Most driveways that crack, sink or hold water didn’t fail because of the concrete or the asphalt. They failed because of what was underneath. Soft spots, poor compaction, too little stone, or a grade that sends water the wrong way will break up a good surface in a few seasons.
That’s the part we do. Garrett Excavating handles the dirt work and base prep for driveways, sidewalks, parking pads and approaches around Milford and the Greater Cincinnati area. We dig it out, get the grade right, compact it and put down the stone, so whoever places your concrete or asphalt is building on solid ground.
To be clear up front: we don’t pour concrete or lay asphalt. You hire your own concrete or paving contractor for the surface. On commercial and residential subdivision projects, we work alongside the concrete subs and coordinate the schedule so the base is ready when they show up.
Tear-out and removal. Old concrete, asphalt, gravel or root-filled topsoil gets broken up, loaded and hauled off.
Excavation to subgrade. We dig down to the depth the job calls for and remove the soft, organic or wet material that won’t hold up.
Proof-rolling and compaction. We roll the subgrade to find soft spots before stone goes down. If something pumps or moves, we dig it out and fix it now, not after the surface is in.
Stone base. We place and compact the stone base. Around here that usually means #304 (crushed limestone with fines that locks up tight), sometimes over a layer of #57 or with geotextile fabric on soft ground. Your concrete or paving contractor’s specs set the depth and type, and we build to them.
Grading for drainage. Water is the biggest enemy of any driveway. We set the grade so water runs away from your house and off the drive, not under it.
Culverts and drainage. Where a driveway crosses a ditch, we can install the culvert pipe. We can also add drains or swales where water collects.
Gravel driveways. If you want a stone driveway instead of a paved one, that’s base work done right with a finish layer of stone on top, and we can build it start to finish.
1. Look at the site. We walk it with you, check the soil and the drainage, and talk through who’s doing the surface and what they need from the base.
2. Make a plan. You get a clear scope: how deep we dig, how much stone goes in, where the water goes, and when we’ll be ready for your concrete or paving contractor.
3. Get to work. We tear out, excavate, proof-roll, place and compact the stone, and leave a finished base at the grade your surface contractor needs.
We’re a local excavating company out of Milford with a combined fifty years of experience in the dirt. We own the equipment for the job, from excavators and skid steers to rollers, and we’d rather do the base right once than come back and patch a problem that started underground.
Do you pour the concrete or lay asphalt? No. We do the excavation, grading and stone base. You hire your own concrete or paving contractor for the surface. On commercial and subdivision jobs, we coordinate with the concrete subs.
How deep does the base need to be? It depends on your soil, what’s driving on it, and your surface contractor’s specs. We’ll check the ground and build to the spec.
Can you remove my old driveway? Yes. Tear-out and haul-off of old concrete or asphalt is part of what we do.
Do you build gravel driveways? Yes. A gravel driveway is mostly base work, and we can build one start to finish.
Getting a new driveway or sidewalk? Get the ground right first. Call Garrett Excavating at (513) 905-9916, Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, or use our contact form.
