Blog→How to Quote an Excavation Job: Australian Excavation Pricing Guide
How to Quote an Excavation Job: Australian Excavation Pricing Guide
How to price excavation quotes in Australia — hourly wet-hire rates, per-m³ pricing, cartage and tip fees, plus a reusable excavation quote template for earthmoving.
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Excavation in Australia is usually priced as wet hire (machine plus operator) at $110–$180 per hour for a mini excavator and $150–$250 per hour for a 5–8 tonne machine, or per cubic metre for bulk dig-outs. A day rate runs about $900–$1,600. Cartage of spoil and tip fees are charged on top, so an accurate excavation quote has to separate machine time from disposal.
How much does excavation cost in Australia?
- Mini excavator (1.7–3.5t) + operator, wet hire: $110–$180/hr
- Midi/standard (5–8t) + operator: $150–$250/hr
- Day rate (machine + operator): $900–$1,600
- Bulk excavation, per m³: $15–$40/m³ depending on soil and access
- Cartage + tip fees: $60–$120 per truck load plus disposal, charged separately
Rock, clay, wet ground, tight access and the need for smaller machines all push the price up. Easy, open sites with sandy soil sit at the bottom of these ranges.
How to price an excavation job
Most earthmoving is quoted one of two ways:
- Hourly wet hire for variable or hard-to-estimate jobs (site cuts on rock, tight access, mixed work). Quote the machine + operator rate, a minimum (often 4 hours), and float/transport to get the machine to site.
- Fixed price for defined volumes (a pool dig, footings, a set trench length). Work out the cubic metres, apply a per-m³ rate, and add cartage and tip fees as their own lines.
Whichever you use, quote float/transport and disposal separately. Burying them in an hourly rate makes your quote look either overpriced or vague next to a competitor who itemises.
What to include in an excavation quote
- Your details: business name, ABN, phone and email.
- Scope: what's being excavated, to what depth, and the volume in m³ where known.
- Machine + operator: size of machine, hourly or day rate, and any minimum.
- Float / transport: getting the machine on and off site, as its own line.
- Cartage and tip fees: spoil removal per load plus disposal, listed separately.
- Exclusions: service location (Dial Before You Dig), rock, contaminated soil, and any engineering or council approvals.
- GST: shown as a separate line if registered.
An excavation quote structure you can reuse
Every excavation quote can follow the same skeleton: business details → scope and volume → machine + operator (rate + minimum) → float/transport → cartage + tip fees → subtotal → GST → total → exclusions. Set it up once and each future quote is a quick edit. On earthmoving work, the operator who sends a clear itemised quote with disposal broken out wins the trust (and the job) over the one who mumbles an hourly rate.
Related guides
- How to Price a Job as a Tradie
- How to Write a Trade Quote in Australia
- What to Include in a Trade Quote: Australian Checklist
Do you run an excavator? See how Insta Quotes prices excavation and earthmoving jobs in 30 seconds.
Frequently asked questions
How much does excavation cost per hour in Australia?
Wet hire (machine plus operator) is about $110–$180 per hour for a mini excavator and $150–$250 per hour for a 5–8 tonne machine. Day rates run $900–$1,600. Rock, clay, wet ground and tight access push rates up; easy open sites sit at the bottom.
How is excavation priced — hourly or per cubic metre?
Both. Variable or hard-to-estimate jobs are quoted hourly as wet hire; defined-volume jobs like a pool dig, footings or a set trench are quoted per cubic metre ($15–$40/m³). Either way, float/transport and cartage plus tip fees are charged separately.
What extra costs should an excavation quote include?
Float or transport to get the machine on and off site, cartage of spoil (around $60–$120 per truck load), and tip/disposal fees. Rock, contaminated soil and service location under Dial Before You Dig can also add cost and should be listed as exclusions or provisional items.
Do I need approvals before excavation work?
Often. You must lodge a free Dial Before You Dig enquiry to locate underground services, and larger cuts, retaining or work near boundaries may need engineering or council approval. Note these as client responsibilities or exclusions in the quote so the scope is clear.
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