Excavation Contractors in Emmaus, PA

Excavation contractors in Emmaus rarely clear raw land, because there is almost none left. The borough covers 2.90 square miles five miles south of Allentown, and housing has reached the borough line in every direction, pushing new growth into Lower Macungie Township. That makes Emmaus a place of additions, garage replacements, drainage fixes, lateral repairs and the occasional teardown, all on lots that already have neighbors close by.

At the base of South Mountain

Emmaus sits at 436 feet and borders South Mountain. Water comes off that ridge, and the yards on the high side of town catch it first. Many drainage calls here come from homes where runoff crosses from the lot above. A curtain drain on the uphill side, a swale between properties, or simply raising and pitching a flattened grade often fixes it. We trace where the water is coming from before choosing.

An iron town's history in the ground

Donaldson Iron Company began mining and processing iron ore in 1850 and Emmaus got its first blast furnace in 1869. Old industrial sites and the Reading Company rail lines, built in 1859 and still running, are part of the borough's footprint. On older lots we sometimes find cinders, old foundations or fill from earlier eras. We separate it, haul what cannot be reused, and tell you about anything unusual.

Steady, settled housing

The 2020 census counted 11,652 residents and 5,306 housing units with a homeowner vacancy rate of just 1.2 percent. People stay and improve their homes rather than move, so a lot of our Emmaus work is long-term fixes: replacing a sinking patio base, rebuilding a garage, putting in a drain the house should have had decades ago.

Planning an Emmaus project

Because Emmaus is built out, almost every project is shaped by what is already there: a neighbor's fence a few feet away, mature trees, a detached garage in the back, an old stone wall. We walk the access route first and decide which machine fits. Small excavators can get through gates of about four feet, and we lay ground protection over lawns that have to be crossed.

Housing in Emmaus covers more than two centuries. The Shelter House dates to 1734, and the borough's 5,306 housing units include homes from every era since. Older foundations are often stone or block and may sit shallower than modern ones, so digs next to them are done in short sections without undermining the footing.

Drainage toward Little Lehigh Creek

Little Lehigh Creek flows just outside the border with Salisbury Township, and much of the borough's water heads that way. Properties on the low side of town can stay wet after storms. We route drains to legal outlets and avoid creating new problems for the lot next door.

Borough streets

The borough maintains 37.56 of its 43.64 miles of public roads. Laterals and driveway aprons that reach a borough street need borough approval, and PA Route 29, which runs through town on Chestnut Street and Cedar Crest Boulevard, is a state road under PennDOT. We sort out which applies before the work. Call (610) 756-2728 or

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