A yellow hydraulic excavator with its bucket raised works on a freshly graded residential site at golden hour with a glowing cloud of dust and a faint Nashville skyline

Nashville Excavation · Land Grading · Drainage · Site Work · Demolition

Nashville Excavation and Land Grading That Moves Mountains.

Music City Excavation digs, grades, drains and clears for homes, farms and businesses across Nashville and Middle Tennessee, from a wet yard to a full building site, with a plan, the right machines and a crew that cleans up.

Call us today615-357-7797

Book a Free Estimate Try the Grading Designer

Free estimates
Residential, commercial and farm
16 Middle TN cities

Free estimates
The right machine for the job
Utilities located before we dig
16 Middle Tennessee cities
Clean, careful crews
Residential, commercial & farm

Welcome to Music City Excavation

Dirt Work Done Right the First Time

Music City Excavation, a division of Music City Builder Group, is a Nashville excavation company serving homeowners, builders, farms and businesses across Middle Tennessee. Whether it is a yard that floods every spring, a lot that needs clearing and grading, a foundation to dig or a septic system to install, we start with a plan and finish with a clean, graded site.

We explain what we see, show you your options and use the right machine for the job. Explore the services below, test your own yard with our free tools and, when you are ready, call or send us a message for a free estimate.

Call 615-357-7797

Three excavation workers in hard hats and high-visibility vests stand smiling in front of a yellow excavator and a dump truck on a job site

37Excavation services

8Free planning tools

16Middle TN cities

8Project transformations

Pick Your Project

What Do You Need Dug, Graded or Cleared?

Wet yards, new builds, acreage, driveways, ponds and demolition each call for different machines and methods. Choose a project, then open the service for details.

A compact skid steer regrades a backyard slope beside a brick home with fresh soil sloping away from the foundation

Wet Yards

Regrading, French drains, downspout lines and swales turn a soggy yard into one you can use, and keep water away from the foundation.

Explore This Service

An excavator digs a basement and foundation hole for a new home with squared edges, stakes and a gravel ramp

New Builds

Clearing, pads, foundation digs, utilities and finish grading, in the right order, for homes, garages and shops.

Explore This Service

A yellow excavator with a mulching head clears dense brush and small trees on a wooded lot with wood chips on the ground

Land and Acreage

Brush, trees and stumps cleared, with roads, culverts and building sites cut in, so wooded land becomes usable land.

Explore This Service

A new curving gravel driveway crosses a shallow ditch over a large black culvert pipe with stone headwalls

Driveways and Roads

Gravel drives, farm roads and parking areas built from the base up with crowns, ditches and culverts that last.

Explore This Service

A new farm pond being shaped by an excavator with sloped grassy banks, water beginning to fill and a small earthen dam

Ponds and Pools

Ponds dug and dredged with solid dams, and pool excavations dug to the plan with clean, stable walls.

Explore This Service

A yellow excavator with a demolition grapple pulls down the wall of an old commercial building in a cloud of dust

Demolition and Concrete

Buildings, slabs and pools taken down and hauled away, and new concrete, stamped patios and masonry built in their place.

Explore This Service

Popular Services

From a Wet Yard to a Whole Building Site

Thirty-seven excavation, drainage, utility and demolition services under one name, from repairs to full site work.

A yellow hydraulic excavator digs a deep trench on a residential building site beside piles of red clay

Excavation & Grading ContractorsDirt work done right, from the first scoop to the finish gradeExplore

Yard Regrading & LevelingFix the low spots that are killing your lawn and soaking your foundationExplore

Land Clearing & Brush RemovalFrom tangled woods to a clean, buildable lotExplore

An open French drain trench along a house with perforated pipe wrapped in filter fabric on a bed of clean gravel

French DrainsA simple, proven way to dry a wet yardExplore

Basement & Foundation ExcavationA clean hole is where a good house beginsExplore

Gravel Driveways & CulvertsDrives that drain, culverts that flowExplore

A concrete septic tank is lowered by an excavator and straps into a freshly dug hole in a backyard

Septic System Replacement & InstallationConventional, mound, drip and aerobic systems, built to the siteExplore

All 37 Excavation Services

Free Interactive Tool

The Grading and Drainage Designer

Tilt the ground, add a French drain, a swale or a downspout line, then send a storm across your yard and watch where every drop goes. Save the plan and send it to us.

Planning aids only, not engineering, survey, soil or permit advice. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere until you choose to send it to us.

Free Interactive Tool

The Dig Volume and Haul Calculator

Enter the length, width and depth of a foundation, pond, pool or trench and see a live diagram of the dig, the cubic yards and the number of truck loads.

Planning aids only, not engineering, survey, soil or permit advice. Nothing you enter is sent anywhere until you choose to send it to us.

Transformations

From Rough Ground to Ready Ground

Eight different properties, eight makeovers. Drag the handle to see what grading, clearing, drainage, a new driveway and more can do.

After: The same yard regraded to slope away from the foundation with fresh green sod, a buried downspout line and a gravel swale — **Soggy Yard to Dry Lawn**A yard that pooled water against the foundation was regraded to drain away, with a buried downspout line and a swale.

Before: A soggy backyard with puddles and muddy grass pooling against a brick home foundation and a downspout dumping at the wall — **Soggy Yard to Dry Lawn**A yard that pooled water against the foundation was regraded to drain away, with a buried downspout line and a swale.

After: The same lot cleared to a smooth level graded building pad with a few shade trees saved and a gravel entrance — **Overgrown Lot to Building Pad**A tangle of brush and vines became a clear, level, graded pad with the best shade trees saved.

Before: A dense overgrown wooded lot of tangled brush, small trees and vines beside a road — **Overgrown Lot to Building Pad**A tangle of brush and vines became a clear, level, graded pad with the best shade trees saved.

After: The same drive rebuilt as a smooth crowned gravel driveway with a grassy ditch and a culvert with a stone headwall — **Muddy Ruts to Gravel Drive**A washed-out dirt track became a crowned gravel driveway with a ditch and a culvert.

Before: A muddy rutted dirt driveway washing out with deep ruts, puddles and a full ditch beside it — **Muddy Ruts to Gravel Drive**A washed-out dirt track became a crowned gravel driveway with a ditch and a culvert.

After: The same hillside rebuilt into two terraces with a stacked-block retaining wall, a swale and fresh grass — **Eroding Slope to Terraced Wall**A gullied hillside was rebuilt into terraces with a block retaining wall and a swale.

Before: A steep eroding hillside behind a house with gullies washed into bare red clay and a leaning fence — **Eroding Slope to Terraced Wall**A gullied hillside was rebuilt into terraces with a block retaining wall and a swale.

After: The same lot with a freshly excavated rectangular foundation hole, string lines, a gravel ramp and a yellow excavator at the edge — **Raw Lot to Foundation Dig**A weedy subdivision lot was excavated into a squared, ramped foundation hole ready for footings.

Before: A raw empty building lot in a new subdivision with uneven weedy ground and a few survey stakes — **Raw Lot to Foundation Dig**A weedy subdivision lot was excavated into a squared, ramped foundation hole ready for footings.

After: The same site as a clean level graded lot with fresh seed and straw and a gravel driveway apron — **Old House to Clean Lot**A rundown house was demolished and hauled away, leaving a clean, graded, seeded lot.

Before: A rundown abandoned small wood-frame house with a collapsed porch and overgrown weeds — **Old House to Clean Lot**A rundown house was demolished and hauled away, leaving a clean, graded, seeded lot.

After: The same farm area turned into a clear pond with calm blue water, grassy banks and an earthen dam — **Wet, Weedy Ground to Farm Pond**A reedy low area was dug into a clear pond with shaped banks and a small dam.

Before: A weedy muddy low wet area on a farm with reeds and cattails and a barn in the distance — **Wet, Weedy Ground to Farm Pond**A reedy low area was dug into a clear pond with shaped banks and a small dam.

After: The same patio replaced with a stamped decorative concrete patio in a slate ashlar pattern with a border and furniture — **Cracked Patio to Stamped Concrete**A sunken, cracked slab was removed and replaced with a stamped slate-pattern patio.

Before: An old cracked, stained and sunken concrete patio behind a brick home with weeds in the cracks — **Cracked Patio to Stamped Concrete**A sunken, cracked slab was removed and replaced with a stamped slate-pattern patio.

Illustrative design renderings of different properties. Drag the handle to compare.

All Before & After Projects

Know the Warning Signs

Your Property Is Trying to Tell You Something

Standing water, damp basements, cracks and slow drains do not fix themselves. Pick a sign to see what it may mean and what to do.

A green backyard lawn with a round black yard drain grate in a low spot and a downspout extension pipe running away from a brick house

Standing Water in the Yard

Puddles that last for days after rain, soggy grass and mosquitoes are signs that water has nowhere to go or is flowing the wrong way.

It may be

Low spots and poor slope
Downspouts that dump near the house
Compacted clay that will not drain

What to do

Note where the water pools and how long it stays, and check where your downspouts discharge. Regrading, drains or both usually solve it.

See the yard drainage contractors service

A home foundation wall excavated to the footing with black waterproof membrane and drain tile pipe being installed

A Wet or Leaking Basement

Damp walls, a musty smell or water on the floor after storms usually mean water is building up against the foundation.

It may be

Water pressure against the wall
Cracks and failed joints
Poor grade or clogged gutters

What to do

Clean the gutters, make sure downspouts carry water away and book an inspection. Exterior work stops water at the wall.

See the basement waterproofing service

Foundation repair crew members work in a deep excavation beside a house wall with hydraulic jacks and steel piers under the footing

Cracks, Sticking Doors and Uneven Floors

Wide or growing cracks, doors and windows that stick and sloping floors can point to foundation movement.

It may be

Soil that swells and shrinks with moisture
Poor drainage around the house
Settling on soft or fill soil

What to do

Take photos and mark the ends of cracks with dates. Get it looked at before fixing finishes. Drainage is often part of the answer.

See the foundation repairs service

A new white PVC sewer line being laid in a trench with a cleanout riser and gravel bedding beside a suburban yard

Slow Drains and Sewer Backups

Gurgling, slow drains throughout the house and backups at the lowest drain can signal a problem in the main sewer line.

It may be

Tree roots in the line
A cracked, collapsed or sagging pipe
Old clay or cast iron pipe

What to do

Stop running water if it is backing up, and have the line scoped with a camera. A spot repair or a replacement can fix it.

See the sewer line repair service

A Washed-Out Driveway or Ditch

Deep ruts, gullies, potholes and a ditch that overflows mean water is running down the drive instead of away from it.

It may be

No crown or too little stone
A culvert that is too small or blocked
A ditch without stabilization

What to do

Water control comes first: crown the drive, clear or replace the culvert and stabilize the ditch. Then add fresh stone.

See the gravel driveways & culverts service

Parallel drain field trenches with perforated pipe laid in clean gravel in a large yard with orange marker flags

Soggy, Smelly Spots Over the Septic Field

Wet ground, lush green strips of grass and odors over the drain field are warning signs that the system is struggling.

It may be

A clogged or overloaded drain field
Broken lines or a failed distribution box
A full or damaged tank

What to do

Reduce water use and avoid driving on the field, then have the system inspected. Early repair can save the field.

See the septic repair, tanks & drain fields service

General information, not an inspection. If you see structural damage or smell gas, leave the area and call 911.

What Makes Us Different

The Music City Excavation Difference

Honest answers, careful work and a crew that treats your property with respect.

Residential, Commercial and Farm

Homes, rentals, businesses, farms and developments, one team for all of it.

The Right Machine for the Job

Mini excavators for tight lots and full-size machines for acreage.

Utilities Located First

We have underground lines marked before every dig and work carefully around them.

Clear, Honest Options

We tell you what you need, what can wait and what you can skip.

Free Planning Tools

Designers, calculators and planners, with no sign-up.

Clean, Careful Crews

Your lawn, trees, fences and neighbors treated with care every day.

Stay Connected

See Our Work on Social

Job-site photos, project updates and a look at what our crews are building. Follow Music City Excavation, a division of Music City Builder Group, and see it first.

Facebook@musiccitybuildergroup Instagram@musiccitybuildergroup

Every Service

Everything an Excavation Company Can Do

Digging, grading, drainage, utilities, demolition and concrete, each with its own page.

A yellow bulldozer spreads and grades a wide open lot into a smooth surface with orange stake flags at golden hour

Land GradingLevel, sloped and drained exactly where it needs to beLearn more

A flat compacted gravel building pad staked with orange flags with a dozer and roller at the edge and wooded hills behind

Site Preparation & Building PadsA solid, level, drained pad is the best foundation for anythingLearn more

Pond Digging & DredgingShape the land to hold water and look beautiful doing itLearn more

An excavator digs the kidney-shaped hole for an in-ground pool in a backyard with smooth sloped earth walls

Pool ExcavationA great pool begins with a perfect holeLearn more

A tri-axle dump truck tips a load of gravel and dirt onto a job site while a wheel loader waits nearby

Dirt, Gravel & Material HaulingThe right material, delivered and spreadLearn more

A crew builds a tall stacked-block retaining wall into a hillside with gravel drainage backfill and a mini excavator

Retaining Walls & Slope StabilizationTurn a problem hillside into usable, beautiful groundLearn more

Yard Drainage ContractorsStop standing water before it reaches your foundationLearn more

Basement WaterproofingKeep water out of the basement for goodLearn more

Sewer Line RepairBackups, roots and breaks, found and fixedLearn more

Demolition ContractorsTear it down, haul it off and leave a clean, graded siteLearn more

Workers pour and finish a wide concrete driveway slab with wooden forms, a truck chute and trowels

Concrete ContractorsFlat, strong and finished rightLearn more

A beautiful stamped decorative concrete patio in a slate ashlar pattern with warm tan and charcoal color and a border band

Stamped Concrete SpecialistsThe look of stone, brick or slate, with the strength of concreteLearn more

See All 37 Services

What We Dig and Move

Clay, Gravel, Topsoil, Rock & More

A close look at the materials behind every job. Tap one to open its service.

Close-up of red Tennessee clay soil with small stones and a shovel blade pressing into it

Clay and SoilExcavation & Grading Contractors

Close-up of a pile of crushed limestone gravel in mixed sizes in sunlight

Gravel and StoneGravel Driveways & Culverts

Dark screened topsoil crumbling in gloved hands with a green seedling sprouting beside

TopsoilLand Grading

A pile of washed river sand and small pea gravel sparkling in sunlight

Sand and BeddingTrenching & Underground Utilities $Large gray limestone boulders and a fractured layered rock face in natural light$ RockRock Removal & Breaking

Smooth wet gray concrete being finished by a worker with a steel trowel

ConcreteConcrete Contractors

Close-up illustrations of the materials we dig, move and place every day.

Middle Tennessee Properties

Built for How You Live

City lots, lake slopes, estates and farms each ask something different from the ground.

A yellow mini excavator digs a footing trench on a tight infill lot between two older bungalow homes with soil piled on tarps

Tight City LotsMini excavators, careful staging and hand work where it counts.See the service

A skid steer grades a sloped lakefront lot beside a calm lake with silt fence, tall trees and a small dock

Lake and Sloped LotsGrading, erosion control and retaining walls that handle runoff.See the service

A bulldozer shapes a long curved gravel driveway through a wooded estate lot with stone pillars being set at the entrance

Estates and Long DrivesCulverts, gravel drives, pads and walls planned together.See the service

A yellow excavator digs a new farm pond in green pasture with a red barn and rolling hills in the distance

Farms and AcreageClearing, ponds, septic systems and barn and shop pads.See the service

Plan Like a Pro

Eight Free Tools to Plan Your Project

Design a grade, size a dig, calculate gravel, check a slope, plan a septic system and more, with no sign-up.

Grading and Drainage Designer

Tilt the yard, add drains and swales, then send a storm across it and watch where the water goes.

Open the tool Dig Volume and Haul Calculator

Enter length, width and depth and see cubic yards, truck loads and a live diagram of the dig.

Open the tool Gravel and Fill Calculator

Size a driveway, pad, fill area or slab and see tons, cubic yards and truck loads.

Open the tool Slope and Grade Calculator

Enter rise and run to see percent grade, degrees and whether the slope drains or needs a wall.

Open the tool Septic System Planner

Pick bedrooms and soil to see a likely tank size and the system types usually considered.

Open the tool Drainage Problem Finder

Pick what you see around your home and learn the likely causes, urgency and fixes.

Open the tool Before-You-Dig Planner

Choose your project and get the usual sequence of steps, with a checklist you can tick off.

Open the tool Budget and Payment Planner

See where a site work budget goes and estimate a monthly payment for planning.

Open the tool

The Music City Excavation Experience

From First Call to Finished Site

01

Tell Us About Your Project

Call 615-357-7797 or send the form. Tell us what is going on with your land, your house or your plans.

02

Walk the Site and Plan

We visit, look at the soil, the slope, the access and the water, and give you a clear, free estimate with options.

03

Mark, Permit and Prepare

We have underground utilities located, help with the permits and erosion control your project needs and plan where the dirt goes.

04

Dig, Build and Clean Up

Our crew does the work, keeps the site safe and tidy, restores what we disturb and walks the finished job with you.

Find Your City

Serving 16 Middle Tennessee Cities

Tap a dot to open that city’s page.

Excavation Contractors Near You

From Nashville to Franklin, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville and Gallatin, our team covers Middle Tennessee. Do not see your city? Call us.

All Service Areas

Call or request an estimate

Talk to an Excavation Pro

Free advice on grading, drainage, digging, clearing and site work, and an estimate for your property. Tell us about your project and we will get back to you.

Call us today615-357-7797 Or Request an Estimate

Good to Know

Frequently Asked Questions

Have a question about your project?

Call 615-357-7797

What kinds of work does Music City Excavation do?

We handle excavation and land grading, land clearing, foundation digs, pads, driveways, ponds, pool digs, drainage, French drains, basement waterproofing, foundation repair, sewer and water lines, septic systems, demolition, concrete, stamped concrete and masonry, for homes, farms and businesses.

Do you offer free estimates?

Yes. Call 615-357-7797 or send us a message and we will set up a free estimate. We walk the site, look at the soil, slope, access and water, and give you a clear estimate with options.

What should I do before I dig anything myself?

Call 811, the free utility locating service, a few days before you dig so underground lines are marked. We have utilities located before every dig we do.

Do I need a permit for excavation or grading?

Many projects do, especially larger grading, demolition, septic systems, ponds and anything near a stream or on a steep slope. We help you check the requirements for your address and build to them.

Why is my yard so wet?

Common causes are clay soil, low spots, a slope toward the house, downspouts that dump near the foundation, and springs. The free Grading and Drainage Designer and Drainage Problem Finder help you narrow it down before we visit.

How much dirt will my project move?

Use the free Dig Volume and Haul Calculator to turn length, width and depth into cubic yards and truck loads. We confirm the numbers on the site, because soil swells when it is dug.

What if you hit rock?

Rock is common in Middle Tennessee. We talk about it early, and if we find it we explain the options, which can include breaking it with a hydraulic hammer.

Do you work for businesses and farms?

Yes. We do commercial site work, parking lots, pads and storm drainage, and farm work such as ponds, roads, clearing and building pads.

Where do you work?

Music City Excavation serves 16 Middle Tennessee cities, including Nashville, Franklin, Brentwood, Murfreesboro, Hendersonville and Gallatin. Browse the service areas page or call us to confirm your address.

How do I get started?

Call 615-357-7797 or use the form on this page to book a free estimate. You can also try the free tools before we meet.

Ready When You Are

Let’s Get Your Project Moving

Book your free estimate. Tell us about your land and your plans and we will contact you shortly, or call now and talk to an excavation pro.

Call us today615-357-7797

Free estimates
16 Middle Tennessee cities

Get Your Free Estimate

Music City Excavation, a division of Music City Builder Group, digs, grades, drains and clears for homes, farms and businesses across Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

Call us today615-357-7797

Serving 16 Middle Tennessee cities

Company

Excavation Services

More Services

Service Areas