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Water stops finding its way into your basement every time it rains. The yard that’s been pooling and eroding for years finally drains the way it should. That’s not a small thing for a lot of Lansdowne homeowners dealing with original lot grading from the early 1900s, it’s the fix they’ve been putting off for too long.
Lansdowne sits right along Darby Creek, and the Delaware County Conservation District has specifically documented flooding and stormwater problems throughout this watershed. That context matters when we grade your yard. Moving dirt without a drainage plan doesn’t solve the problem it just relocates it. Every excavation and grading project we handle here is approached with that in mind from the start.
Beyond drainage, proper site preparation opens the door to everything else you’ve been thinking about a patio, a retaining wall, a leveled yard that actually works for your family. And because we handle excavation through to finished outdoor spaces, you’re not left coordinating three separate contractors after the dig is done. One team, start to finish.
We’re based in Aston, PA about ten miles southwest of Lansdowne along Baltimore Avenue. That’s not a technicality; it means our crew works in the same soil conditions, navigates the same Delaware County permit environments, and understands the drainage dynamics that come with being in the Darby Creek watershed. We know Lansdowne’s lot configurations and the specific challenges they present.
Out of more than 125,000 licensed Pennsylvania contractors, we rank in the top 11% on BuildZoom with a score of 102. That’s a third-party ranking any homeowner can look up independently not a badge we gave ourselves. Our PA contractor license is active and verified, which matters in Lansdowne specifically because the borough’s construction permit process requires a contractor’s registration number as part of the application.
Renato Spennato is personally named in customer reviews across multiple platforms. One BuildZoom reviewer called it “arguably the best contractor experience I have had as a homeowner” and noted the crew was “always on time or early.” In a borough as tight-knit as Lansdowne, that kind of documented track record travels.
It starts with a site assessment before any equipment is scheduled. For Lansdowne properties especially those in the Albertson neighborhood or near the Lansdowne Park Historic District we account for lot size, proximity to neighboring foundations, existing drainage patterns, and whether the project falls under HARB review. If a Certificate of Appropriateness is required before a construction permit can be issued, we identify that upfront, not after the fact.
From there, we handle the permitting as part of the project. Lansdowne Borough requires a contractor’s PA registration card, proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance with the borough listed as the certificate holder, and project drawings before a construction permit is issued. If you’ve never pulled a permit in Lansdowne before, that process can feel like a lot we take care of it.
Once permits are in order, the excavation and grading work begins. We use bulldozers, excavators, and loaders matched to residential-scale work important on Lansdowne’s small, dense lots where neighboring properties are close. The job isn’t finished when the dirt is moved. Proper compaction, drainage slope, and cleanup are part of what we deliver. If the project continues into masonry, paving, or outdoor living work, the same team carries it through.
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Lansdowne’s housing stock is predominantly Victorian-era construction most of it built between 1881 and 1930. The original grading and drainage infrastructure on these properties wasn’t engineered to modern standards, and it wasn’t designed for today’s level of impervious surface coverage. That’s a specific set of conditions that requires more than a machine operator. It requires someone who understands what’s likely underneath before the first bucket of soil is moved.
We provide residential site preparation, land grading, yard leveling, drainage correction, retaining wall excavation, utility trenching, and full site clearing throughout Lansdowne. The borough’s zoning code restricts impervious surface coverage so any project that involves adding hardscape needs to be planned with those limits in mind from day one. That’s not a detail to figure out after the permit gets denied.
For properties near Hoffman Park or along the southern edge of Lansdowne where Darby Creek proximity increases drainage complexity, our grading approach is more involved. Stormwater management isn’t an afterthought it’s built into how we plan and execute the work. And because our full scope extends from excavation through to finished patios, retaining walls, and outdoor living spaces, the site preparation is designed with the finished project in mind, not just the dig.
Yes, in most cases. Lansdowne Borough requires both a zoning permit and a construction permit for grading, site preparation, and exterior alterations. The zoning permit comes first and Lansdowne’s form-based zoning code, which the borough adopted in 2008, regulates building form and impervious surface coverage in addition to land use. The borough’s own FAQ specifically states that cementing a backyard requires a zoning permit because of stormwater-related impervious surface restrictions.
For the construction permit, you’ll need a signed contract, the contractor’s Pennsylvania registration card and number, project drawings, and proof of general liability and workers’ compensation insurance with Lansdowne Borough listed as the certificate holder. That last requirement catches a lot of contractors off guard. If your contractor can’t provide that documentation, the permit application won’t move forward. We carry the proper coverage and can provide what the borough requires.
Nationally, residential excavation averages around $3,975, with most projects falling somewhere between $1,600 and $6,700 depending on scope. In the Philadelphia suburban corridor which includes Delaware County and Lansdowne labor rates run roughly 15 to 25 percent higher than rural Pennsylvania, so budgeting above the national average is realistic.
What drives cost variation most is the scope of the work: how much material needs to be moved, how accessible the site is, what the soil conditions are like, and whether drainage corrections or retaining structures are part of the project. Lansdowne’s clay-heavy soils and older lot configurations can add complexity compared to newer suburban properties. The best way to get an accurate number is a site visit square footage estimates without seeing the actual property and its drainage conditions tend to miss important variables.
It can, yes. If your property falls within the Henry Albertson Subdivision Historic District or the Lansdowne Park Historic District both listed on the National Register of Historic Places exterior alterations may require a Certificate of Appropriateness from Lansdowne’s Historic Architectural Review Board (HARB) before a construction permit will be issued. This applies to erection, reconstruction, alteration, and related work, which can include excavation and grading that’s part of a larger exterior project.
The HARB review adds a step to the process that homeowners outside historic districts don’t face. It’s not insurmountable, but it needs to be identified and accounted for in the project timeline upfront. If you’re not sure whether your property falls within one of these districts, the borough’s zoning office can confirm it. Either way, it’s worth knowing before you schedule a dig.
Darby Creek forms the actual southwestern and southern border of Lansdowne, and it’s a documented problem area. The Delaware County Conservation District has stated that flooding and stormwater have plagued the watershed due to overdevelopment and failed or nonexistent stormwater controls. Lansdowne Borough participates in the Eastern Delaware County Stormwater Collaborative specifically because of these ongoing drainage challenges.
For properties in the southern portion of Lansdowne particularly those near Hoffman Park and the Darby Creek corridor grading decisions carry more weight than they would on a property further from the watershed. Improper grading in these areas doesn’t just create a wet yard; it can direct water toward neighboring foundations, worsen erosion, and create stormwater compliance issues. Any site preparation work in this part of Lansdowne needs to account for how water moves across and off the property, not just how the finished grade looks.
We handle both and that’s actually one of the more practical differences between us and a dig-only excavation company. Most excavation contractors in Delaware County move the dirt and leave. You’re then responsible for finding a mason for the retaining wall, a landscaper for the yard, and a paver for the patio and when something doesn’t line up between trades, nobody takes clear ownership of the problem.
Our scope covers excavation, land grading, retaining walls, patios, driveways, and full outdoor living spaces under one roof. For Lansdowne homeowners improving older Victorian properties where multiple trades are typically involved, that means one contract, one timeline, and one point of contact from the site prep through to the finished space. The excavation is planned with the finished project in mind which means the grading, drainage slope, and compaction are done to support what’s going on top of it, not just to clear the lot.
Spring and fall are the most practical windows for most Lansdowne homeowners. Spring is peak demand season homeowners who spent winter planning projects start booking in March and April, and scheduling fills up fast. If you have a drainage or grading issue that’s been getting worse with spring rain, that’s also the time of year when the urgency is hardest to ignore.
Fall is often the better move if you’re not in immediate need. The ground is workable, the weather is cooperative, and scheduling is more flexible. For homeowners who want a patio, retaining wall, or leveled yard ready for spring, fall excavation and site prep is the right sequence. Summer work is steady but worth noting that Lansdowne’s clay-heavy soils can harden significantly during dry stretches, which affects excavation difficulty and equipment requirements. Winter is possible but adds cost ground frost is less consistent here than in inland Pennsylvania, but it’s still a variable that affects both scheduling and price.
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