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Snohomish County, Washington

Excavation & Tree Service in Mountlake Terrace, WA

Mountlake Terrace was built out quickly in the decades after World War II, and much of the housing stock is from that era. Now the light rail station and Town Center are bringing new density, while older homes are being remodeled or replaced.

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What We Do Here

Services in Mountlake Terrace

Mostly flat to gently rolling upland, dropping into the Hall Creek and Terrace Creek ravines and down to Lake Ballinger on the north end.

Excavation Contractor in Mountlake Terrace

Foundations, trenches and pads dug for Mountlake Terrace ground. Glacial till with a seasonal perched water table.

Typical jobs here

  • New home and ADU foundationsFootprints for new houses, ADUs and garages on infill and teardown lots around Town Center and Lake Ballinger, dug to the elevations on your plans and ready for forms.
  • Hillside cuts and daylight basementsExcavation on sloped Mountlake Terrace lots, with spoil hauled off as it is dug instead of stockpiled on the slope, and temporary erosion control in place first.
Excavation Contractor in Mountlake Terrace

Land Clearing in Mountlake Terrace

Lots, pastures and acreage cleared, stumped and hauled out. Lake Ballinger, Hall Creek and Terrace Creek all carry shoreline or stream buffers, and Terrace Creek Park is a protected wooded ravine.

Typical jobs here

  • Building site clearingClearing the footprint, driveway and utility corridor for a new home or ADU in Mountlake Terrace, keeping the trees that are meant to stay and protecting their roots.
  • Selective clearing and thinningTaking out brush, small trees and hazard trees while leaving a healthy stand, the way most homeowners around Lake Ballinger want their property cleaned up.
Land Clearing in Mountlake Terrace

Tree Removal in Mountlake Terrace

Arborist-led removals and hazard trees. Large Douglas firs that predate the houses around them, plus bigleaf maple and cedar.

Typical jobs here

  • Hazard trees over the houseLeaning, cracked or dying trees within reach of a roof in Town Center or Lake Ballinger, taken down in controlled sections and lowered instead of dropped.
  • Removals on slopesTrees on Mountlake Terrace hillsides and ravine edges, removed with the stump and roots left in place where they are holding the bank.
Tree Removal in Mountlake Terrace

Grading & Drainage in Mountlake Terrace

Grading, French drains, retaining walls and pads that move water away from Mountlake Terrace homes.

Typical jobs here

  • Wet yards and crawlspacesRegrading and French or curtain drains for Mountlake Terrace yards that stay soggy all winter because water perches on the hard till below.
  • Retaining walls on slopesBlock and rock retaining walls that hold back sloped Mountlake Terrace yards and driveways, built with drainage behind them so they last.
Grading & Drainage in Mountlake Terrace

Demolition Contractor in Mountlake Terrace

Houses, sheds, slabs and driveways taken down and hauled. Mostly 1950s and 60s ramblers on modest lots, many with original sheds, carports and failing concrete, plus new apartments and townhomes near the station.

Typical jobs here

  • Older home teardownsFull demolition of older homes in neighborhoods like Town Center, with the asbestos survey, utility disconnects, haul-off and grading handled in order.
  • Sheds, garages and carportsOutbuildings taken down to the slab, the slab broken out and the debris hauled, leaving the Mountlake Terrace yard graded and clean.
Demolition Contractor in Mountlake Terrace

Hauling & Dump Truck Service in Mountlake Terrace

Spoil haul-off and rock, fill and topsoil delivery via I-5 and 236th St SW.

Typical jobs here

  • Spoil haul-offExcavated soil loaded straight from the machine to our trucks and taken to a legitimate fill or disposal site, so Mountlake Terrace sites never have a pile sitting for weeks.
  • Gravel and crushed rock deliveryCrushed rock for driveways, pads and paths delivered across Mountlake Terrace via I-5, and spread with the machine if you want it placed.
Hauling & Dump Truck Service in Mountlake Terrace

Local Conditions

Working the ground in Mountlake Terrace

The ground

Glacial till with a seasonal perched water table. The Lake Ballinger and Hall Creek lowlands carry softer, wetter soils.

Water and buffers

Lake Ballinger, Hall Creek and Terrace Creek all carry shoreline or stream buffers, and Terrace Creek Park is a protected wooded ravine.

Trees

Large Douglas firs that predate the houses around them, plus bigleaf maple and cedar. Old firs over 1950s roofs and roots heaving driveways are common reasons to call.

Homes and lots

Mostly 1950s and 60s ramblers on modest lots, many with original sheds, carports and failing concrete, plus new apartments and townhomes near the station.

Cost

What moves the price in Mountlake Terrace

Slope and access

Steep Mountlake Terrace lots take smaller machines, more careful staging and sometimes engineering, which adds time compared with flat, open ground.

Tight lots

Narrow side yards and alley access in Mountlake Terrace mean compact equipment and shorter truck loads. We plan it so it costs less than it could.

Soft ground

Where Mountlake Terrace soils are soft or wet, over-excavation, fabric and imported rock are often part of the job, and we price that in up front.

Buffers and permits

Work near Mountlake Terrace's rivers, creeks, lakes or shoreline can need permits and limits on where machines go. That affects scope and schedule more than price.

Haul-off and disposal

How much material leaves the site, and what it is, drives cost. Our own trucks keep that predictable on Mountlake Terrace jobs.

Timing

When to schedule work in Mountlake Terrace

In Mountlake Terrace, the dry months from late spring into early fall are prime time for excavation, clearing and grading, when soil compacts properly and machines leave the ground in good shape. Tree work, hauling and demolition run year round.

Winter is when Mountlake Terrace's till soils show where water collects. Note the wet spots, then fix them in the dry season.

Permits & Rules

Permits in Mountlake Terrace

Inside city limits, permits come from the City of Mountlake Terrace. Outside them, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (PDS) takes over. Mountlake Terrace regulates significant trees, mainly during development and in critical areas around the lake and creeks. For a single hazard tree on an existing home we confirm the requirements before cutting.

Demolition in Snohomish County falls under the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, which requires an asbestos survey and notice before most structures come down. Every dig starts with an 811 utility locate.

Coverage

Neighborhoods we cover

  • Town Center
  • Lake Ballinger
  • Terrace Creek
  • Melody Hill
  • Cedar Terrace

Main routes for our trucks: I-5, 236th St SW, 56th Ave W, 220th St SW.

Mountlake Terrace is part of our Snohomish County service area.

Real Jobs

Recent DirtRaptor work near Mountlake Terrace

Bobcat E42 excavator prying up old asphalt driveway in Edmonds, WA

Demolition · Edmonds, WA

Driveway Removal & Concrete Prep

Tearing out an old blacktop driveway and prepping the ground for a new concrete pour — broken material hauled off, base left clean and ready.

Condemned 100-year-old shed with caution tape before demolition in Everett, WA

Demolition · Everett, WA

Condemned 100-Year-Old Shed Teardown

A 100-year-old shed, condemned and unsafe, brought down and hauled off — the site left graded flat and clean.

Questions

Mountlake Terrace FAQs

Can you tear down an old carport or shed in Mountlake Terrace?

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Yes. Small outbuildings are a regular job. We take the structure and slab out, sort the debris, haul it on our own trucks and leave the ground graded. Older structures may need an asbestos survey first, which we walk you through.

Do you work near Lake Ballinger?

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Yes, with care. Work close to the lake or Hall Creek can fall inside a shoreline or stream buffer, so we confirm what is allowed before any clearing or grading starts.

Can one company handle both the trees and the excavation on my Mountlake Terrace project?

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Yes, that is what DirtRaptor is built for. We take down the trees, pull the stumps, dig, grade and haul it all away with one crew, so there is no waiting between trades.

Do you work in unincorporated areas around Mountlake Terrace?

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Yes. Inside city limits, the City of Mountlake Terrace handles permits. Outside them, Snohomish County Planning and Development Services (PDS) does. We check the parcel before quoting so the right rules are planned for.

What does a typical Mountlake Terrace project cost?

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It depends on the site, so every quote follows a free site walk. In Mountlake Terrace, the things that move the number most are slope and access, soft ground, buffers and permits.

Which parts of Mountlake Terrace does DirtRaptor serve?

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All of it, including Town Center, Lake Ballinger, Terrace Creek, Melody Hill and Cedar Terrace, plus the unincorporated areas around the city. This is part of our core service area, so smaller jobs are welcome.

How do I get a quote in Mountlake Terrace?

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Send us the address, a few photos and a rough idea of the job through the quote form, or call (425) 232-4858. We come out for a free site walk and give you a written number with clear inclusions and exclusions.

Nearby

Also serving near Mountlake Terrace

Get a Free QuoteCall (425) 232-4858