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Natural stone raised retaining wall with landscape lighting on a freshly graded and strawed slope.
Outdoor Projects

Grading & Excavation

Move the dirt correctly and everything above it works.

Get a Free Estimate(815) 914-7869
Overview

Explore our Grading & Excavation work

Grading is the least visible work we do and the most consequential. A negative slope toward the foundation puts water in a basement; a slope you cannot mow makes half the yard useless; a patio built on uncompacted fill settles no matter how good the pavers are.

We do foundation regrading, slope correction, site prep for hardscape and structures, and the excavation that goes with it — including hauling the spoil off rather than pushing it into a pile at the back of the lot.

Serving Northern Illinois & Southern Wisconsin

Based in Belvidere, IL. Free estimates, fully insured crews, and financing options available on larger projects.

(815) 914-7869[email protected]
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Large compacted gravel base pad graded and prepped beside a building by E.R. Hardscapes in Northern Illinois.
Curved segmental retaining wall with capstones holding back a raised planting bed on a wooded Northern Illinois lot.
Large paver patio at dusk with a lit rectangular fire pit and symmetrical in-ground landscape lighting.
Full backyard transformation with a paver patio, walkway, seat wall, fire pit and new planting beds in Northern Illinois.
How it works

Our Grading & Excavation process

No mystery, no surprises — here's exactly how a job runs from the first call to the final walkthrough.

  1. 01

    Shoot the grades

    We check existing elevations, find the low points and figure out where the water currently wants to go before moving anything.

  2. 02

    Locate utilities

    Utilities get located and marked before the machine starts. This is not optional and it is not skipped.

  3. 03

    Cut, fill and haul

    We cut the high side, fill the low side, and haul off the excess. Fill gets placed in lifts and compacted rather than dumped.

  4. 04

    Set final grades

    We establish a positive slope away from the foundation and consistent, mowable grades across the yard.

  5. 05

    Stabilize

    Disturbed areas get topsoil, seed and straw or sod so the new grade doesn't wash out with the first storm.

Why E.R. Hardscapes

What you get when we build it.

We're a family-run crew out of Belvidere. The work has our name on it, so we do it the way we'd want it done at home.

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  • Positive slope away from the foundation, established properly.

  • Fill placed in compacted lifts, not dumped and smoothed over.

  • Utilities located before excavation begins.

  • Spoil hauled off, not piled at the back of the property.

  • New grades stabilized with sod or seed and straw.

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Whole-yard work — design, drainage, grading, structures and lighting.

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Custom Backyard Design

A plan for the whole yard before anybody breaks ground.

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Drainage Solutions

Get the water away from the house and out of the low spot.

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Pergolas & Structures

Shade, shelter and a reason to sit out there at 2pm in July.

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Grading & Excavation

Thinking about grading & excavation?

Schedule a free estimate today. We'll come out, take a look, and give you an honest quote. Financing options are now available.

Call (815) 914-7869Email Us

Fully insured • Free estimates • Financing available