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Chișinău and suburbs

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Cellar digging under the house or in the yard

Cellar digging in Chișinău and its suburbs, in the yard, into a slope or under an existing house: we dig the pit by hand or by mini excavator, take the soil out and away, and the masons can start the walls. Under a lived-in house we work only by hand and in sections.

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What we do for a cellar

We dig the pit and leave it ready for the mason, who builds the walls and the vault.

  • Pit in the yard

    We dig it by mini excavator, with room for the walls, the waterproofing and the backfill around them.

  • Cellar in a slope

    We dig it into the hillside with a side entrance and no deep stairs, the way cellars are made in many Moldovan villages.

  • Under the house

    Here we dig only by hand, in sections, so the house foundation is never left unsupported.

  • The soil

    We take it out, load it and take it away, or leave it in the yard to cover the vault later.

What to know first

Three things we look at on the visit before giving a price, because they decide how we dig.

  • Ground water

    If water is close, the cellar needs drainage and waterproofing: see house drainage. The wells nearby and the water that collects in pits in spring show how high it is.

  • The soil

    Clay holds the pit walls, sand does not. In sand and made ground the walls are propped with boards while we work, or they collapse.

  • Access

    We check where the soil comes out and where the tipper truck can stand. A cellar pit gives a lot of soil, and a place for it has to be found in advance.

Vaulted stone cellar with shelves full of jars of preserves
A finished vaulted cellar: we dig the pit, the mason builds the vault.

How we dig a cellar

Three steps, from measuring to taking the soil away. If the mason has already drawn the cellar, send us the plan and we dig to it.

  1. We see the spot

    We measure, look at the soil and the water and tell you how we will dig: by machine, by hand or both. For a hillside cellar we see which side is best for the entrance.

  2. We dig

    We dig the pit to the size in the plan, with straight walls and a clean bottom. In the yard the mini excavator takes out the bulk; under the house and by the walls we dig by hand, in sections, propping the foundation.

  3. We take the soil away

    We load and take the soil away by tipper truck, or leave it where you say, and clean the yard after the last load.

Common questions

Can't find the answer? Ask us in the request form or on Viber, WhatsApp or Telegram.

How much does digging a cellar cost?

The digging is priced per cubic metre, plus soil removal per load. We count the volume of the pit, not of the cellar inside, because we dig wider for the walls and waterproofing. A cellar under a house costs more, because it is dug by hand, in sections, and the soil comes out by bucket. You get the total after we see the spot and the dimensions, before we start.

Can a cellar be dug under an existing house?

Yes, but only by hand and in sections, propping the foundation as we go. Beforehand it is worth having a builder or a designer look at the house, so we know how deep we can go next to the foundation. Such a cellar is usually entered through a hatch in the floor or from the yard.

Do you build the cellar walls too?

No, we dig the pit and take the soil away. The walls, vault and waterproofing are done by masons, and we leave the pit ready for them with a level bottom. Once the vault is built, we can cover it with the soil left in the yard.

Want a cellar?

Tell us where you want the cellar, how big and whether there is a well nearby. We come, look at the soil and give you the price of the digging; Sapat.md takes the soil away too.

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