Expert: Bruce E. Johnson - 6/29/2009

Question
whats the best tools to used, any type of excavator tread belt to remove dirt available. do you have pic of a job step by step. whats the best way of doing this type of work.

Answer
Hi jerome, I have seen it done with a pick, a shovel and a wheelbarrow.  I have seen it done with a bobcat.  I have seen it done with a backhoe.  Basically you dig outside of the house and dig a ramp underneath one side of the house, reshoring any support columns as you go.  If your soil is soft enough the bobcat method works great!  A bobcat can make short work of the ramp.  Same with a backhoe but a backhoe can only go so far before you need to get a smaller machine.  The ramp is essential for getting the dirt out of the hole.  The longer and shallower the ramp the better if you are doing it by hand.  When I was a kid we dug the basement out from under a boarding house by hand using five gallon buckets to get the dirt out.  It's not really how you do it, it's the determination to finish it.  Halfway into that project you don't want to be throwing up your hands and quitting.  Hire a bobcat operator that has his own dumptruck, pay him by the hour and he will have your foundation dug in a day or two, especially if you are prepared to do the shoring and stuff along the way to keep the project moving forward.  Locate all of your utilities beforehand and try to dig your ramp on a utility free side if possible.  Confuscious say: "when moving a mountain you have to start with the first spoonful and finish with the last"..I hope this information helps feel free to write again regarding this or other matters, sincerely bruce e johnson..bejohnsonconsulting.com