How Long Does Driveway Excavation Take? (Timeline)

Why Timeline Matters as Much as Price

Homeowners usually ask "how much" before "how long" — but the timeline often matters just as much. For the "how much" side, see our driveway excavation cost guide. A driveway excavation takes out vehicle access, forces rearranged parking, tears up landscaping, and blocks deliveries. Planning that properly requires a realistic schedule, not just a ballpark cost.

Unfortunately, a lot of contractor timelines are wishful. "Couple of days" is a common quote for jobs that realistically take a week. Weather slips. Haul-off trucks run late. Unmarked utilities pop up. The permit office takes a vacation.

This guide lays out a realistic day-by-day schedule for a typical Oregon driveway excavation, what causes delays, and how to plan around them.

Industry Baseline Pricing and Timeline Together

Published averages rarely pair cost and timeline. Here they are side by side for common Oregon driveway jobs.

Industry Baseline Range

Scope	Typical Timeline	Industry Baseline Cost
Small residential asphalt excavation + install	3 – 6 days	$3,500 – $14,000+
Standard residential asphalt	5 – 10 days	$6,000 – $22,000+
Small residential concrete	4 – 7 days	$5,000 – $18,000+
Standard residential concrete	6 – 12 days	$8,000 – $30,000+
Long rural driveway, gravel	1 – 4 weeks	$15,000 – $100,000+
Sloped hillside driveway cut-and-fill	5 – 14 days	$10,000 – $55,000+
Demolition only, standard driveway	1 – 3 days	$2,500 – $15,000+
Excavator + operator, hourly	hourly	$150 – $350+ per hour

These figures reflect published industry averages. Current market pricing and timelines vary significantly and actual projects may run well outside these ranges based on soil, access, weather, permits, and site conditions.

Current Market Reality

The industry baseline ranges above represent ideal conditions — easy access, workable soil, shallow depth, minimal haul-off. In practice, actual project costs frequently exceed published averages by 2 to 3 times when complications arise. Oregon's clay soils, rocky terrain, unmarked utilities, permit requirements, and disposal fees can all push costs well above baseline figures. The only reliable way to know your actual cost is through an on-site assessment.

Short mobilization days and small jobs carry a $500 – $1,500+ minimum callout regardless of how brief the work itself is.

Typical Day-by-Day Schedule: Standard Residential Driveway

Here is what an unhurried, correctly-scoped standard residential driveway replacement commonly looks like in Oregon's dry season.

Pre-Mobilization (before Day 1)

• Permit submitted and approved (1 – 6 weeks before mobilization depending on jurisdiction)
• 811 Oregon Utility Locate request placed 2+ business days before digging
• Materials ordered (aggregate, geotextile, finish material)
• Access plan confirmed — equipment route, parking, neighbor notice

Day 1 — Setup and Demolition

• Site protection and fencing
• Utility locates verified on-site
• Saw-cutting at clean edges (sidewalks, garage slab, retaining walls)
• Demolition of existing surface (asphalt or concrete)
• First haul-off loads leaving the site

Day 2 — Demolition Finish and Excavation

• Demolition completes
• Excavation of subgrade to finished depth
• Subgrade inspection — is the base sound, is dewatering needed?
• Additional haul-off if subgrade material is unsuitable

Day 3 — Subgrade Prep and Base Placement

• Geotextile fabric placement over clay subgrade
• First lift of base course crushed rock — see our driveway base preparation guide for section specs
• Compaction pass 1

Day 4 — Base Build-Up

• Second lift of base course
• Compaction pass 2
• Grade check — is the finish elevation correct?
• Any edge forms or curbs placed for concrete driveways

Day 5 — Surface Prep and Drainage

• Final base course lift
• Final compaction and grade
• Drainage features (French drains, trench drains, curbs) installed
• Paving or concrete placement scheduled for the paving crew

Days 6 – 8 — Paving or Concrete Placement

• For asphalt: paving crew arrives, places 2 – 4 inches of asphalt in 1 – 2 lifts, compacts
• For concrete: forms final, rebar or mesh placed, concrete poured, finished, cured under plastic or blankets

Days 9 – 10 — Cure, Cleanup, Inspection

• Asphalt cools and is drivable within 24 – 72 hours, fully cured in 30 days
• Concrete is drivable at 7 days, fully strong at 28 days
• Site cleanup, site restoration, final grade of surrounding landscape
• City or county final inspection if permit required

What Delays a Driveway Project

Delays are not the exception — they are the norm on driveway work. Common causes:

• Weather. Heavy rain stops asphalt paving and makes concrete placement unreliable.
• Permit delays. A permit that was supposed to come through in 2 weeks takes 6.
• Unmarked utilities. 811 locates do not cover private utilities (your own water line, septic components, landscape lighting). Finding one mid-dig stops work.
• Subgrade surprises. Soft clay, old fill, buried debris, or an unexpected water table change the scope mid-project.
• Delivery slippage. Aggregate trucks late, asphalt plant delayed, concrete trucks redirected.
• Crew conflict. Paving crew double-booked, concrete finisher out sick.
• Adjacent work discovery. Cracked sidewalk, failed curb, or damaged apron that has to be addressed before replacement goes in.
• Inspection lag. City inspector books out 3 – 5 business days.

Build a buffer of 30 – 50% into any driveway schedule you share with family or plan around.

Oregon-Specific Timeline Factors

Wet-season delays (November – April). Rain causes direct work stoppage (asphalt cannot be placed in heavy rain), indirect slowdown (equipment bogs in mud), and compaction problems (saturated clay will not compact cleanly). Many contractors add 30 – 100% to wet-season schedules.

Paving window (roughly May – October). Asphalt paving is effectively limited to the dry season. A driveway excavated in December may wait until spring to be paved. Plan for a temporary gravel or plate surface if the schedule splits seasons.

Freeze-thaw caution. Late-fall pours of asphalt or concrete can be compromised by early freeze events. Weather-delay days are common in October and April.

Permit lag by jurisdiction. Portland, Washington County, and ODOT reviews often run longer than counties east of the Cascades. Build jurisdiction-specific buffer.

Mobilization distance. Rural sites lose a day or more of productivity to mobilization at the beginning and demobilization at the end. Long hauls for aggregate or disposal add schedule time.

Neighbor access. On shared driveways or tight suburban sites, coordinating access with neighbors can add a day of coordination.

How to Plan Around a Driveway Project

• Park off-site for the duration of the project plus cure time
• Notify deliveries — UPS, USPS, food delivery, trash pickup — that access is limited
• Arrange for pets and kids so they do not wander onto an active work site
• Clear a path for the crew from their parking to the work zone
• Schedule around major events — do not try to do a driveway replacement in the week before a family gathering
• Account for cure time — concrete is drivable at 7 days and fully strong at 28. Do not park heavy loads during cure.

When DIY Makes Sense vs. Hiring a Pro

Timeline expectations differ dramatically between DIY and professional work. A DIY homeowner working weekends can stretch a 1-week professional job into a 4 – 8 week project. On any driveway replacement with real scope, the time-plus-rental math usually favors hiring a pro.

DIY fits for:

• Minor repair work (crack filling, small patches)
• Gravel surface refresh on an existing properly built driveway

Hire a professional for anything involving full excavation, base replacement, or paving. Our how to hire a residential excavation contractor guide covers what separates a reliable schedule from a guess.

Permits & Code Considerations

• Permit submission adds 1 – 12 weeks to the front of any project that requires one
• Inspection scheduling can add 1 – 5 business days per inspection stage
• Any rework required by a failed inspection adds 1 – 5 days on top of the original schedule
• ODOT approach permit reviews in particular can extend project start dates substantially

What to Look For in an Excavation Contractor

• Oregon CCB license in good standing
• General liability insurance at $1M or higher
• A written schedule with specific days allocated to demo, excavation, base, surface, and cleanup
• A buffer built into the timeline for weather and permit contingencies
• Clear communication on delays when they happen
• 811 Oregon Utility Locate compliance
• Local references on comparable driveway projects

Get a Free Excavation Estimate

A realistic timeline starts with a realistic site assessment. Any contractor who quotes you a schedule from a phone call or a satellite photo is guessing. On-site evaluation is the only way to build a schedule you can plan around — see our residential excavation services page for what a site visit includes.

Get a free excavation estimate or learn more about our services. See examples of completed driveway projects on our project portfolio, and browse more guides in our resources section.

FAQ

How long does driveway excavation take in Oregon? A small residential driveway excavation and install typically takes 3 – 6 days. A standard residential driveway runs 5 – 10 days for asphalt or 6 – 12 days for concrete. Long rural driveways and sloped hillside cut-and-fill jobs can take 1 – 4 weeks or more. Wet-season work extends all of these timelines by 30 – 100%.

How long before I can drive on a new driveway? A new asphalt driveway is typically drivable within 24 – 72 hours after paving, though it continues to cure for up to 30 days and should avoid heavy parking in the first week. A new concrete driveway is drivable at 7 days and reaches full strength at 28 days. Your contractor will give you specific instructions based on the mix used.

What delays driveway projects most often? The top delays are weather (especially rain on asphalt jobs), permit lag, unmarked private utilities, subgrade surprises, and material or crew scheduling conflicts. Building a 30 – 50% buffer into any driveway schedule is realistic.

How much does driveway excavation cost per day? Excavator and operator hourly rates commonly run $150 – $350+ per hour, which translates to roughly $1,200 – $2,800+ per day of excavator work. A full driveway project includes much more than the excavator time — demolition, hauling, materials, paving, and labor all add to the daily cost.

Should I schedule my driveway project in winter or summer in Oregon? The May–October dry season is the preferred window for asphalt driveway work because asphalt paving requires dry conditions. Concrete work is possible year-round but easier in the dry season. Gravel driveway maintenance can happen any time. Winter driveway replacement is possible but takes longer and costs more.

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