Start with the decision
Describe excavation availability as a dated planning window with conditions, not a permanent promise. Check the proposed package against current commitments and project approvals, available investigations, utility coordination and the site-access plan. A crew being free on a calendar does not establish that all project inputs will be ready.
This guide is for business-to-business project planning in the United States and Canada. For the wider trade context, visit the excavation resource hub.
Confirm capacity by package
| Package | Input needed to reserve work | Completion commitment |
|---|---|---|
| Bulk excavation | defined limits and available ground information | agreed survey and excavation records |
| Material movement | material categories and handling responsibilities | required haulage and disposal documentation |
| Formation and handoff | specified formation and receiving-trade requirements | agreed formation acceptance and handoff record |
Download the excavation crew availability worksheet (CSV)
Fill in the response, owner or source, and date checked. Keep unresolved items visible. The file contains planning prompts only; it does not calculate quantities or make an approval decision.
Put the checklist to work
- Identify the responsible scheduling contact and the date capacity was reviewed. Separate estimating availability from delivery availability.
- Confirm the work your team will deliver directly and how survey, shoring, dewatering, unsuitable material, haulage and disposal arrangements affects resource planning. Do not count unconfirmed third-party capacity as secured.
- Provide an indicative window with the assumptions required for it to hold. Explain when availability must be reconfirmed.
- Update the project contact if the window changes. Distinguish an inquiry, a provisional plan and an agreed engagement.
A scope gap worth discussing
Illustrative example — not a Build Accord client project
A quotation includes excavation but assumes material can remain on site. The project instead requires removal. Confirm classification, quantities and destination responsibilities before comparing bids.
Apply this to your decision: A dated capacity note showing the proposed window, prerequisite decisions and the next confirmation point.
Using this in the US and Canada
For a project in the United States
Record the state, local jurisdiction and actual service area. For federal notices, use SAM.gov Contract Opportunities and check the individual notice’s stage and instructions. A prime-contract notice is not automatically a subcontract invitation.
For a project in Canada
Record the province or territory, municipality and actual service area. Use CanadaBuys tender opportunities as one public-procurement source, then read the issuer’s documents and submission route. Do not assume it lists every private construction package.
For either market, state the currency, units and deadline time zone. This worksheet is general planning guidance, not a determination of licensing, procurement eligibility or technical compliance.
The next useful step
Continue with how to find excavation bid opportunities. For the other side of the conversation, see the excavation project scope guide.
Build Accord coordinates introductions between construction project teams and trade contractors. An inquiry starts a discussion of fit and availability; it does not guarantee a contractor, an invitation to bid or an award. These guides are not a listing of currently available crews or projects.