HomeGuide's national figures for 2026 run from $2.50 to $15.00 per cubic yard of excavation, and most projects land between $1,100 and $5,600. Around Cheyenne, deep frost lines, hard caliche and the miles between a rural site and the nearest dump site are what push a price up or down.
The costs quoted on this page are national ranges published by HomeGuide, and none of them is our price. Frost depth, caliche, swelling clay, access and the long hauls of rural Wyoming all change a Cheyenne job. We read the HomeGuide pages in October 2026.
How much does excavation cost around Cheyenne?
Excavation around Cheyenne follows national figures, since no one publishes a Wyoming average: HomeGuide's range is $1,100 to $5,600 for a typical project, around a $3,500 average, with a $500 low and a $20,000 high. A septic dig on the Ranchettes, a basement in town and a ranch road are priced in very different ways.
| Project | HomeGuide national range |
|---|---|
| New home foundation pad | $1,500 to $10,000 |
| Excavating around an existing house | $5,000 to $15,000 |
| Driveway, patio or deck pad | $1,000 to $2,500 |
| Flattening a hillside or slope | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Grading for a lawn | $1,000 to $5,000 |
| Rock or ledge removal | $1,000 to $20,000+ |
| Sewer, septic or drainage trench | $500 to $1,200 |
What is the price per cubic yard to dig in Wyoming soil?
Digging costs $2.50 to $15.00 per cubic yard nationally, labor and equipment included, by HomeGuide. Loose, light soil is $2.50 to $6.00, typical soil $6.00 to $10.00, and heavy or wet soil or loose rock $10.00 to $15.00. Hard caliche can behave like rock, and rock that must be jackhammered runs $50 to $200 or more per cubic yard.
Is excavation ever charged per square foot or per acre in Cheyenne?
Shallow work, such as stripping or leveling, is sometimes charged by area: HomeGuide shows $1 to $5 per square foot and $1,000 to $3,000 per acre. Basements, septic systems and trenches are almost always priced by volume or as a whole job.
What does a Cheyenne excavator with an operator cost per hour?
An excavator, backhoe or skid steer with its operator runs $100 to $300 per hour in HomeGuide's national figures, and an operator alone $50 to $150 per hour. Most charge at least a full day, and on rural Laramie County jobs the travel time to the site is part of why.
What does it cost to book an excavator and operator for a day?
Booking a machine and operator for an eight-hour day comes to about $800 to $2,400 at HomeGuide's hourly range. Renting a mini excavator without an operator is $200 to $700 per day or $800 to $1,700 per week. Renting only makes sense if you can run the machine safely and know where every buried line is.
What does a mini excavator job cost in a Cheyenne back yard?
A mini excavator job is billed at the same $100 to $300 per hour, per HomeGuide, usually with a day minimum. Minis fit into fenced Cheyenne back yards and tight spots beside older homes. They are slower in caliche and frozen ground, so a big job is often cheaper with a larger machine.
Is there a minimum charge for a small dig?
Yes, most excavating contractors set a minimum charge. HomeGuide says minimum project fees of $500 to $800 are common, since loading and trailering the machine cost the same for a small dig.
What does a small backyard dig cost in Cheyenne?
A small backyard dig for landscaping costs $500 to $1,000 in HomeGuide's figures, and larger yard work for drainage, pipe or erosion control reaches about $5,000. Caliche close to the surface, or a narrow gate on an older Cheyenne lot, push a small job toward the top.
What does it cost to haul dirt away from a Cheyenne job?
Hauling dirt away costs $140 to $230 per cubic yard or $1,400 to $2,300 per dump truck load, as published by HomeGuide on its dirt removal page. Rocky dirt runs $175 to $265 and wet dirt $210 to $300 per cubic yard. HomeGuide also lists $3 to $10 per mile for hauls beyond the normal area, which matters on long rural runs.
Does the quote include hauling off the dirt, or is that separate?
Hauling off the dirt is included in some quotes and listed separately in others, so check before you sign. Clean sand and gravel from a Cheyenne dig is often useful as fill on the same property, and on acreage it can usually stay. On small city lots, the extra usually leaves on a truck.
What does fill dirt cost delivered in southeast Wyoming?
Fill dirt costs $5 to $25 per cubic yard and topsoil $10 to $50, as published by HomeGuide, with $50 to $150 per delivery and $200 to $400 for spreading. Good topsoil is scarce on the High Plains, which is why we save what we strip at the start of a job.
Why do excavation quotes in Cheyenne come in so far apart?
Quotes come in far apart when contractors make different assumptions about frost, caliche, hauling and scope. One may include winter frost removal and erosion control, another may leave them out. Line up the soil volume, rock or caliche allowance, hauling, fill, compaction, permits and cleanup, and the difference usually shows.
Hourly or fixed price for excavation work in Wyoming?
A fixed price is best for a clearly defined job, like a shop pad of a known size on known ground. Hourly billing suits small or uncertain work, such as finding a broken water line. Where caliche or frost may show up, a fixed price with a written hourly rate for the hard digging is fair to both sides.
Want a price for your own place? Call or text (307) 317-7006, and after a site visit we put the scope and the cost on paper.