About Murfreesboro Elite Grading & Excavation
"Rutherford County's Excavating Contractor"
Murfreesboro Elite Grading & Excavation has completed thousands of land grading and excavation projects across Rutherford County over 20 years in business. We work directly with homeowners, builders, and property managers to solve drainage failures, prep building sites, and correct grading problems specific to Middle Tennessee's expansive clay soil.
Why Choose Us
Local Land Grading &
Excavation Contractors
We understand how the region's clay soil, seasonal
rainfall pattern, and county permitting
requirements affect every job differently
depending on where a property sits.
Advanced Grading &
Compaction Methods
Our crews use laser-level grading systems accurate to within a quarter-inch of target elevation, along with GPS-referenced site mapping for drainage layout.
Proven Track Record
Our post-project surveys show a 96% client
satisfaction rate across residential regrades,
drainage installs, and new-construction site prep.
Get a FREE On-Site Estimate
Why We Specialize in Clay-Soil Grading
Rutherford County's clay-loam soil composition behaves differently than the sandy or loamy soils common in other parts of the country. It expands and contracts seasonally by as much as 2–4 inches as it absorbs and releases moisture, and it drains poorly during the region's wettest months, when rainfall can exceed 4 inches monthly. Grading and drainage work that doesn't account for this soil behavior tends to fail within a few years — cracked driveways, resettled foundations, yards that flood every spring.
We built our process around that reality. Every project starts with a soil assessment, and every grade plan accounts for how the soil will move over time, not just how it sits on the day we finish the job. Our compaction protocol keeps re-settling defect rates under 3%, well below the 8–10% industry average cited for uninspected grading work on expansive clay soils.
Our Equipment & Crews
Our fleet includes skid steers, mini excavators, laser-level grading systems accurate to within a quarter-inch of target elevation, and GPS-referenced site mapping equipment for drainage layout. All equipment operators complete OSHA excavation safety training, and our trenching and excavation work follows OSHA 1926 Subpart P shoring and sloping standards. We test compaction using a nuclear density gauge and document results at three stages on every project: pre-grade, mid-project, and final sign-off.
Where We Work
We serve Murfreesboro, Smyrna, La Vergne, Christiana, Rockvale, Walterhill, Eagleville, Lascassas, Fosterville, and Blackman. Roughly 70% of our work is residential drainage correction and new-construction site prep, with the remainder split between commercial site grading, land clearing, and utility trenching.
How We Handle Permitting
We pull all required permits through Rutherford County's building and codes department before breaking ground on any project that requires one, and we verify permit status with the county on every job — even when we expect a project to fall below the threshold. Clients receive a written scope of work, a grading plan diagram, and a compaction report at contract signing, so there's a paper trail for every stage of the job.
Our Track Record
Post-project surveys show a 96% client satisfaction rate across residential regrades, drainage installs, and new-construction site prep. We warranty our grading workmanship for 2 years from project completion, covering re-settling, erosion from improper slope, or drainage failure tied to our work.