Do I need a permit for earthworks?

It depends on the scale of the work and whether it relates to a building. Excavation for an extension, or a significant change to the ground level, generally requires a building permit application. The municipality or the relevant cantonal office will tell you what applies to your plot, before any work begins.

What should a reliable earthworks quote include?

It should describe the extent of the excavation, the planned machinery, the removal or reuse of soil, the backfill materials and the reinstatement work. It also states what is included or not, for example pipes uncovered along the way. The more precise your description of the ground, the more comparable the quotes will be.

What happens to the excavated soil?

It can be reused on site, if its quality allows, or taken to a suitable disposal facility. The destination depends on the nature of the soil and local rules. The contractor must state how it will be handled in the quote, as this affects the cost.

What guarantee applies after earthworks?

The Code of Obligations (CO) provides five years for defects in a work attached to real estate (art. 371 CO), and two years for movable work. If the contract refers to the SIA 118 standard (Swiss Society of Engineers and Architects), its provisions apply in addition. Report any defect in writing as soon as you notice it.

Can a tenant request earthworks?

Only with the agreement of the landlord or the managing agent, as this work affects the land and the surroundings of the building. In a co-ownership, the decision generally lies with the owners' community according to its rules. You can describe the situation in the form so that professionals take it into account.

When should I ask for a quote?

As soon as the project is outlined, before setting a start date. Earthworks are followed by other trades, such as masonry or outdoor landscaping, and the schedule depends on the weather and the condition of the ground. Asking early leaves time to compare and obtain the necessary permits.

Earthworks in Western Switzerland: Excavation & Landscaping

Earthworks are the first stage of many building projects: digging, moving, levelling, backfilling. They prepare the ground for a building, an access route, a garden or the passage of pipes. This page presents the trade and what you need to prepare to obtain a quote in Western Switzerland.

Earthworks: what the trade covers

An earthworks contractor reshapes the ground using machines (excavators, loaders, lorries) and, where space is limited, by hand. The work ranges from simply levelling a garden to deep excavation for a building, including trenches for pipes.

The most common jobs for a private owner or a co-ownership:

bulk or trench excavation for a slab, foundations, a garage or an extension;
stripping of topsoil and storing it for reuse;
levelling and creation of terraces, banks or slopes for an access route;
backfilling and compaction in layers with suitable materials;
trenches for water, electricity, wastewater or rainwater;
drainage around a damp building and connection to the outlets;
creation of a ramp, a courtyard, a path or a parking space before the surfacing;
removal of surplus soil.

Earthworks do not always end with the excavation. They then prepare the work of other trades: the mason who pours the foundations, the landscaper who plants, the company that lays a surface. This is why the quality of compaction and levels is often only apparent well after the work has finished: poorly compacted ground can settle and damage what has been laid on top.

When to call an earthworks company

As soon as machines, depth or proximity to a building are involved, the work cannot be improvised. A poorly shored excavation can collapse, a badly sized bank can slide, and a trench dug without locating services can hit a buried pipe. The risk is not limited to your plot: it can also affect neighbours and the road.

Some typical situations where a professional is essential:

an excavation close to a wall, a neighbouring foundation or a bank;
sloping ground, where the stability of the soil must be assessed;
damp, clayey or made-up ground, whose behaviour is hard to predict;
a site that requires the removal of a large volume of soil;
a narrow access, which requires suitable machines to be chosen.

For minor garden levelling, a person can still act alone. As soon as the work affects a building, a pipe or a plot boundary, it is better to seek the advice of a company.

Earthworks in Switzerland: training, standards and responsibilities

In Switzerland, civil engineering and road construction companies train professionals through apprenticeships, leading to a federal certificate of capacity (CFC) in road construction. Others work as site machine operators or civil engineering workers, often under the direction of a team leader. Ask the company that will work on your site who will carry out the work and which machines it plans to use.

On the contractual side, the parties can agree that the SIA 118 standard governs the construction contract. If so, it must appear in the quote or the contract. Without such a reference, the general rules of the Code of Obligations apply. Read the terms carefully before signing.

Permits and rules by Western Swiss canton

Earthworks linked to a new building, an extension or a significant change to the ground generally go through a permit procedure. The rules differ from one canton to another, and sometimes from one municipality to another: what follows does not replace a check with the municipality or the relevant cantonal office.

Geneva: building permits are issued by the canton, through the Office des autorisations de construire. The old town and protected districts may add constraints.
Vaud: the permit is issued by the municipality. The file goes through the cantonal permit centre (CAMAC) when cantonal services must give an opinion. The Lavaux vineyards, a World Heritage site, call for particular attention.
Valais: the permit is issued by the municipality in building zones, and by a cantonal commission outside building zones. On chalet land or second-home plots, the federal law on second homes may apply in the municipalities concerned.
Fribourg: the application is filed on the cantonal platform FRIAC. The permit is issued by the prefecture or the municipality depending on the type of work.
Neuchâtel: the application goes through the cantonal desk SATAC, with the decision taken by the municipality. The watchmaking heritage of La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, listed by UNESCO, deserves to be taken into account.
Jura: the permit is issued by the municipality or by the canton depending on the size of the project. Delémont, Porrentruy and Saint-Ursanne have old towns.
Bern (Biel/Bienne): the permit is issued by the municipality or the prefecture depending on the project. Biel/Bienne is officially bilingual, which may matter when dealing with the authorities.

On the energy side, earthworks may accompany the installation of a geothermal heat pump, a tank or pipes. Each canton has its own energy office and subsidy programme: in Geneva, for example, the cantonal energy office (OCEN) and the Programme Bâtiments. Check the conditions before ordering the work, not after.

Preparing your earthworks quote request

The more precise the description, the more comparable the quotes will be. Gather the following before filling in the form:

the address and municipality of the site, and the nature of the ground if you know it (slope, damp, former backfill);
the objective: foundations, access, drainage, trench, levelling;
the approximate dimensions of the area to be worked;
access for machines: width of the passage, gate, neighbours, road;
any buried pipes or installations you know of;
photos of the ground and, if there is one, the plot plan;
the agreement of the landlord, the managing agent or the co-ownership if you are not the sole owner;
the progress of permits, if they are required.

For pipes, the company will normally check with the network operators before digging. Mention what you know, without assuming that your plan is complete.

What an earthworks quote details, and what affects the cost

A reliable quote reads item by item. It should state:

the preparatory work: site setup, protection of surroundings, location of pipes;
the excavation or levelling, with the estimated volumes or surfaces;
the machines and labour;
the removal or reuse of soil, and how it is handled;
the supplied materials and compaction;
what is excluded or charged extra, notably if rock, water or an unknown pipe is encountered;
the planned schedule and its dependencies, such as the weather;
the payment terms and any reference to the SIA 118 standard.

The cost varies mainly with the volume of soil moved, the nature of the ground (soil, clay, gravel, rock), the presence of water, the slope, the difficulty of access, the removal distance, the machines required and the reinstatement of the surroundings. A site close to neighbours may require additional protection. Nothing replaces a quote based on your own ground.

Legal guarantees after the work

The Code of Obligations distinguishes two cases. For a work attached to real estate, meaning what is built into the land or a building, the guarantee against defects is five years under art. 371 CO. For movable work, it is two years. If the contract refers to the SIA 118 standard, it supplements these rules.

In practice, inspect the work on handover, note any reservations in writing, and report without delay any defect that appears afterwards, for example settlement or standing water. Keep the quote, the order confirmation, the photos and the invoice.

Earthworks near you

The canton pages present the local context and the procedures specific to each region:

Is your site defined, or only being considered? You can request a quote by describing your work. Your request is passed to tradespeople and companies in the area, who will contact you to prepare a free, no-obligation quote.

Updated 29 October 2026

Earthworks in Western Switzerland