Excavation Contractor in Selden, NY
Selden is a busy hamlet of more than 21,000 people sitting on the sandy, glacial soil that runs beneath much of this part of New York. That ground drains fast in some spots and pools stubbornly in others, and it sits above a water table that rises with every heavy storm — which is exactly why so many properties here eventually need real earthwork. A qualified excavation contractor in Selden, NY, is who you call when a yard floods, a foundation needs prepping, an old pool has to go, or a lot must be cleared and graded before anything else can happen.
Excavation is heavy, high-stakes work where mistakes are expensive and dangerous. There are buried utilities to locate, slopes to engineer for proper water flow, and soil conditions that behave differently from one block to the next. Skilled excavation and drainage services in Selden mean working with a crew that reads the land, digs safely, and leaves the ground graded so water and structures behave for years to come, not just until the next nor'easter rolls through off the Atlantic.
Bulldog Contracting, Inc. has been doing exactly this since 1987. We are a family-owned company founded by Chris Hembury — a retired NYC police officer who built this business after twenty years on the force — and we combine excavation and construction expertise under one roof, fully licensed and insured. From drainage and grading to land clearing and pool removal, we handle the dirty, complicated work with care and accountability. When you have a project that needs moving, we are ready to take a look.
About Selden, NY
Selden is a hamlet and census-designated place in the Town of Brookhaven, Suffolk County, New York, with a population of 21,262 at the 2020 census. Settled in the mid-1800s and named for jurist Henry R. Selden, it grew from rural farmland into one of central Long Island's established residential communities.
The hamlet's defining institution is the Ammerman Campus of Suffolk County Community College, one of the largest community colleges in the state, which sits in the heart of Selden and serves thousands of students each year. It is also one of the area's most significant employers.
Daily life runs along Middle Country Road, the commercial spine that connects Selden to neighboring hamlets across the Town of Brookhaven, while residential pockets like Westfield give the community its suburban, family-oriented character. Set in the middle of Long Island, Selden blends easy access to the wider region with a settled, neighborly feel.
Why Long Island Weather and Soil Make Drainage a Constant Battle
The land here takes a beating from the weather, and a property's grading is what decides whether that weather becomes a problem. This stretch of New York pulls in roughly 45 inches of rain and around 30 inches of snow a year, and coastal nor'easters can dump much of that in a single brutal stretch. When the runoff has nowhere good to go, it pools against foundations and erodes everything in its path.
The soil adds a twist. The region's sandy, glacial ground drains quickly in places, yet low spots and compacted areas trap water and stay soggy for days, and a high seasonal water table can push moisture up from below. The result is the classic Long Island headache — a swampy corner of the yard, a wet basement, or a driveway that washes out every spring.
This is where thoughtful earthwork earns its keep. Re-grading land to slope water away from structures, installing dry wells to capture and disperse stormwater into the sandy subsoil, and controlling erosion are what turn a flood-prone property into a dry, stable one. Reading how water actually moves across a specific lot is the first step in fixing it for good.
Happy Customers in Selden, NY
Our Services in Selden, NY
Grading, Drainage, and the Call Before You Dig
Two unglamorous fundamentals decide whether earthwork actually protects a property: where the water goes, and what is buried below before you start. Proper grading means the ground slopes away from the house, ideally dropping about six inches over the first ten feet, so rain and snowmelt drain off rather than collecting against the foundation. Get that slope wrong, and you invite cracked footings, wet basements, and erosion that only worsens with time.
Drainage systems back up the grading. Dry wells are especially effective here, capturing roof and surface runoff and letting it soak slowly into the sandy subsoil instead of flooding the yard, while swales and proper pitch carry water where you want it. Done right, these systems work quietly for years; done poorly, they fail at the worst possible moment.
The other non-negotiable is safety: before any blade breaks ground, underground utilities must be located by calling 811, because hitting a gas, electric, or water line is both illegal and potentially deadly. Respecting what is below the surface is the mark of a serious excavator, and it is built into the way we run every single job.
Why Selden, NY, Property Owners Trust Bulldog Contracting, Inc
Our reputation here was earned one careful job at a time, and it starts at the top. Owner Chris Hembury stays personally involved, bringing the same discipline from a twenty-year police career to the way we plan, communicate, and execute — clients consistently mention how he listens, shows up when promised, and treats their property as if it were his own.
Behind that is nearly four decades of hands-on capability. Because Bulldog Contracting combines excavation and construction, we can take a project from raw, problem-ridden ground all the way to a finished, usable space without juggling multiple contractors. We are fully licensed and insured, SIMA certified, and we even offer flexible financing so a larger project does not have to wait. Every job is run with the professionalism and accountability that heavy equipment and open trenches demand.
That mix of experience, integrity, and full-service capability is why folks around Selden keep our number handy. When the work is messy, technical, or just plain big, a family-run crew that has seen it all before is exactly who you want holding the controls.
Hire Us! Excavation Contractor in Selden, NY
Staring at a swampy backyard, an old pool you are done with, or a wooded lot that needs clearing? The fastest way to get started is to snap a few photos or a short video of the problem area and send them over with a request for a quote. As an experienced excavation contractor in Selden, NY, we can size up most jobs quickly once we actually see what we are working with.
From there, we will come walk the property, talk through the plan, and give you a straight, honest assessment before a single machine fires up. Property owners around Selden lean on us because the owner himself stays hands-on, and because nearly four decades of digging means we have very likely solved your exact problem before. Our excavation and drainage work in Selden is built to fix the issue permanently, not just patch it until the next storm.
So take your pick: call the office to get on the schedule, submit your project details and photos through our site, or have us out to look in person — whatever gets your job rolling. Bulldog Contracting will lay out the scope and the timeline clearly, then dig in and do it right. Put a licensed, insured, family-run crew to work on your Selden property and watch the problem turn into clean, finished, dependable ground.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to call 811 before excavation?
Yes — by law, you should call 811 at least 2 to 3 business days before any digging. We handle that utility-marking step so your project starts safely and fully legally.
What excavation services do you offer?
We cover 8 core services: excavation, drainage, grading and resloping, pool removal, land clearing, dry well installation, stump removal, and sod. One crew handles your entire project from start to finish.
Can you fix standing water or flooding on my property?
Drainage is one of our specialties, and most yards drain properly after just 1 corrected slope or system. We install dry wells and grade land so water flows safely away.
How long have you been in business?
We have been family-owned and operating since 1987, which is nearly 4 decades of excavation and construction experience. That history means very few jobs are new to our seasoned crew.
Can you remove an old pool?
Yes, pool removal is one of our services, and most residential pools come out within 1 to 3 days. We backfill cleanly, leaving the area ready for its next use.
Do you clear trees and stumps for new projects?
Land clearing and stump removal are 2 of our core services. We take out trees, shrubs, debris, and stumps, leaving a clean site graded and ready for your next phase.
Are you licensed and insured?
We carry 2 essential safeguards — full licensing and insurance — plus SIMA certification. With excavation work this heavy, those protections keep your property and your investment safe at every single step.
Do you offer financing for larger projects?
Yes, we provide flexible financing options for projects of every size, arranged through 1 financing partner. That lets you tackle a bigger excavation job without putting your plans on hold.