Earthworks Melbourne
Earthworks is the shaping of the ground itself — bulk cut and fill, subgrade and pavement preparation, batters, bunds and civil earthworks for subdivisions and infrastructure.
YellowX delivers earthworks with owned plant and self-perform crews, which means program certainty for builders and developers: no waiting on a subcontractor’s machine, and one contractor accountable for levels, compaction and cart-away.
What's included
- Bulk cut-to-fill earthworks and site levelling
- Subgrade preparation and proof rolling
- Batters, bunds and landscape earthforms
- Material import, spreading and compaction
- Subdivision and civil earthworks
- Machine-control/GPS earthworks for accuracy
Where it fits in your program
The civil foundation stage — shapes ground for pavements, structures and drainage.
Plant we use
Compliance
- Compaction and level testing to the geotechnical specification
- Environmental controls, dust and sediment management
- Survey and machine-control set-out to design surfaces
Earthworks — FAQs
What’s the difference between earthworks and excavation?
Excavation removes material to open a hole or level; earthworks is the broader shaping of the ground — cut, fill, compaction, batters and subgrade prep — to create the surfaces and platforms a project is built on. Most jobs need both, and we self-perform them together.
How much do earthworks cost 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. Hourly work runs on wet-hire rates: a 15 t excavator with operator from $145/h, a 33–35 t from $185–195/h and a tandem tipper from $125/h, with a 6-hour minimum. Cut-to-fill, import and compaction are measured and priced in the BOQ.
Do you own your plant or hire it?
Both. We own our core fleet — 5–35 t excavators, tippers and compaction plant — and run our own operators on our jobs, which gives builders program certainty and a single point of accountability. When machines are not on our own sites we hire them out, wet or dry, across Melbourne metro — see Plant Hire.
Can you do subdivision earthworks?
Yes — we deliver civil and subdivision earthworks across Melbourne and regional Victoria, coordinated with drainage, retaining and pavement works.
Need earthworks priced?
A detailed Bill of Quantities back, typically within 2 business days of full documentation. No obligation.