Digging beside a rowhouse means protecting the party walls. We work in short sections, to the engineer's plan, and leave the trench ready for inspection.
Most Baltimore homes have basements, and foundation work here often means digging beside an existing house or a shared wall. A new footing or basement has to reach below the frost depth your building code sets and rest on firm, undisturbed soil or rock. We dig to the engineer's or builder's elevations and leave the trench clean for inspection. Spoil is kept back from the edge of the hole.
Piedmont lots bring boulders and ledges at uneven depth, so one end of a footing may be in soil and the other on rock; the engineer decides how to handle the change. Coastal Plain lots bring sand that will not stand and groundwater that fills the hole. We shore or slope the sides, pump water to an approved outlet and time the dig so the footing crew follows closely.
We also dig along existing basement walls for waterproofing and repair crews, in short sections so the wall is never left unsupported. On rowhouses, the work has to protect the shared party walls. Backfill goes in with drain stone and pipe where the plans call for it, so water reaches the footer drain. We never leave a party wall exposed overnight in wet weather.
Foundation excavation in Baltimore: common questions
How deep do footings go in Baltimore?
Your building code sets the frost depth and the plans may go deeper. We dig to the plans and the inspector checks the trench.
Can you dig a basement under an addition on a rowhouse?
Often, yes, with an engineer's plan that protects the existing walls and the neighbors' party walls.
What if the footing trench hits rock on one end?
We stop and let the engineer decide. They may call for stepping the footing or breaking the rock.
How it works
- Free estimate: Call, text or book online. We walk the site with you.
- Written quote: Scope, equipment and price in writing.
- Utility locate & plan: We have utilities marked and plan access, haul-off and erosion control.
- Dig, grade & clean up: We complete the work, grade the site and haul away spoil.