The crew found bedrock—how much more will this cost?

Hitting bedrock is a common surprise in Utah, especially along the benches of Salt Lake and Davis Counties. The cost impact depends on the size of the area and how deep the excavation needs to go. Removing bedrock typically requires specialized equipment like a hydraulic breaker or jackhammer, which is billed hourly plus equipment fees. Hand-chipping is possible in small areas but is more labor intensive. To protect yourself, ask for a written change order with unit pricing—such as cost per hour of breaker time or per cubic yard of rock removed. The contractor should also provide a revised schedule since breaking rock slows progress. Photos of the exposed bedrock and locate marks are helpful to validate the condition. Depending on the situation, design alternatives may be worth discussing, such as raising the grade or slightly shifting the layout to avoid the rock. Costs vary, but transparency and documentation are critical before work continues.