Grading · New Build Pad
St. Paul
New-Build Pad, Graded to Road
Rough and finish graded a full acre to a positive slope, ready for the foundation crew in two days.
Licensed & bonded · Minneapolis, MN
Everything below grade, handled right.
Grading, septic, demolition, foundations, and drainage — one crew, one set of equipment, from the soil boring to the final grade seed.
Licensed & insuredLocally owned & operatedFree estimatesWarranty-backed
Pick the job
Site Grading
Rough and finish grading for new builds, yard regrades, driveway pads, and shop pads — cut and filled to a positive slope away from every foundation on the lot.
Equipment
- CAT D5 dozer
- 320 excavator w/ grading bucket
- Laser-guided grader box
What you get
- Compaction in lifts, not one pass
- Topsoil stripped & stockpiled for reuse
- Grade stakes set before the blade moves
Soil note: most townships require a grading permit over 1 acre disturbed — we pull it and run the soil test before a blade touches ground.
Ask about grading
Septic Install
New conventional or mound systems sized to your perc test — tank, distribution box, laterals, and drain field, backfilled and seeded when the county sign-off comes back.
Equipment
- 305 mini excavator, tight-lot access
- Tandem dump trucks for rock & sand
- Laser level for lateral fall
What you get
- Tank risers set to grade, no more digging to find a lid
- Marker tape over every line
- System sized to soil, not guessed at
Permit note: a county septic permit and licensed designer's plan come before we open ground — we'll coordinate your perc test if you don't have one on file.
Start a septic quote
Septic Repair
Failed drain fields, collapsed tank lids, roots in the line, a system that's backing up — we diagnose it, fix what's actually broken, and add risers so it's not a full dig next time.
Equipment
- Vac truck for pumping
- Mini excavator for spot digs
- Camera line for root & blockage checks
What you get
- Spot repair, not a full-yard rebuild, when the field allows it
- Risers to grade so future service skips the dig
- County inspection sign-off pulled the same week
Soil note: a backed-up system is a call-today job — after-hours emergency service is available for active backups.
Get repair help
Demolition
Structure teardown, slab and foundation removal, debris hauled off — site cleared, graded, and ready for whatever's going up next.
Equipment
- 320 excavator w/ hydraulic hammer & shear
- Roll-off dumpsters on-site
- Water truck for dust control
What you get
- Concrete and debris sorted for recycling where possible
- Foundation dug out, not just knocked over
- Lot graded flat when the last load leaves
Permit note: a demo permit plus confirmed gas, electric, and water disconnects are required before equipment shows up — we help line up the disconnects.
Ask about a demo timeline
Foundation Dig
Basement and footing excavation cut to plan depth, spoil managed on-site or hauled, backfilled and compacted in lifts once the forms strip.
Equipment
- 320 excavator
- Compaction plate & roller
- Tandem trucks for spoil haul-off
What you get
- Cut to your engineer's exact depth, not eyeballed
- Spoil pile kept clear of the work area
- Backfill compacted in lifts to stop future settling
Soil note: footings go in below the local frost depth, no exceptions — we dig to your engineer's spec, every time.
Schedule a foundation dig
Drainage
French drains, footer drains, swales, and culverts that fix standing water at the source — not just move it a little farther across the yard.
Equipment
- Chain trencher
- Mini excavator for tie-ins
- Sock pipe & washed rock
What you get
- Drainage traced to its actual cause first
- Daylight or sump tie-in, whichever fits the lot
- Regrading included when runoff is the real problem
Permit note: regrading that changes runoff onto a neighboring lot needs a drainage plan on file with the county — we draw it up if yours doesn't have one.
Fix a drainage problem
What shows up on your job
The fleet, not a subcontractor's guess
We own our equipment and run our own crews — no waiting on a rented machine or a sub who's never seen your lot.
CAT 320 Excavator
Our workhorse — foundations, septic trenches, and tight-lot digs.
D5 Dozer
Rough grading and site clearing, blade to grade stake.
Tandem Dump Trucks
Spoil out, rock and sand in — usually the same day.
Compaction Roller
Backfill compacted in lifts — not just pushed back and hoped for.
How a dig day happens
Same three steps, every job
Whether it's a full septic install or a weekend drainage fix, the process doesn't change — we just skip steps that don't apply.
Site walk & soil read
We walk the lot, run the soil boring or perc test if septic's involved, and call 811 before anything breaks ground.
Permits & design
We pull the grading, septic, or demo permit and get the county-approved design in hand — no surprises at inspection.
Dig day
Equipment rolls in, spoil gets managed on-site or hauled, and backfill goes in compacted in lifts, not just pushed back.
Recent work
Jobs finished around Minneapolis
A look at real digs from the last couple seasons — filter by the kind of work or scroll through all of it.
Septic · Mound System
Edina
1,500-Gal Mound System
High water table meant a mound design — passed county inspection on the first visit.
Septic · New Install
Bloomington
2-Bedroom Conventional System
Tank, D-box, and laterals in over two days — first-pass perc test on a tricky corner lot.
Septic · Riser Retrofit
Richfield
Collapsed Lid + Riser Retrofit
Replaced a cracked tank lid and added risers to grade — no more digging to find it next time.
Demolition · Teardown
St. Louis Park
1970s Ranch Teardown
Full structure and foundation removed, debris hauled, lot graded flat — cleared in a single day.
Foundation · Walkout Dig
Roseville
Walkout Basement Dig
Cut to the engineer's exact frost-depth spec, spoil kept clear of the crawlspace crew's staging area.
Drainage · French Drain
Golden Valley
French Drain, Wet Walkout
Traced the water to a bad grade against the foundation — regraded and tied a footer drain to daylight.
Grading · Shop Pad
Maplewood
3 Acres Rough-Graded
Cleared and rough-graded a shop-building pad, six loads of spoil hauled off-site.
LocalOwned & operated
Licensed& insured
FreeEstimates
4.9★Rated by homeowners
Neighbors, not strangers
What local homeowners say
★★★★★
"Perc test failed with two other companies before Cutbank found a spot on our lot that actually worked. System passed inspection first try."
— Renae O., homeowner
★★★★★
"Basement flooded every spring for six years. They regraded the yard and put in a footer drain — dry ever since."
— Tom B., homeowner
★★★★★
"Called about a bad septic smell on a Friday afternoon. Vac truck was out Saturday morning and a new riser was in by Monday."
— Cheryl M., homeowner
Service area
Digging around Minneapolis & nearby
- St. Paul
- Edina
- Bloomington
- Richfield
- St. Louis Park
- Roseville
- Golden Valley
- Maplewood
Septic backupsANSWERED AFTER HOURS
Mon–Fri7:00 – 17:00
SaturdayBy appointment
SundayClosed
Call (612) 555-0100