Concrete Foundations
Level, square, and ready for what's built on top.
Excavation · Joliet & Chicagoland
Every good slab starts below the slab.
Excavation, grading, and base preparation for concrete projects across Joliet and Chicagoland, for homes and businesses. The same crew that digs it pours it, so nothing gets lost between trades.
- For
- Homes · Businesses
- Covers
- Dig-out · Grading · Base prep
- Your crew
- One crew from dig to finish.
What it covers
The work under the work.
Most of what makes concrete last happens before the pour.
Dig-out
Old concrete, soil, and unsuitable material come out to the depth the new work needs.
Grading
The site is shaped so water runs where it should, away from buildings and off the slab.
Base preparation
Soft spots are dug out and replaced with compacted gravel or crushed rock, so the slab sits on an even base.
Source: Concrete Network
Utility marking
Before any digging, JULIE marks the public utility lines. Illinois law requires whoever digs to notify JULIE at least 3 days ahead.
Source: JULIE
Drainage
Grading and base work are planned around where water goes, so it doesn't pool against the house or under the slab.
Haul-away
Spoil and old material leave the site, so it's ready for forms the same visit.
How it runs
Dig once. Dig right.
The steps are the same whether it's a driveway or a parking lot.
- 01
Walk the site
We look at access, drainage, and what's coming out, then talk through the plan.
- 02
Lines marked
JULIE marks public utilities before the dig. Private lines like sprinklers aren't marked, so point them out.
Source: JULIE
- 03
Dig out
Old material and soil come out to depth.
- 04
Grade
The site is shaped for drainage and the finished height of the new work.
- 05
Build the base
Compacted gravel or crushed rock goes down in an even layer, ready for forms.
Source: Concrete Network
One crew from dig to finish, so the base and the pour are planned together.
The standard
What a proper dig looks like.
General guidance from industry and state sources. Useful whether you call us or not.
3 days
Before digging
Illinois law requires whoever digs to notify JULIE at least 3 days before digging.
Source: JULIE
Private
Lines JULIE won't mark
Sprinklers, private lighting, sewer and septic lines, pools, and power to a detached garage aren't marked. Point them out before the dig.
Source: JULIE
Permit
Before the work
In Joliet, driveways, aprons, sidewalks, and patios need a permit with a plat of survey, even same-size replacements.
Source: City of Joliet
Even
Base under the slab
Soft spots are dug out and replaced with compacted gravel or crushed rock, so the slab sits on an even base.
Source: Concrete Network
Whoever does the digging. Illinois law requires them to notify JULIE at least 3 days ahead, not the property owner or the company the work is for.
Source: JULIE
No. Utilities only mark the lines they own. Private lines like sprinklers, private lighting, sewer and septic lines, pools, and power to a detached garage aren't marked, so point them out before the dig.
Source: JULIE
In Joliet, installing or replacing a driveway, apron, sidewalk, or patio needs a permit with a plat of survey, even at the same size and spot. Other towns set their own rules.
Source: City of Joliet
A slab is only as good as what it sits on. Soft spots are dug out and replaced with compacted gravel or crushed rock, so the slab sits on an even base and doesn't settle unevenly.
Source: Concrete Network
Yes. Spoil and old material leave the site as part of the dig, so it's ready for forms the same visit.
Not with us. The same crew excavates, grades, forms, pours, and finishes, so the base and the pour are planned together.
Get started
Let's walk the site.
Request a free quote and we'll look at access, drainage, and what's coming out, then plan the dig and the pour together. Prefer to talk? Call 815-836-1828, 7 days a week.
Free quotes, 7 days a week.