Licensed excavation, Frenchs Forest

Excavation & Earthworks Frenchs Forest

Frenchs Forest is a bush-and-ridge suburb on sandstone around the new hospital, rock-and-retaining ground with bushfire edges. The regular jobs here are basement digs, pool digs and retaining walls. Services located first, sites left level and clean.

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Licensed operators
Dial Before You Dig
Fully insured work
Local Sydney crew
Rock
Digs handled
Mini to 35t
Machine range
4.9★
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What Northern Beaches jobs need

Rock on the headlands, sand on the flats, and bush on the plateau

Digging in Frenchs Forest depends on which ground you're on, and it changes every couple of kilometres. The headlands and the plateau are sandstone at or near the surface, so a pool or basement is rock work; the flats behind the beaches are sand over lagoon silt with the water table close, so the same pool is a shored, dewatered dig. The plateau backs onto bushfire-rated bush and the lagoons carry flood controls, so the site look sorts out which one before anything's quoted.

Sandstone sawn and broken on the headlands and plateau
Bushfire zones and tree rules followed on the plateau
Crane access planned for steep peninsula blocks with no way in
Services located before anything moves, older streets have surprises
Excavation in Frenchs Forest

What's different about digging in Frenchs Forest

Frenchs Forest, in short

Frenchs Forest sits about 17 kilometres north-east of the city. It's anchored by Northern Beaches Hospital, Forestway shops and Garigal National Park. It's ringed by Forestville, Belrose, Davidson, Beacon Hill, Killarney Heights and Allambie Heights. What's changing: knock-down rebuilds, pools and basement garages cut into the rock, and retaining on the steep blocks.

The houses, and what they need

Most of Frenchs Forest is mid-century and newer homes on steep sandstone blocks, with knock-down rebuilds throughout, over by Northern Beaches Hospital. Near Northern Beaches Hospital, the older brick and fibro is renovate-or-rebuild ground. Day to day around Forestville that's basement digs, pool digs and retaining walls.

The ground under Frenchs Forest

Frenchs Forest sits on Hawkesbury sandstone with rock close to the surface on headland and ridge blocks, out toward Northern Beaches Hospital. Toward Forestway shops the sandstone starts early, so Frenchs Forest digs are planned around rock from day one and sawn on the lines. Around Belrose, the sandstone is sawn at the boundaries and carted out as rock.

The council, access, and getting to you

Frenchs Forest is in Northern Beaches Council, and the Northern Beaches Hospital blocks carry bushfire and tree protection controls, dug to the approved plans. Machines come in to Frenchs Forest off the Wakehurst Parkway or Warringah Road, and the grade means benching and retaining.

How it runs

First call to clean handover

Every job follows the same sequence, whether it's a single trench or a full site cut.

Services located 01

Assess & quote

Site visit, plan review and Dial Before You Dig. One clear quote covering dig, cartage and cleanup.

Access protected 02

Set out & protect

Levels marked, driveway and surfaces protected, machine sized to the site.

Spoil carted 03

Dig & cart

Dug to plan and level, spoil carted as we go so the site keeps moving.

To level 04

Trim & hand over

Site trimmed, tidy and to level, ready for the next trade.

A trench can be a day, a basement can be weeks. Dates come with the quote, not after.

Where we work

Where around Frenchs Forest we dig

Frenchs Forest and the streets around it, from the older estates to the new blocks.

ForestvilleBelroseDavidsonBeacon HillKillarney HeightsAllambie Heights
Northern Beaches

Excavation across Frenchs Forest

From the older streets to the newer blocks, Frenchs Forest and the suburbs around it. If you're anywhere in the Frenchs Forest area, we can get to you.

See the whole Northern Beaches →
Recent work

Sites we've dug

Backyards to building sites, right across Sydney.
Penrith Site cut
Castle Hill Pool dig
Ryde Basement
Liverpool Civil
“Very easy to deal with.
Excellent communication”
Priya, Penrith
“Left the site spotless.” Dave, Castle Hill
“Would definitely recommend them!” Marcus, Ryde
“Great job thanks so much.” Lauren, Liverpool
“Very easy to deal with. Excellent communication” Priya, Penrith “Left the site spotless.” Dave, Castle Hill “Would definitely recommend them!” Marcus, Ryde “Great job thanks so much.” Lauren, Liverpool
“Very easy to deal with. Excellent communication” Priya, Penrith “Left the site spotless.” Dave, Castle Hill “Would definitely recommend them!” Marcus, Ryde “Great job thanks so much.” Lauren, Liverpool

Excavation in Frenchs Forest, answered

How much does excavation cost in Frenchs Forest?

It depends on the volume of material, the ground (hawkesbury sandstone with rock close to the surface on headland and ridge blocks), access for the machine and how far spoil has to be carted. Every job gets a written quote after a site look, with the dig, cartage and cleanup spelled out, so you know what’s included before anything starts.

Do I need council approval before you dig in Frenchs Forest?

Usually, if the excavation is part of a build. Cut and fill beyond set limits, work near boundaries and anything on a lot with a flood, bushfire or heritage overlay needs approval as part of the DA or CDC. We work to the approved plans; check with your certifier before the dig is booked.

How long does an excavation job take in Frenchs Forest?

A trench, pool dig or single pad is a day or two; a knock-down site cut or a basement runs longer and depends on volume, ground and weather. Dates come with the quote, not after.

Is there rock in Frenchs Forest?

Yes. Hawkesbury sandstone with rock close to the surface on headland and ridge blocks. On the headlands, the plateau and the slopes, sandstone is at or near the surface, so pools, basements and garage cuts are rock jobs: sawn at the boundaries, broken in the middle, carted as rock. It’s in the quote from the site look.

Can you dig a pool into the rock on my Frenchs Forest block?

Yes, and it’s the standard slope pool. The shell outline is sawn into the sandstone, the middle is broken out, and the rock is craned or barrowed out where there’s no side access. Slower than sand and priced for it.

My Frenchs Forest block backs onto bush with a bushfire rating. What does that mean for the dig?

Asset protection zones set how far the bush is cleared back and the BAL rating changes the build. Clearing is done to the approved plan, and on the plateau the ground under the bush is usually sandstone, so the pad is rock work as well.

Do you do knock-down rebuild site cuts in Frenchs Forest?

Yes. The old house down, slab and footings out, the block stripped and the new pad cut and compacted, as one run if you want the demolition handled too.

Do you do duplex site cuts in Frenchs Forest?

Yes. One house down, the block stripped, and two pads cut and compacted to the engineer’s spec, with the basement dug if the design has one.

What happens next

Tell us the job. We'll size it up.

Tell us the suburb, the access and what needs digging
We'll come out and look before quoting anything
You'll get a written quote with what's included spelled out
The machine's matched to your access, not whatever's free
Clear on spoil, cartage and cleanup before we start
No obligation, no pressure
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Excavator arm breaking rock on a Sydney site
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Tell us about the job. We'll look at the site before quoting, so you know what's included before anything starts.

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