Excavation services in the Axarquía and Málaga
We're an excavation company based in Vélez-Málaga with our own machinery and lorries. We dig out swimming pools, basements, foundations, trenches and water tanks across the Axarquía and Málaga, including on hillsides, in rock and with narrow access. If the land is yours, we send a surveyor free of charge, look at the ground and give you a fixed quote with soil removal included.
- Since 2006 building across the Axarquía
- Our own machinery and quarry used by our own crew
- 5,0 ★ on Google
- Fixed quote in writing
Quick answer: MURES is an excavation and earthworks company based in Vélez-Málaga. We carry out excavations in the Axarquía and east Málaga with our own machinery: trenches, land levelling and plot preparation. We visit the site and give you a fixed quote in writing. Call or WhatsApp us on 686 746 094 (English spoken).
Excavation company in Vélez-Málaga
An earth excavation is the first step of almost any building job: digging the hole for a pool, digging out a basement, cutting the foundation trenches or laying the pipes. If it's done badly, everything that follows ends up crooked, more expensive or damp.
At MURES we've been digging in the Axarquía since 2006 with our own machinery: mini diggers for narrow access, tracked excavators and backhoe loaders for large volumes, a hydraulic breaker for rock and lorries to take the soil away. The same team from start to finish.
And since we also build escollera rock walls, swimming pools and earthworks, we can carry on with the build once the digging is done.
What do we dig?
Excavation and levelling of a Mediterranean plot.
Excavation work we do in the Axarquía
Every excavation calls for a particular machine, way of working and destination for the soil. These are the ones we do most:
Swimming pool excavation
We dig out the pool to the exact size in the project, with the sides and floor ready for the steel reinforcement. An 8 × 4 m pool means moving around 50–60 m³ of soil, which we reuse on the plot or take away. See Swimming pool construction.
Basement and garage dig-outs
Complete dig-out of the site or basement floor, with battered sides or shoring depending on the depth and what's next to it. We coordinate the lorries so the job doesn't stop.
Foundations
Strip trenches and pad foundation pits according to the plans, down to firm ground. We leave the bottom clean and level for the blinding concrete. See Concrete walls.
Service trenches
Trenches for water, drainage, electricity, telecoms and land drains, with a mini digger where no other machine fits. We backfill and compact them when finished.
Rock excavation
On many Axarquía hillsides slate or schist appears at shallow depth. We break it with a hydraulic breaker and, if needed, dig a trial pit before fixing the price.
Water tanks and cisterns
We dig the hole for buried or semi-buried water tanks and cisterns, and if you like we build the complete reinforced concrete tank. See Water tanks.
The right machine for every excavation
Choosing the right machine is what makes an excavation quick and stops it damaging anything around it. We work with our own machinery and lorries:
Mini diggerFor narrow access, gardens, patios and trenches next to houses. It gets in where a big machine won't fit.
Tracked excavatorFor pools, dig-outs and foundations. Moves a lot of volume and works well on slopes.
Backhoe loaderDigs and loads. Ideal for long trenches, tracks and jobs with several fronts.
Hydraulic breakerFor breaking rock, slate or old slabs without stopping the job.
Tipper lorriesFor taking away surplus soil or bringing in hardcore and fill. Our own, no waiting.
Compactor and rollerFor backfilling and compacting trenches and the back of walls in layers.
Just need the machine? We also work by the hour with our own operator when the job has no clear volume. Ask us.
Digging in the Axarquía is not like digging on a flat site
We've been working in Vélez-Málaga, Torrox, Nerja, Cómpeta and the inland villages since 2006. These are the things that change an excavation here:
What we take into account:
- Slopes: hardly any plot is flat. You have to dig without the bank above collapsing, and sometimes build a escollera rock wall.
- Rock at shallow depth: slate and schist on many hillsides. It's broken with a breaker and changes the price, which is why we assess it on the site visit.
- Narrow tracks: many access roads won't take a big lorry. We use a mini digger and small lorries when needed.
- Water: autumn rains run down the hillsides. We plan the drainage and water run-off before it rains.
- Buried services: irrigation, water and electricity pipes with no plans. We locate them before the machine goes in.
How we carry out an excavation
From site visit to handover, always in the same order and with our own team:
1. TECHNICIAN'S VISIT: Free if the land is yours. We look at the ground, the access, whether there's rock or water and where the soil can go.
2. FIXED QUOTE: Written price including the excavation, soil haulage and timescale. No surprises.
3. SETTING OUT: We mark out the excavation on the ground according to the project and locate buried pipes and cables.
4. EXCAVATION: With the right machine, in layers and with the battered sides or shoring the depth requires.
5. SOIL: We reuse whatever is suitable on the plot and take the rest to a licensed tip.
6. BOTTOM AND TRIMMING: We leave the bottom clean and level, ready for the concrete, reinforcement or pipework.
7. BACKFILL AND HANDOVER: Backfilled and compacted in layers where needed, and the area left clean.
START HERESend us photos of the land on WhatsApp and tell us what you want to do.
A safe excavation, for your house too
Excavation is one of the riskiest jobs on a building site. We work in accordance with Royal Decree 1627/1997 on construction site safety and manage the soil in line with Royal Decree 105/2008 on construction waste.
Battered sides and shoring. Beyond a certain depth, the sides are left sloping or shored up so they don't collapse.
Distance to houses and walls. Next to existing foundations we dig in sections so as not to undermine them.
Signs and fencing. The excavation is protected so that nobody falls in.
Soil management. Soil from the site goes to a licensed tip or waste facility.
To dig on your plot you normally need a licence or a responsible declaration (declaración responsable) from the town hall, especially if it's part of a building project. We'll guide you on the site visit.
How much does an earth excavation cost?
The price of an excavation is calculated per cubic metre or, for small jobs, by machine hours. We don't give blind prices: if the land is yours, we send a surveyor free of charge and give you a fixed quote with soil removal included. This is what decides it:
VOLUME (m³)What counts most: length × width × depth. More cubic metres, lower price per metre.
TYPE OF GROUNDSoft soil, stony soil or rock. Rock with a breaker is slower and more expensive.
DEPTHBeyond a certain depth you need battered sides or shoring.
ACCESSIf only a mini digger fits or the work is on a hillside, output drops.
SURPLUS SOILReusing it on the plot keeps costs down; taking it to the tip adds haulage and tipping fees.
DISTANCETransporting the machinery to the site.
Work out the cubic metres
Multiply length × width × depth. An 8 × 4 m pool with an average depth of 1.5 m is about 48 m³ of shell, plus the extra width needed to work: between 50 and 60 m³.
Watch out for bulking: excavated soil takes up more space than in the ground, between 15% and 40% more depending on the type, and rock even more. So 50 m³ dug out can become 65 m³ or more to load onto lorries.
Typical excavation projects
Typical examples of how we approach this kind of work, not specific clients.
8 × 4 m pool on a hillside in Torrox
Access along a narrow track and slate rock at 1 m. We went in with a small tracked excavator, broke the rock with a breaker and reused the soil to level the terrace. Two days of excavation and the shell ready for the reinforcement.
Foundation trenches for a house in Vélez-Málaga
Setting out according to the plans, 60 cm strip trenches down to firm ground and surplus soil taken to a licensed tip. Clean, level bottom for the blinding concrete the following day.
Excavation in Vélez-Málaga, the Axarquía and Málaga
We're based in Vélez-Málaga and dig across the Axarquía, its urbanisations and outlying areas, and also in Málaga. Choose your town to see the work in your area:
- Vélez-Málaga
- Torre del Mar
- Rincón de la Victoria
- Nerja
- Torrox
- Algarrobo
- Frigiliana
- Cómpeta
- Periana
- Colmenar
- Canillas de Aceituno
- Benamocarra
- Comares
- Canillas de Albaida
- Moclinejo
- Alcaucín
- La Viñuela
- Sayalonga
- Sedella
- Salares
- Árchez
- Arenas
- Almáchar
- El Borge
- Cútar
- Benamargosa
- Iznate
- Macharaviaya
- Totalán
- Riogordo
- Alfarnate
- Alfarnatejo
If your job isn't on this list, ask us: with our lorries we reach the whole province.
Need some digging done?
We carry out excavations for foundations, pools, basements and trenches. Working in Vélez-Málaga and the Axarquía since 2006, with our own machinery and team.
- ✓ Free site visit
- ✓ Fixed-price quote
- ✓ Our own machinery
Send us on WhatsApp
- Photos of the land.
- What you want to do: foundations, pool, trench, basement…
- The town or village.
Still deciding whether to buy a plot? A feasibility visit costs €100 + VAT, and if you buy and hire us for the work, we deduct it from the bill.
Earth excavation FAQs
The questions we're asked most before an excavation.
How much does it cost to dig a cubic metre of soil?
It depends on the ground and the job: digging soft soil is not the same as hitting rock and having to use a breaker. Depth, access for the machine, total volume and whether surplus soil has to go to the tip also play a part. We give you a fixed price after seeing the plot.
How much does a backhoe with an operator cost per hour?
It depends on the size of the machine (mini digger or backhoe loader), the type of work and how long it takes. Small jobs usually have a minimum number of hours plus transporting the machine. For jobs with a clear volume we usually give a fixed itemised price, which is easier to compare. Tell us what you need and we'll quote for it.
How much does excavation for a swimming pool cost?
An 8 × 4 m pool with an average depth of 1.5 m means moving around 50–60 m³ of soil. The price depends on the ground (it goes up considerably if there's rock), access for the machine and where the surplus soil goes: whether it's reused on the plot or has to go to the tip. It's usually done in one or two days. We give you a fixed quote after seeing the ground.
Can you dig in rock in the Axarquía?
Yes, in many parts of the Axarquía rock appears at shallow depth, especially slate and schist on the hillsides. It's dug with a backhoe fitted with a hydraulic breaker. It's slower and more expensive than soil, so it's worth digging a trial pit before fixing the quote for a pool or a basement.
What happens to the surplus soil from an excavation?
Surplus soil from an excavation is reused on the plot itself if it's suitable for backfill or levelling, which keeps costs down. If not, it's loaded onto a lorry and taken to a licensed tip or waste facility. MURES includes this in the quote so there are no surprises.
Do you dig trenches for foundations and services?
Yes, MURES digs trenches for foundations, walls, drainage, water, electricity and land drains, using a mini digger when access is narrow. The width and depth are adjusted to what the project or the utility company requires, and the trench is backfilled and compacted when finished.
How much does it cost to dig a trench?
Trenches are priced per linear metre or per cubic metre, depending on width and depth. The ground, the access, whether a slab or tarmac has to be broken and whether the trench is backfilled afterwards all play a part. For short trenches it usually works out better to pay by machine hours.
What's the difference between a trench and a dig-out?
A trench is a narrow, elongated excavation for foundations or pipes. A dig-out means excavating a whole area down to a certain depth, as for a basement, a garage or a pool. The machine, output and price per cubic metre all change.
How many lorryloads of soil come out of an excavation?
Excavated soil bulks up and takes up between 15% and 40% more space than in the ground, and rock even more. So 50 m³ of excavation can become 65 m³ or more to load. The number of lorries depends on their size; we work it out for you in the quote.
Do I need a licence to dig on my plot?
Normally yes: digging for a pool, a basement or foundations is tied to a building licence or a responsible declaration from the town hall. For minor work it depends on each municipality. We'll guide you on the site visit, but it's always best to check with the town hall.
How long does an excavation take?
It depends on the volume, the ground and the access. A pool excavation is usually done in one or two days; a basement dig-out or a job with rock takes longer. We state the timescale in the quote.
What machine is needed if access is narrow?
A mini digger fits through access just over a metre wide, gardens and patios. To take the soil away we use small lorries or a dumper. That way you can dig even where a big machine can't reach.
Which areas do you cover for excavation?
The whole Axarquía and Málaga: Vélez-Málaga, Torre del Mar, Rincón de la Victoria, Nerja, Torrox, Algarrobo, Frigiliana, Cómpeta, Periana, Colmenar, Canillas de Aceituno and Málaga city.
Next steps for your project
Swimming pool construction in the Axarquía
Concrete pools, also on sloping plots.
See →Excavation and earthworks in the Axarquía
Levelling, terracing and digging.
See →Demolition in the Axarquía
Houses, outbuildings and slabs.
See →Skip hire
Containers for building work and renovations.
See →Track repairs
Farm access that stays firm all year.
See →Concrete water tanks
For irrigation on farms.
See →