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SmallRig Mini Excavator Services helps homeowners, nurseries, hobby farms, and small-property owners with compact excavation work where shovels are too slow and full-size machines are too much.
We fit through 36-inch gates, work softly on lawns and driveways, and stay focused on the kind of small-yard earthwork most contractors don't bother with. No subs, no oversold scope — just the dig you actually need.
Based in Riverside County, serving Riverside and surrounding counties. Quotes are flat. We show up when we say.
Eight time-saving jobs we run cleanly with a compact rig. If your job is on this list, we can usually quote it from a few photos.
Wide, deep holes for mature trees, palms, and large balled stock — sized to the rootball, not the shovel.
Clean trench lines for poly, PVC, or drip mainline. Dig only — your irrigation crew lays the pipe.
Customer-directed trench excavation for French drain prep. Dig only. SmallRig does not design drainage systems, set discharge points, or install pipe, gravel, fabric, or fittings.
Minor non-structural gravel pad prep for small yard and property uses. Customer is responsible for confirming that no permit, engineered pad, foundation, or inspection is required.
Minor customer-directed surface grading for animal pens, runs, paddocks, and chicken yards. No engineered drainage, retaining walls, or permitted grading.
Bust through compacted clay or caliche layers, move spoils where you want them, and leave the surface workable.
Backyard digs through narrow side gates, between fences, and around hardscape that bigger machines can't touch.
Minor customer-directed surface shaping, low-spot fill, and shallow yard earthwork. SmallRig does not design drainage systems or guarantee drainage performance.
SmallRig operates within California's minor-work exemption under BPC § 7048(a): small, non-permitted excavation support projects performed by a solo operator with clear scope limits.
Jobs are accepted only when the total project price is less than $1,000, including labor, machine time, travel, fuel, materials, and all other charges.
For transparency, SmallRig is not licensed under the California Contractors State License Law and does not perform C-12 contractor work, permitted excavation, utility tie-ins, or larger contracted projects. SmallRig provides qualifying minor excavation-only services directly for small jobs. Larger nursery, landscape, or installation projects may require referral, payroll/operator-support, or licensed-contractor arrangements.
From first photo to backfill, the whole process is built to be fast and predictable for small jobs.
Text or email a few wide and close shots of the dig area, plus a rough measurement and the gate width.
You get a written, all-in price under $1,000. No "trip charges" or end-of-day surprises.
One operator, one rig, on site at the agreed time. Lawn protection mats used wherever they help.
We walk the work with you, rake out tracks, and leave the spoils where you asked us to.
For any job involving excavation, digging, or trenching, SmallRig Mini Excavator Services creates and verifies its own DigAlert/811 ticket before work begins. In most cases, this requires a minimum two-working-day lead time so the ticket can be processed, utility responses can be confirmed, and the site can be reviewed before excavation.
Homeowners may provide site details and identify private utilities, but SmallRig does not dig based solely on a homeowner-provided ticket unless the ticket is confirmed to cover SmallRig, the exact work area, and the exact excavation scope.
Private utilities such as irrigation lines, low-voltage lighting, private electrical, septic lines, and owner-installed pipes may not be marked by DigAlert and must be identified by the property owner.
No. SmallRig Mini Excavator Services is not licensed by the California Contractors State License Board. SmallRig only accepts qualifying minor excavation-only jobs that fit California's minor-work framework.
Jobs are accepted only when the total project price is less than $1,000, including labor, machine time, travel, fuel, materials, and all other charges.
No. SmallRig digs only. Installation must be handled by the homeowner or an appropriately licensed professional.
Yes. SmallRig creates and verifies its own DigAlert/811 ticket before digging. Most digging jobs require at least two working days of lead time.
SmallRig can help with qualifying minor excavation-only work. Larger nursery, landscape, or installation projects may require referral, payroll/operator-support, or licensed-contractor arrangements.
Most quotes go out within a day. Photos help; rough measurements help more. Riverside and surrounding counties.