FAQ — Restricted Access Excavation Brisbane

Our specialised micro-excavators require a clear width of 720mm. That’s the standard width of a residential timber or metal side gate in Australian suburban homes — if a person or a standard wheelbarrow can walk through your side pathway, our machine can generally get through it too.

Our machines use a hydraulically expanding and retracting track frame:

• Travel mode (720mm): the rubber tracks pull inward to squeeze past gateposts, gas meters, air conditioning units and hot water systems.
• Digging mode (1000mm): once on site, the tracks extend outward to 1000mm, lowering the centre of gravity for maximum stability on slopes and soft ground.

Width is only half the equation. Standard micro-excavators stand roughly 2.2 metres high with the ROPS (Roll-Over Protective Structure) canopy attached. For ultra-tight spots — under a high-set Queenslander deck, beneath low roof eaves, or under low tree branches — our machines feature foldable or removable canopies so they can still operate safely.

We take ground protection seriously:

• Rubber tracks: non-marking rubber, not the heavy steel tracks used on civil sites, which minimises turf tearing and surface gouging.
• Ground protection boards: for delicate surfaces — stencilled concrete, sandstone pavers, manicured lawn — we lay structural ply sheets or rubber tracking mats to spread the machine’s operating weight.

• Restricted-access excavation: zero tail-swing micro-digging in backyards, courtyards, sloped side-yards and under-house areas where full-size excavators can’t enter.
• Trenching & sub-surface drainage: precise trenches for stormwater fixes, ag-pipe drainage, sewer repairs, plumbing reroutes and underground electrical conduit.
• Site preparation & levelling: clearing garden beds, excavating old concrete slabs, removing tree roots, and prepping ground for turf, paving or shed pads.
• Haulage & tipper hire: transporting soil, clay, concrete rubble and green waste out of your yard and disposing of it legally.

Yes. Brisbane soils — particularly across the inner-south and eastern suburbs — are often dense, sticky reactive clay or hard ironstone and Brisbane tuff rock. While our machines are small, their hydraulic pumps deliver high breakout force per square inch, letting them bite into hard, unyielding ground with specialised rock-teeth buckets.

Before your high-end finishing trades arrive:

• Before paving or decking — earthmoving needs to be finished before new pathways, decks or gates go in that could narrow your access below 720mm.
• Before landscaping — sub-surface drainage (ag-pipes) and retaining wall footings should be dug out before fresh turf or garden beds are laid.

Striking an underground asset can cause serious property damage and costly fines, so we follow a strict protocol:

• Before You Dig Australia (BYDA): we obtain and review active utility plans for your property before a bucket touches the dirt.
• Potholing (non-destructive digging): for private service lines — like the water or gas line between your street meter and house, which don’t show on BYDA plans — we use hand shovels or water-vacuum tools to visually locate the pipe first.

• $10M–$20M public liability insurance — covers structural damage to your home, neighbouring properties, fences or public infrastructure.
• Third-party plant & machinery insurance — protects against unexpected rollovers or equipment-inflicted property damage.
• WorkCover Queensland — full workers’ compensation cover for every operator on your site.

When trenching parallel to a house foundation, pool or retaining wall, we work within the structural engineering Zone of Influence — typically a 45-degree angle down from the base of the footing. Digging inside this zone without benching or shoring can shift the supporting soil and lead to wall cracks or structural movement, so we calculate these depth offsets before digging starts.

Yes. Moving soil across Brisbane is regulated by Biosecurity Queensland’s Fire Ant Management Zones. GateDig complies with all soil movement declarations, visual inspections and transport protocols required under QLD biosecurity legislation.

Soil expands once it’s dug up — known as the bulking factor, typically 20% to 40% — so a hole measuring 1m³ in the ground yields roughly 1.3m³ of loose soil. Our tipper haulage quotes account for that loose bulking volume so you’re not hit with unexpected extra waste costs.

Standard excavation quotes cover standard earth and clay digging. If our machine encounters solid Brisbane tuff rock, buried mass-concrete footings or heavy shale, the standard bucket comes off and a specialised attachment — such as a hydraulic rock breaker — goes on, billed at its own hourly attachment rate.

Like most specialised Brisbane plant operators, we work to standard industry equipment minimums — typically a 3-hour job minimum plus 1 hour of travel time — which covers float transport, machine washdown and setup costs for every site visit.

• Call us directly: 07 4802 2041
• Online form: visit gatedig.com and upload photos of your side access path, gate width, and the target dig zone

GateDig services over 150 Brisbane suburbs, focusing heavily on established, dense inner-city blocks and sloped properties. Key focus areas include:

• South & South-East Brisbane: Carindale, Carina, Carina Heights, Mount Gravatt, Coorparoo, Greenslopes, Holland Park, Camp Hill, Wishart, Tarragindi
• South-West Brisbane: Moorooka, Sunnybank, Rocklea, Salisbury, Acacia Ridge, Oxley
• Inner Suburbs & Northside: Paddington, Ashgrove, Red Hill, Milton, Auchenflower, Windsor, Wilston, Chermside, Kedron

Not sure your suburb’s covered? Ask in the quote form — restricted-access jobs get matched with a local contractor right across this area.