From land clearing and demolition to drainage, ponds, and site prep, Salz Drainage and Excavating handles the dirt work for homeowners and businesses across Central Illinois — proudly serving Magnolia and communities within a 50-mile radius, including Magnolia.
Salz Drainage and Excavating provides full-service dirt work for residential and commercial properties across Central Illinois, within roughly 50 miles of Magnolia, IL. Services span excavation and earthmoving, land clearing and forestry mulching, demolition, agricultural and yard drainage, pond construction, site prep, and trenching for utilities.
For a project that starts with moving ground, see our excavation services; for water concerns, review drainage improvements; and for build-ready ground, see site preparation.
Address water around yards, lots, basements and foundations with project-specific drainage work. Available scopes include French drains, drain tile systems, basement and foundation drainage, and yard or lot drainage.
Move and open ground for foundations, trenches and broader earthwork needs. Excavation scopes include basement and foundation excavation and trench excavation.
Create usable access and open overgrown areas through forestry mulching, brush and underbrush clearing, lot and site clearing, or pasture and farm land clearing.
Remove structures and hardscape that stand in the way of the next use. Services include residential demolition, commercial and structural demolition, concrete removal, and pool removal with fill-in.
Discuss new or existing pond work, including farm and stock pond construction, pond excavation and dredging, and pond dams or spillways.
Prepare ground for construction and placement through grading and leveling, building pad and concrete preparation, and pole barn or shed site preparation.
Support working ground with field tile installation and farm tile repair or maintenance. The exact scope begins with the affected area and what the existing system is doing.
Open trenches for electrical conduit, water or sewer lines within the legal and project-specific scope Salz can perform. Coordination responsibilities and final connections must be clarified before work begins.
Adam Salz started Salz Drainage and Excavating in Magnolia, Illinois in January 2021, but the dirt work goes back further than that. What began with agricultural drainage and field tile installation grew into a full-service excavation company serving farms, homeowners, and businesses across Central Illinois. Today Adam and his crew handle everything from land clearing and demolition to pond construction and utility trenching, all within about an hour of Magnolia — including Magnolia and the surrounding Illinois Valley communities.
The Salz Drainage and Excavating difference comes down to honesty. Adam tells clients the truth about what a project will actually take, even when it’s not what they want to hear, because it’s what keeps customers calling back — and it’s what keeps neighbors recommending him around town. With a full fleet of excavators, dozers, scrapers, trucks, a drain tile plow, a trencher, and skid steers with attachments — including a forestry mulcher and Harley rake — plus GPS grading capabilities, the crew shows up ready to handle the job themselves, without waiting on subcontractors or rental equipment.
Adam walks the property in person and gives an honest, upfront estimate — no surprise yardage overages or change-order surprises once work begins.
Because drainage, excavation, and land clearing work in Central Illinois is seasonal, jobs are planned around field conditions, weather, and — for agricultural clients — the growing season.
Excavators, dozers, scrapers, and the forestry mulcher are brought on-site. The crew owns its own equipment, so there's no waiting on rentals or subcontractors to get started.
Adam is hands-on through every job, overseeing the work himself from grading and digging to clearing and demolition.
The site is cleaned up and Adam walks the property with the client to confirm the work meets expectations before calling the job done.
Earthwork decisions can affect access, drainage, future construction and neighboring areas of a property. Salz was built around a simple way of doing business: look at what is there, explain what the work involves and tell the truth even when the answer is not the easiest one to hear. That directness matters before equipment arrives. It helps keep the conversation focused on the actual site and the outcome you are trying to reach.
The company has been in business since January 6, 2021. The Salz fleet includes excavators, dozers, scrapers and a forestry mulcher. The right approach still depends on the property, material, access and requested scope.
Most Salz projects are residential or private-property work, and the company also considers commercial scopes. That may mean helping a homeowner address a wet area, preparing rural ground for an outbuilding, clearing an overgrown lot or discussing excavation for a larger site. We do not assume every property needs the same answer.
A free estimate is the next step for a defined project. Share the location, the type of work, what you want the ground to do when the job is finished and any known access concerns. Those details make the first conversation more useful.
Salz Drainage and Excavating is based in Magnolia, Illinois, with no public storefront address. The normal service radius is about 50 miles, and projects up to roughly an hour and a half away may be considered. Dedicated service-area information is available for Varna, McNabb, LaSalle/Peru, Lostant, Hennepin, Granville and Streator.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM. Call (815) 426-9191 or use the contact form to describe your project and request a free estimate.
Adam tells clients the truth about a project’s scope and cost, even when it’s not what they want to hear. It’s a big reason customers call back for the next job and recommend Salz Drainage and Excavating to their neighbors.
Adam is on-site and involved in every project, not just estimating the work and handing it off. That hands-on approach means fewer surprises and a crew that’s accountable for the result.
Excavators, dozers, scrapers, trucks, a drain tile plow, a trencher, and a skid steer with attachments, including a forestry mulcher and Harley rake, are all owned and operated in-house, so there’s no waiting on rental equipment or subcontractors to get a job started.
By keeping overhead lower than larger competitors carrying heavy equipment payments, Salz Drainage and Excavating can price jobs fairly without cutting corners on the work.
The company provides drainage improvements, excavation, land clearing, demolition, pond construction, site preparation, agricultural drainage, and trenching for utilities.
Salz is based in Magnolia, Illinois. There is no public street address. The business generally serves about a 50-mile radius, and projects up to roughly 1.5 hours away may be considered.
Yes. Free estimates are available. Share the property location and enough detail to understand the existing condition and requested result.
Yes. The customer mix is primarily residential and private work, with some commercial projects considered.
The crew runs excavators, dozers, scrapers, trucks, a drain tile plow, a trencher, and a skid steer with a forestry mulcher and Harley rake, backed by GPS grading capabilities. That equipment is paired with a lifetime of hands-on experience from the family farm.
No. Financing is not offered.
Hours are Monday through Saturday, 8:00 AM to 6:00 PM.
Salz digs trenches for electrical conduit, water and sewer lines within its legal scope. Connections, inspections and other regulated responsibilities are clarified for each project before work begins.
Include the exact project location, service needed, what is happening now, the intended finish, access concerns and any plans or specifications that affect the work.
Salz Drainage and Excavating was founded in January 2021, but Adam has been running equipment since childhood on the family farm, so the experience behind every job goes well beyond the company’s five-plus years in business.
