How much does excavation cost in Melbourne?
As a guide, bulk excavation with cart-away in Melbourne runs about $45–80 per m³, depending on material and tip distance, and an excavator with an operator is from $125/h. Figures are indicative, ex GST.
Breaking or ripping rock adds about $25–50 per m³ on bulk jobs, and small tight-access rock jobs run about $150–400 per m³. Trenching starts from about $33 per m³. These are guide figures for budgeting; the firm price for a site comes from measuring the actual job.
What are typical excavation rates in Melbourne?
| Work | Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk excavation with cart-away | about $45–80 per m³ | Depends on material and tip distance |
| Rock breaking or ripping — bulk jobs | about $25–50 per m³ | Added to the excavation rate; cart-away extra |
| Rock — small tight-access lots | about $150–400 per m³ | Small volumes, small machines |
| Trenching | from about $33 per m³ |
| Machine | Rate per hour | Minimum hire |
|---|---|---|
| 5.5 t excavator | from $125/h | 6 hours |
| 15 t excavator | from $145/h | 6 hours |
| 33–35 t excavator | from $185–195/h | 6 hours |
| Tandem tipper | from $125/h | 6 hours |
All rates are indicative, ex GST. Hire details are on the plant hire page.
What moves the price up or down?
- Access — tight, inner-city or sloping sites need smaller plant and more careful sequencing, so each cubic metre takes longer to dig and load out.
- Material class — clean fill, category-classified and contaminated soil go to different licensed facilities at very different disposal rates. It is flagged as a provisional item until the geotech or soil report confirms it.
- Tip distance — cart-away is truck time. The further the licensed facility is from the site, the fewer loads each truck carts in a day.
- Rock — breaking and ripping rock is far slower than digging soil, and the gap between a bulk job and a small tight-access lot is wide. It is priced off the geotechnical report.
- Depth and retention — deeper digs need benching, battering or shoring, and sometimes dewatering. A basement also needs retention, often with piling, which is engineered and quoted per site.
- Volume — larger jobs spread the cost of floating machines in and setting up over more cubic metres. Small jobs still carry the 6-hour minimum on hire.
Is excavation priced by the cubic metre or by the hour?
Both. Bulk excavation is typically measured in cubic metres of in-situ material, with a bulking factor for cart-away. Detailed and tight-access work is often priced by the hour or by element. A proper Bill of Quantities separates these, calls out provisional and PC items, and lists the assumptions — so you can see exactly what’s in the number and what would change it.
Why do bulk and detailed excavation both appear on a quote?
Most projects need bulk excavation to bring the whole site to level, then detailed excavation for footings, pits and services. They’re measured differently and priced differently, and lumping them together hides risk. See bulk vs detailed excavation, or the bulk excavation and detailed excavation pages.
How do I get a firm price for my site?
The only reliable way to price excavation is to measure the actual job. Send us a job number, plans or a sketch (and geotech if you have it) and the YellowX Quoter returns a detailed, itemised BOQ — typically within 2 business days of full documentation, with no obligation.
Excavation cost — FAQs
How much does excavation cost per cubic metre in Melbourne?
As a guide (indicative, ex GST), bulk excavation with cart-away runs about $45–80 per m³, depending on material and tip distance. Trenching starts from about $33 per m³.
How much does rock excavation cost per cubic metre?
As a guide (indicative, ex GST), breaking or ripping rock adds about $25–50 per m³ on bulk jobs, and small tight-access rock jobs run about $150–400 per m³. The geotechnical report decides where a site sits in that range.
How much does it cost to hire an excavator with an operator in Melbourne?
Wet hire (machine with operator), indicative, ex GST: 5.5 t excavator from $125/h, 15 t excavator from $145/h, 33–35 t excavator from $185–195/h and tandem tipper from $125/h, with a 6-hour minimum.
Is excavation priced by the m³ or by the hour?
Both, depending on the work. Bulk excavation is usually priced by the cubic metre (in-situ volume with a bulking factor for cart-away); detailed and tight-access work is often priced by the hour or by element because it’s slower and more careful. A good BOQ shows which is which.
What makes one site more expensive than another?
The big swing factors are rock, groundwater, contamination/spoil classification, and access. Rock breaking, dewatering, and disposing of contaminated or category-classified soil to the correct licensed facility can each move a number significantly — which is why we flag them as provisional items until confirmed by geotech.
How do I get an accurate excavation price fast?
Send a job number, plans or a sketch and geotech if you have it. The YellowX Quoter measures the job, applies our live VIC rate card, and returns a detailed, itemised BOQ — typically within 2 business days of full documentation.
Send the plans and the geotech.
A detailed Bill of Quantities back, typically within 2 business days of full documentation. No obligation.
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