Ohio County, IN Contractor directory
Excavation contractors in Ohio County, IN
7 verified excavating and site work contractors serving Ohio County.
County excavation guide
Ground conditions and project requirements in Ohio County
Use this local research to understand soil, seasonal constraints, permits, and jobsite logistics before choosing a contractor.
Skip to 7 contractorsSoil Regime ProfileEPA Ecoregion 71, 70 (Interior Low Plateaus, Western Allegheny Plateau)
Indiana South-Central Karst Limestone & Upland Hills
Dominant Soil Order: Alfisols / Inceptisols
Parent Material: Mississippian Limestone and Siltstone Bedrock with Thin Colluvial and Loess-Derived Silt Loam
South-central Indiana is cave country, and excavation reflects it. Brown, Monroe, Lawrence, Orange, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd and the neighboring hill counties carry slopes over 15 percent on 30-65 percent of their land and thin silt-loam soils directly over Mississippian limestone. Shallow bedrock occurs on a quarter to half of most counties, but the depth is erratic: karst dissolution can put sound rock at 3 feet in one spot and 30 feet of residual clay in the next, on the same site. That variability, more than the rock itself, is the excavation story: test pits rather than assumptions, septic systems designed around fractured-rock percolation, and real risk of voids, sinkholes, and sinkhole-prone stormwater rules. Slope work is constant: bench cuts, retaining structures, and erosion control on hillside access drives. Hydric soils are rare and shrink-swell is negligible, so this regime's trade is the opposite of the northern lake plain: excellent drainage, honest rock, and engineering for slope and karst instead of water.
Geographic Footprint:Indiana's south-central hill counties (Brown, Monroe, Lawrence, Orange, Washington, Crawford, Harrison, Floyd, Perry, Martin, Owen, Jackson, Dubois, Dearborn, Ohio, Switzerland, Jefferson, Clark, Scott, Jennings) sit on karst limestone: thin silt loams, shallow erratic bedrock, sinkholes, and steep slopes. Septic and foundation work here turns on limestone depth and slope benching.
Geotechnical Baseline
Physical Ground Conditions & Soil Properties
Shallow Bedrock (<50 in)
41.4%of county land area
High likelihood of bedrock refusal; hammer / ripper required for deep utilities.
High Shrink-Swell Clay
0.0%expansive soil
Low volumetric expansion risk in native subgrade.
Median Water Table Depth
30inches from surface
Moderate depth; seasonal wet perched water tables possible in spring.
Hydric / Wetland Soils
0.5%hydric coverage
Indicates poor natural drainage and potential jurisdictional wetland pockets.
Steep Terrain (Slope >15%)
60.3%of terrain
Mountain/hilly terrain; terracing, benching, and tracked haulers frequent.
Septic Severe Limitations
96.1%severe rate
High rate of conventional drainfield limitations; engineered or drip systems often required.
Dominant Soil Textures:Silt loamSilty claySilty clay loam
Surface Stones / Boulders: 41.8% coverage
Compliance & Permitting
Earthwork Regulations & Permit Thresholds
Stormwater & Erosion Control
IDEM Construction Stormwater General Permit INRA00000 under Rule 5 (327 IAC 15-5); 1 or more acres; IDEM moving to administratively issued CGP
Administers NPDES stormwater discharge coverage for land-disturbing construction activities.
State Threshold:1.00 Acre
Local Threshold:Follows state
Onsite Wastewater & Utilities
Ohio County Local Health Department
Jurisdiction over septic tank permits, soil evaluation perk tests, and drainfield sizing.
Housing on Septic:55.0%
Soil Evaluation:On-site soil evaluation with soil profile to 5 ft, described per NRCS guidelines, before application; rule under revision
811 One-Call Requirements
Indiana 811
Mandatory notice window: 48 hours prior to mechanized earthwork (excluding weekends and legal holidays).
Licensing & Clearing Permits
Weather & Ecology
Seasonal Constraints & Clearing Windows
Frozen Ground Days
0days / year
Typical days with sub-freezing soil conditions affecting digging.
Wet Season Months
May
Peak precipitation window requiring sediment traps and soil aeration.
Supply Chain & Hazards
Logistics, Aggregate Sources & Geohazards
Aggregate & Material Supply
Laughery Pit
Nearest active quarry: 4.9 miles haul distance.(43 active crushed stone/sand operations within 50 miles).
Flood & Hazard Overlay
FEMA 100-Yr Flood:16.3%(100% NFHL digital map coverage)
NWI Wetlands:12.3%jurisdictional coverage
Karst Terrain & Sinkhole Risk: Low
31.3% of county underlain by soluble carbonate rock formations.
HUC8 Primary Watersheds:Middle Ohio-Laughery
Public conservation land: 0.1% (USGS PAD-US).
Area-specific FAQ
Do I need to call before digging in Ohio County?
Yes. You should contact Indiana 811 at least 2 working days before any digging so underground lines can be marked.
How deep do footings need to be in Indiana?
In Indiana, footings typically need to extend below the frost line, which is around 42 inches here. A local contractor will confirm the code requirement for your site.
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Excavation contractors serving Ohio County
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