GRADELINE county guide
Excavation in Pima County
Soil regimes, rock depth, haul logistics and the contractors who work Pima County, Arizona — the local ground data behind every bid.
Pima County is home to roughly 1,080,149 people, part of the Tucson, AZ metro area, growing about 3.1% over the last five years, covering about 9,189 square miles of land — an urban county of Arizona where site work scales with the building cycle.
Ground conditions
Arizona's Basin-and-Range valleys are excavator country with caveats: the upper profile is loose desert alluvium, loams, sandy loams, and gravelly fan deposits that rip and load fast, but production stops at the caliche. Cemented calcium carbonate hardpans (calcic horizons) run from 12 to 36 inches below grade across the valley floors, ranging from a tooth-scoring rind to continuous pavement that demands a ripper tooth, hydraulic hammer, or hoe-ram work. Excavators plan unit costs around caliche percentage, not depth. Desert pavement and armored fan surfaces slow the first pass; deeper cuts in the basin fill stay vertical surprisingly well in dry conditions but slake and ravel when wet. Groundwater is deep and rarely a dewatering problem, which is the region's one gift to utility crews. Monsoon-season flash flooding fills open trenches in minutes, shoring, spoil setbacks, and daily weather calls are standard. Export fill and aggregate borrow are abundant; expect long hauls only for select material.
Dominant soil textures include sandy loam, loam, fine sandy loam; 29.6% of the county has bedrock or a restrictive layer within 50 inches of the surface — rock clauses belong in every bid; 38.9% of the land slopes steeper than 15%, which narrows machine choices and raises erosion-control stakes.
| Soil regime | Arizona Basin-and-Range Desert Pavement & Caliche |
|---|---|
| Dominant soils | Sandy loam, Loam, Fine sandy loam |
| Shallow bedrock (≤50 in) | 29.6% of county |
| High shrink-swell soils | 1.4% of county |
| Slope >15% | 38.9% of county |
Haul costs & materials
Haul distance moves county prices more than machine rates do. Here, the nearest major aggregate source is Marana Plant, about 2.7 miles out (with 15 active quarries within 50 miles).
Construction demand
Construction demand sets how busy crews are and how far out they book. 3,592 single-family permits were issued in the last 12 months (a -1.5% three-year trend), and 4,658 total housing units across all types, and About 16,448 residents work in construction, and 78 site-prep establishments are registered in the county.
Rough cost estimator
Bulk excavation is commonly priced per cubic yard — roughly $2 to $8 for ordinary soil and far more where rock must be hammered, which applies to a meaningful share of this county. Use the table for ballpark volumes, then confirm with line-item bids from Pima County crews.
| Project volume | Typical range | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| 100 cubic yards | $200 – $800 | Pool hole or small trenching job, easy soil |
| 500 cubic yards | $1,000 – $4,000 | House pad cut or driveway cut on easy ground |
| 1,000 cubic yards | $2,000 – $8,000 | Basement dig or modest site cut, before hauling |
| Rock excavation | $40 – $100+ / cubic yd | Hammered or blasted rock, priced separately |
| Machine + operator | $100 – $250 / hr | Hourly rate for mid-size excavator or dozer |
National ranges, not a quote: bulk excavation is usually priced per cubic yard, roughly $2 to $8 for ordinary soil and $40 to $100 or more where rock has to be hammered or blasted. Rock, groundwater and haul distance move the number most.
Excavation contractors in Pima County
Published listings from the GRADELINE directory, ranked by rating. Every crew serves its own radius — confirm coverage for your address.
Tucson, AZ
02. Behan Excavating & Hauling
Tucson, AZ
Scottsdale, AZ · ★ 5.0 (11)
Sahuarita, AZ · ★ 5.0 (2)
Tucson, AZ · ★ 5.0 (36)
Common questions
What is the ground like in Pima?
Arizona's Basin-and-Range valleys are excavator country with caveats: the upper profile is loose desert alluvium, loams, sandy loams, and gravelly fan deposits that rip and load fast, but production stops at the caliche. Cemented calcium carbonate hardpans (calcic horizons) run from 12 to 36 inches below grade across the valley floors, ranging from a tooth-scoring rind to continuous pavement that demands a ripper tooth, hydraulic hammer, or hoe-ram work. Excavators plan unit costs around caliche percentage, not depth. Desert pavement and armored fan surfaces slow the first pass; deeper cuts in the basin fill stay vertical surprisingly well in dry conditions but slake and ravel when wet. Groundwater is deep and rarely a dewatering problem, which is the region's one gift to utility crews. Monsoon-season flash flooding fills open trenches in minutes, shoring, spoil setbacks, and daily weather calls are standard. Export fill and aggregate borrow are abundant; expect long hauls only for select material. About 29.6% of the county has rock or a restrictive layer within 50 inches of the surface.
How many excavation contractors work in Pima?
GRADELINE lists 5 published excavation and site work contractors for Pima, Arizona. Search the directory by ZIP to see who covers your address.
Sources & data
- USDA NRCS SSURGO county soil data (ground conditions, shrink-swell, water table)
- FEMA National Flood Hazard Layer (floodplain share)
- US Census Building Permits Survey (construction demand)
- County permit authorities (grading, septic, burn permits)
- 811 Before You Dig, Common Ground Alliance
This guide is general information, not legal or engineering advice. Permit thresholds, fees and restrictions are set by Pima County and Arizona agencies; confirm with the county before work starts.