basement Walkouts
Walkout entries and below-grade doors dug and shaped, with grading that keeps the water out of them.
Tight-Access Work
Laneway lots, shared drives, gates a wheelbarrow barely clears. We’ve dug behind all of them.
Soil Haul-Away
Even a small addition fills more trucks than you’d think. We haul the soil out and dispose of it properly, priced into the quote.
Backfill and Grading
Once your foundation is poured and cured, we come back, backfill in layers, pack it down, and grade away from the house.
Excavation on the Job
Our crews at work on dig sites across Toronto and the GTA.
See Excavation Work in Toronto
A look at our crews on real Toronto and GTA dig sites.
Our Excavation Process for Additions
A clear order of work from the drawings to a dig your forming crew can use the same day.
Step 1
Review the Drawings
Send the plans. We check depths, setbacks and access before we price anything, so the quote matches the job.
Step 2
Locates and Protection
Utility locates get called in, buried lines get marked, and the machine path gets protected before a bucket touches dirt.
Step 3
The Dig and Haul-Away
We excavate to the lines and depths on the drawings, square and clean, and truck the excess soil off as we go.
Step 4
Backfill and Grade
After the foundation cures we come back, backfill in layers, pack it down, and slope the grade so water runs away from the house.
Why Choose MAGCOR for Addition Excavation
MAGCOR is a licensed demolition and excavation company in Toronto, digging for additions since 2017. The tight backyard jobs other crews turn down are the ones we do most.
- Compact equipment sized for small lots and backyards
- Careful digging next to existing foundations
- We work straight from your builder’s drawings
- Soil haul-away priced into the quote, not added later
- Licensed and insured across Ontario
- Tidy sites, daily cleanup and a clean hand-off
What Our Clients Say
A few words from homeowners and builders we’ve worked with, straight from Google.
“Their team showed up on time every single day, worked efficiently, and kept the site organized and safe throughout the entire job. Clean, precise, and done with real attention to detail.”
“Working with MAGCOR was a delight. From start to finish the team was efficient and professional. They came in to inspect, evaluate and complete the project with care and in a timely manner.”
“We always choose Magcor to do our work as they are professional, clean and prioritize safety. Whether the project is large or small their attention to detail is exceptional.”
Recent MAGCOR Projects
A look at demolition and site work we’ve completed across Toronto.
Toronto, ON
Dundas Project
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Toronto, ON
Bellevue Project
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Toronto, ON
The Queensway
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Addition Excavation Service Areas
We help homeowners and builders add space across the region.
Addition Excavation FAQs
Can you dig in a small backyard with limited access?
That’s most of our work. Our smallest machines fit through a 36-inch gate, and what they can’t reach, we dig by hand. If there’s really no way in, we’ll tell you at the site visit, not after you’ve paid a deposit.
Will digging near my house damage the existing foundation?
Not if it’s planned right. We look at soil, depth and distance before digging, and we support your existing footing wherever the dig gets close. Your house was there first. It stays that way.
Do you take the soil away?
Yes, and we price it into the quote, because soil disposal is where addition digs grow surprise costs. You see the number before we start, not on the final invoice.
Do I need a separate permit for the excavation?
Normally the building permit for your addition covers the dig. We work from the approved drawings and coordinate with your builder, so what the inspector sees matches what the plans show.
Do you work with my builder or contractor?
All the time. Many builders bring us in just for the dig and the backfill. We follow their schedule, keep them posted, and hand off a hole their forming crew can use the same day.
Related reading: Our full excavation services · How site excavation works · Basement underpinning
Request an Addition Excavation Quote
Email us the drawings. We’ll quote the dig, the haul-away and the backfill in one number.