calculator
Excavation volume for Victoria jobs
Built for Melbourne site cuts — Melton, Werribee, Tarneit, Caroline Springs, Craigieburn and the rest of Greater Melbourne. Same maths works for a Victorian block if you have length, width and depth.
How the numbers are worked out
Bank volume is length × width × average depth, with depth converted to metres. That is the hole in the ground. Spoil coming out of a Melton or Werribee cut is not that tight — western clay typically swells about 30 percent once it is in the tray. The calculator multiplies bank m³ by that factor, then divides by the tipper size you picked.
Use average depth, not the deepest corner. A 300 mm detailed cut on an 18 × 12 m pad is a different job to a 1.2 m cut on a Sunbury slope. If the engineer’s sheet has cut and fill zones, run the cut area only — fill that stays on site is not a truck load.
Pool holes are not a rectangle. The pool option adds 10 percent for overdig; the manufacturer’s dig sheet still wins. Trenches use the same formula on a long skinny box — useful for plumbing runs when you also need spoil off the lot.
Typical Melbourne sizes
| Job | Rough size | Bank volume |
|---|---|---|
| Estate pad, detailed cut | 18 × 12 m × 300 mm | ~65 m³ |
| Larger new-home cut | 20 × 15 m × 450 mm | ~135 m³ |
| Sewer trench | 25 m × 450 mm × 600 mm | ~7 m³ |
| Fibreglass pool (box approx.) | 8 × 4 m × 1.5 m | ~48 m³ before overdig |
Use the table as a sense-check, then punch your own numbers above. For dollar ranges — still not a quote — see the site cut cost guide.
Calculator FAQs
How do I calculate a site cut in Melbourne?
Length × width × average depth in metres gives bank m³. Multiply by about 1.3 for western clay to estimate loose spoil.
Is this a price?
No. It is volume and truck loads only. Send the result with suburb, access photos and the cut sheet for a fixed quote.
Can I use this for a job outside Melbourne?
The maths is the same anywhere in Victoria. We quote and work Greater Melbourne from Melton — if you are well outside that, say so on the form.