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CEI Excavating vs Apex Earthworks for a custom house build? | Home Construction Prep - Librear

CEI Excavating vs Apex Earthworks for a custom house build?

Hey everyone, we're gearing up for a custom home build later this year (late 2026) and need to hire an excavation contractor for the foundation, grading, and tying into the main sewer and water lines. I've narrowed it down to CEI Excavating and Apex Earthworks. Has anyone used either of these recently? Apex gave a slightly cheaper quote but CEI seemed more thorough during the walk-through. Would love to hear your experiences before we pull the trigger.

4 comments

4 Comments

hayden1527mo ago

I used Apex back in early 2026 for a simple driveway grading job. They were fast, but they left a bit of a mess and didn't really handle the drainage slope correctly, which I had to fix myself later. For a full custom build with underground utilities, I'd probably want someone more detail-oriented.

sage_walker177mo ago

So you had to fix the drainage yourself? @ivan522's story about the buried power line makes me think these quick jobs can lead to bigger headaches. Did Apex offer any help after you pointed out the issue?

ivan5227mo ago

My neighbor went with the cheaper bid for a pool excavation and ended up with a buried power line delay. That stuff costs way more to fix than the initial quote difference. Sometimes thorough is just cheaper in the end.

the_gavin7mo ago

Go with CEI. We used CEI Excavating for our commercial property expansion last month. They handled all the storm drainage and power trenching perfectly. The crew was super professional and kept everything on schedule. The slight premium in price is absolutely worth the headache they save you in the long run.

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