Earthworks & Excavation
Earthworks is the part of a job that decides how well everything after it goes, and it is usually the part with the least room for improvisation. We take it on both as standalone work and as the groundwork stage of our own landscaping and grounds jobs: levelling and site preparation, trenching for services and drainage, clearing, and the general shifting of material that a site needs before anything can be built or planted on it.
Alongside our grounds maintenance work, we take on earthworks and excavation: bobcat work, trenching, levelling and site preparation, for jobs ranging from small residential projects to larger rural and commercial site works.
- Excavation
- Bobcat Work
- Site Preparation
- Trenching
- Levelling
- Property Clearing
- Landscape Excavation
- Rural Projects
- Small and Large Earthworks
The machines, and what each one suits
We run Bobcat S770 and S650 skid steers in tracked and wheeled configurations, and Bobcat E50 and E20 excavators. The size difference matters more than it sounds. The E20 is the machine that fits through a side gate and works in a backyard without taking the fence out, while the E50 and the larger skid steers handle volume on open sites. Attachments cover most of the rest: earthmoving buckets, grabs, augers, forestry mulchers and slashers, so a machine that arrives for one task can usually handle the next without a second visit.
Site preparation and levelling
Levelling looks simple and rarely is. Ground has to be cut and filled to a consistent grade, fill has to be compacted rather than just spread, and water has to be given somewhere to go that is not towards a building. Getting that wrong shows up later as settling, soft spots and drainage that runs the wrong way, by which point whatever was built on top has to come off to fix it. We would rather spend the extra time at this stage than come back to it.
Trenching and drainage
Trenching for services, stormwater and ag lines is routine work, and most of the difficulty is in what is already underground. Existing services, rock and unexpected fill all change the job once the ground is open. Around Bathurst and the Central West rock at shallow depth is common enough to plan for, and it is the main reason a trenching job that looked straightforward on the surface takes longer than the metres suggest.
Tight access and residential sites
Residential earthworks is mostly a problem of getting the machine to the work and the material out again. Narrow side access, established gardens, driveways that will not take weight and neighbours close on both sides all narrow the options. The E20 exists for exactly this, and the tipper and tray trucks handle spoil removal so material is not left stockpiled on a suburban block for weeks.
Common Questions
Earthworks & Excavation, answered.
What size machines do you run?
Bobcat S770 and S650 skid steers in tracked and wheeled configurations, and Bobcat E50 and E20 excavators, with buckets, grabs, augers, mulchers and slashers as attachments.
Can you get into a tight backyard?
Usually. The E20 excavator is the machine for restricted access and will fit through most side gates. Worth measuring the narrowest point before we come out so we bring the right machine.
Do you do trenching for services and drainage?
Yes, including stormwater and ag lines. Shallow rock is common around the Central West, so we plan for it rather than being surprised by it.
Do you supply an operator, or is it dry hire?
We supply the machine and the operator and do the work. We are not a dry hire yard.
Do you remove the spoil?
Yes. Tipper and tray trucks take material off site rather than leaving it stockpiled, which matters most on residential blocks where there is nowhere to put it.
Where we do earthworks & excavation
Bathurst and Kelso are the core of it, and we cover the wider Central West from there. Conditions change quickly across the region, so the schedule and method follow the district rather than a single regional calendar.
Also serving Bathurst, Kelso, O'Connell, Portland, Wallerawang and the surrounding Central West NSW districts.
Other Services
More ways we can help.
Residential Services
Lawn mowing, garden maintenance and property upkeep for homes and weekenders across the Bathurst region.
Learn moreCommercial Grounds Maintenance
Scheduled grounds maintenance for schools, education campuses, aged care, strata and industrial sites across the Bathurst region.
Learn moreLandscaping
Landscape renovations, garden beds and property makeovers for residential and commercial sites.
Learn moreRural & Acreage Services
Acreage mowing, slashing and property maintenance for rural landholders across the Central West.
Learn moreWeed Management
Weed control and herbicide application for rural, commercial and noxious weed management needs.
Learn moreView All Services
See the full list of what Markwicks can help with.