60/100CR Score
Ranked #1 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.8★ from 847 Google reviews.
Best Excavating Contractors in Santa Cruz, CA (2026)
34 excavating contractors ranked by CR ScoreUpdated 0 paid placements in this rankingHow we rank →
The short answer
- 1
Best overall in Santa Cruz: Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup, CR Score 60/100; 4.8★ from 847 Google reviews; open 24/7.
- 3
Best for emergencies (open 24/7): Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup, posts 24/7 hours; ranked #3 of 34.
- 5
Most-reviewed: Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup, 1,657 Google reviews at 4.8★, the most of 34 ranked; ranked #5.
Rankings can't be bought. Contractors can't pay to change their rank or score. How we rank
34 Santa Cruz excavating contractors are ranked here by CR Score, from ten published factors. 6 are open 24/7, 22 open Saturdays and 14 open Sundays, based on posted hours. The median Google rating is 5.0★ across 34 rated businesses.
Top 10 excavating contractors in Santa Cruz at a glance
| Rank | Business | CR Score | Google rating | Based in | Hours | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup | 60 | 4.8★ (847) | Santa Cruz | 24/7 | Overall |
| 2 | GOODENOUGH UNDERGROUND INC. | 57 | 5.0★ (8) | Santa Cruz | Sat · Sun | — |
| 3 | Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup | 57 | 4.9★ (175) | Capitola, 4 mi away | 24/7 | Emergencies |
| 4 | Lisac Land Clearing | 56 | 5.0★ (3) | Santa Cruz | Sat · Sun · Evenings | — |
| 5 | Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup | 56 | 4.8★ (1,657) | San Jose, 22 mi away | 24/7 | Most reviews |
| 6 | Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup | 55 | 4.9★ (245) | Watsonville, 14 mi away | 24/7 | — |
| 7 | Crestline Construction | 55 | 4.8★ (18) | Santa Cruz | — | — |
| 8 | Bay Area concrete and dirt removal | 53 | 5.0★ (5) | Gilroy, 22 mi away | 24/7 | — |
| 9 | The Mark Rood Company | 52 | 5.0★ (3) | Watsonville, 12 mi away | Sat | — |
| 10 | BG Excavation & Grading Inc. | 51 | 5.0★ (6) | Salinas, 24 mi away | Sat · Sun · Evenings | — |
The 34 best excavating contractors in Santa Cruz, ranked
Ordered by CR Score, a 0–100 score from ten published factors. Paid placement never changes the order.
Scores below: based on 8 of 10 factors; credentials and recency not yet collected. Hatched segments mark factors we don't have yet.
Based in Santa Cruz
57/100CR ScoreRanked #2 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 8 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in Capitola, 4 mi away
57/100CR ScoreRanked #3 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 175 Google reviews.
Based in Santa Cruz
56/100CR ScoreRanked #4 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in San Jose, 22 mi away
56/100CR ScoreRanked #5 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.8★ from 1,657 Google reviews, the most in Santa Cruz.
Based in Watsonville, 14 mi away
55/100CR ScoreRanked #6 because of its Google rating and review volume: 4.9★ from 245 Google reviews.
Based in Santa Cruz
55/100CR ScoreRanked #7 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.8★ from 18 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in Gilroy, 22 mi away
53/100CR ScoreRanked #8 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 5 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in Watsonville, 12 mi away
52/100CR ScoreRanked #9 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in Salinas, 24 mi away
51/100CR ScoreRanked #10 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in San Jose, 21 mi away
51/100CR ScoreRanked #11 because of its Google rating and review volume: 5.0★ from 252 Google reviews.
Based in Gilroy, 19 mi away
50/100CR ScoreRanked #12 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Contractor”.
Based in Saratoga, 20 mi away
50/100CR ScoreRanked #13 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 17 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Demolition contractor”.
Based in Aptos, 14 mi away
50/100CR ScoreRanked #14 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 24 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Concrete contractor”.
#15 Betz Works
Based in Capitola, 5 mi away
50/100CR ScoreRanked #15 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.6★ from 25 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Paving contractor”.
Based in Alum Rock, 23 mi away
49/100CR ScoreRanked #16 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 6 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in Interlaken, 17 mi away
49/100CR ScoreRanked #17 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in Campbell, 22 mi away
48/100CR ScoreRanked #18 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 35 Google reviews, listed on Google as “General contractor”.
Based in Aptos, 7 mi away
48/100CR ScoreRanked #19 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.9★ from 33 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Tree service”.
Based in Fremont, 22 mi away
48/100CR ScoreRanked #20 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 8 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Demolition contractor”.
Based in Morgan Hill, 22 mi away
47/100CR ScoreRanked #21 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 4 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in San Jose, 24 mi away
47/100CR ScoreRanked #22 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 4.0★ from 10 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in San Jose, 24 mi away
47/100CR ScoreRanked #23 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 3.9★ from 8 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Excavating contractor”.
Based in Ben Lomond, 8 mi away
46/100CR ScoreRanked #24 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 5.0★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Asphalt contractor”.
Based in Scotts Valley, 6 mi away
46/100CR ScoreRanked #25 because of its Google rating and trade focus: 3.7★ from 3 Google reviews, listed on Google as “Septic system service”.
All 34 excavating contractors
#1 to #25 are shown in full above. Here are #26 to #34, in CR Score order; each links to its profile.
| Rank | Business | CR Score | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26 | Watsonville Grading and Excavation, Inc | 46 | 4.6★ (10) | 17 mi |
| 27 | ECO BOX | 45 | 5.0★ (20) | 25 mi |
| 28 | Apex Asphalt Paving | 45 | 5.0★ (5) | 23 mi |
| 29 | Coastal Paving & Excavating Inc | 44 | 5.0★ (6) | 24 mi |
| 30 | Benitez Concrete Construction | 42 | 4.5★ (19) | 25 mi |
| 31 | Mc Kee's Tractor Service | 42 | 5.0★ (3) | 24 mi |
| 32 | Noecon | 41 | 5.0★ (3) | 22 mi |
| 33 | Dominguez & Sons Trucking Inc | 41 | 3.5★ (13) | 24 mi |
| 34 | Santamaria Concrete | 40 | 4.0★ (4) | 25 mi |
Also serving Santa Cruz
20 more excavating contractors within 25 mi that we can't rank yet: too few reviews, or a trade we couldn't confirm. Listed A to Z.
| Business | Google rating | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Autumn Sands Landscape | In Santa Cruz | |
| Clarity HVAC Repair Santa Cruz | 5.0★ (3) | In Santa Cruz |
| Clean cutt excavation grading paving | In Santa Cruz | |
| Concrete Builders of Santa Cruz | 5.0★ (1) | In Santa Cruz |
| Evan Esbit Construction | In Santa Cruz | |
| Friticon HVAC Repair Santa Cruz | 5.0★ (1) | In Santa Cruz |
| Gary Fusari Construction | In Santa Cruz | |
| Glenn's Trenching & Excavating | In Santa Cruz | |
| Jeff Hill & Sons Excavation | 5.0★ (2) | 9 mi |
| Jim Michel Construction | 1.0★ (1) | In Santa Cruz |
| Klein Earthworks | 5.0★ (1) | In Santa Cruz |
| Mervicon HVAC Repair Santa Cruz | In Santa Cruz | |
| Pacific Craftsman | In Santa Cruz | |
| Reber Construction Co Inc | 3.0★ (1) | In Santa Cruz |
| Renova Construction | In Santa Cruz | |
| Resolute HVAC Repair Santa Cruz | 5.0★ (1) | In Santa Cruz |
| Santa Cruz Mountains Trail Stewardship | 5.0★ (1) | In Santa Cruz |
| Stout Construction | 5.0★ (2) | In Santa Cruz |
| Thayer Cutler Construction | In Santa Cruz | |
| Tresala, LLC | In Santa Cruz |
How we ranked Santa Cruz excavating contractors
We scored 34 Santa Cruz excavating contractors on ten factors, weighted as shown. A business is ranked when its trade is confirmed and it has 3 or more Google reviews or a claimed profile. A business with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency. Other unknown factors are left out, not counted as zero. Scores last refreshed November 3, 2026.
Paid placement never changes a rank or score. Featured businesses are paid, labelled, limited to 3 and shown above the ranking, outside it.
| Factor | Weight | Computed from | In Santa Cruz data |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reputation | 25% | Google star rating, adjusted for how many reviews back it | Measured |
| Credentials | 15% | Active state license, bond and workers’ comp on file | Not yet collected |
| Review volume | 10% | Number of Google reviews, compared with the most-reviewed business on the list | Measured |
| Recency | 5% | Share of reviews from the last 12 months | Not yet collected |
| Availability | 5% | Weekly open hours, Saturday, Sunday, 24/7 or same-day | Measured |
| Trade focus | 10% | How clearly the business does this trade (its Google category and name) | Measured |
| Proximity | 5% | Based in the city scores highest, less the farther away it is | Measured |
| Claimed profile | 10% | The business has claimed its ContractorsRanked profile (free or paid earn the same) | Measured |
| Partnered | 5% | The business links to ContractorsRanked from its own website with our badge, checked periodically | Measured |
| ContractorsRanked reviews | 10% | Verified customer reviews collected by ContractorsRanked: their rating and how many there are | Measured |
Excavating contractors in Santa Cruz: frequently asked questions
Who is the best excavating contractor in Santa Cruz?
By CR Score, the highest-ranked excavating contractor in Santa Cruz, CA is Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup with a CR Score of 60/100. It has 4.8★ from 847 Google reviews. It is open 24/7. GOODENOUGH UNDERGROUND INC. (#2) and Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (#3) follow. We ranked 34 excavating contractors on ten factors, last updated November 3, 2026.
How many excavating contractors are there in Santa Cruz?
ContractorsRanked ranks 34 excavating contractors serving Santa Cruz, CA. 4 of them are based in Santa Cruz; the rest serve it from nearby towns. Another 20 within 25 mi are listed but not ranked yet. Counts are as of November 2026.
Which excavating contractors in Santa Cruz are open 24/7?
6 ranked excavating contractors in Santa Cruz post 24/7 hours. The highest-ranked are Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (#1), Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (#3) and Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (#5). Hours come from each business's Google listing as of November 2026, so call to confirm.
Which excavating contractors in Santa Cruz work on weekends?
22 of 34 ranked excavating contractors post Saturday hours and 14 post Sunday hours. The highest-ranked open Saturdays are Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (#1), GOODENOUGH UNDERGROUND INC. (#2) and Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup (#3). Posted hours are office hours; crews may book weekend jobs separately.
What Google rating do Santa Cruz excavating contractors have?
The median Google rating among 34 rated excavating contractors in Santa Cruz is 5.0★, with a median of 8 reviews. Roto-Rooter Plumbing & Water Cleanup has the most, 1,657 reviews, and ranks #5. We adjust ratings for review count, so a few five-star reviews cannot top the list.
How does ContractorsRanked rank excavating contractors?
Each excavating contractor gets a 0–100 CR Score from ten published factors, led by reputation (25%), credentials (15%), review volume (10%) and trade focus (10%). A business with no Google reviews scores zero on rating, review volume and recency; other factors we cannot measure are left out. Only businesses with a confirmed trade and 3 or more reviews, or a claimed profile, are ranked.
Do excavating contractors outside Santa Cruz count in this ranking?
Yes, if they are within 25 mi of the Santa Cruz city center, our service radius for excavating contractors. Each listing shows where the business is based and how far away it is. Proximity is 5% of the CR Score, so a nearby business gets a small edge.
Can excavating contractors pay to rank higher on ContractorsRanked?
No. The CR Score never reads payment status, and this ranking has 0 paid placements. Up to 3 Featured businesses may appear above the list, labelled Featured and showing their honest rank.
Update log for Santa Cruz
- November 2026: CR Scores recalculated for 34 excavating contractors serving Santa Cruz.
More excavating contractors and Santa Cruz pages
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