Menlo Park Excavation and Grading Contractor
Menlo Park sites rarely look alike. A lot in Sharon Heights sits on a slope with rock close to the surface. A lot in The Willows backs up to San Francisquito Creek. A lot near Belle Haven and the Bayfront sits on soft Bay mud with groundwater a few feet down. Harris Excavation handles the excavation, grading, trenching and drainage work on all of them for homeowners, general contractors and developers across Menlo Park.
We’re a licensed general engineering contractor (CSLB #1117960) based in South San Francisco, a short drive up 101. We know the city’s tree rules and the local soil, and we know how to keep a tight residential jobsite clean when the neighbors are ten feet away.
Excavation and Grading Services in Menlo Park
- Foundation and basement excavation for new homes, additions and rebuilds. Residential excavation
- ADU and building pads cut to grade and compacted to the geotechnical engineer’s spec. Read what homeowners overlook when planning an ADU.
- Grading and drainage corrections for yards that pond, slope toward the house, or send water into the crawlspace. Residential drainage
- Utility trenching for water, sewer, storm and electrical lines, including PG&E service upgrades. Residential trenching
- Retaining wall excavation and backfill on sloped lots
- Erosion and sediment control to keep soil out of the street and storm drains. Erosion control
Digging Around Menlo Park’s Heritage Trees
Menlo Park protects a lot of its trees. Under the city’s Heritage Tree Ordinance, a tree with a trunk 15 inches or more in diameter, or a native California oak 10 inches or more, measured 54 inches above grade, is a heritage tree. When grading or construction comes within ten times a heritage tree’s trunk diameter, the city wants a tree protection plan approved before it issues a grading or building permit. Damaging one can bring fines of up to $5,000 per violation and a stop-work order.
So we plan the dig around the trees, not the other way around. Protection fencing goes up before equipment arrives, machines and stockpiles stay out of the root zone, and we switch to hand digging or vacuum excavation wherever the arborist calls for it. We’ve done this right next door: on a Palo Alto root exposure job, our crew hand-dug 150 feet of trench through hard clay without damaging a single root.
Building near a heritage tree? Send us your plans and arborist report, and we’ll price the dig around it.
Soil, Groundwater and Flood Zones
East of El Camino, and especially toward the Bayfront, much of Menlo Park sits on Bay mud and clay that holds water. Groundwater can be shallow, and parts of the city fall inside FEMA flood zones. Both affect how deep you can dig, how water in the excavation is handled, and how the finished grade has to drain.
West of El Camino the problems change to slopes, rock, and runoff coming downhill. On both sides, expansive clay is the common thread. It swells in winter and shrinks in summer, which cracks flatwork and pushes water toward foundations when the grade isn’t right. We read the geotechnical report before we bid and build the grade and drainage to match it. Our guide to Bay Area soil types goes deeper.
Menlo Park Neighborhoods We Work In
We work throughout Menlo Park, including Allied Arts, Linfield Oaks, Central Menlo, The Willows, Felton Gables, Sharon Heights and Belle Haven, plus unincorporated West Menlo Park. Nearby, we also serve Palo Alto, Redwood City and Atherton.
Why Menlo Park Builders Work With Harris
- Licensed and insured. California general engineering contractor, CSLB #1117960.
- We work with your whole team. Your architect, geotechnical engineer, arborist and general contractor get straight answers and regular updates.
- Clean, safe sites. Tight lots and close neighbors mean careful staging, swept streets and protected storm drains.
- Clear pricing. A defined scope and a written estimate before we start.
Menlo Park Excavation FAQ
Can you excavate near a heritage tree?
Yes, once the city has approved a tree protection plan for the work. We follow the plan and the arborist’s direction. That usually means fencing, hand digging or vacuum excavation inside the protection zone, and leaving larger roots intact.
Do you work directly with homeowners?
Yes. We work directly for homeowners on drainage, grading and trenching jobs, and as the excavation subcontractor for general contractors and developers on new homes and commercial projects.
Can you trench for a PG&E service upgrade?
Yes. We dig and backfill trenches for new electrical service and panel upgrades, working alongside your electrician and to PG&E’s trench requirements. We are PG&E Operator Qualified as well.
Do I need a grading permit?
It depends on how much soil is moving and how deep the cuts and fills go. Your designer or engineer usually prepares the grading plan. We’ll review your scope and tell you if it’s likely to need a permit before we price it.
Get a Menlo Park Excavation Estimate
Tell us about your lot and what you’re building. We’ll walk the site, review the plans and soils report, and send a clear written estimate.