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For everyone who still stops to watch the excavator.

Locally owned and operated in Nanaimo, Vancouver Island

Dig to
true rock.

Corben and Jackson Tonsi clear, dig, grade and haul for homeowners and builders across Nanaimo and Mid-Vancouver Island.

Call (250) 668-2521Get a free estimate

Free estimates. Fully insured and registered. Family‑run.

Corben and Jackson Tonsi clear, dig, grade and haul for homeowners and builders across Nanaimo and Mid-Vancouver Island.

From bush lot to finished grade.

Most jobs run in the same order: clear, dig, shape, haul. We handle all four, so you're not lining up a different crew for each step.

Get a free estimate

Curious what's under your lot? Check the BC well logs near you.

Clear Get the site ready

  • Land clearing and site prepTrees, stumps and brush out, topsoil stripped, ground ready for the build.
  • DemolitionSheds, garages, decks, patios, fences and old trailers. Knocked down, loaded up and gone.
  • Yard waste and debris removalBrush piles, construction debris and the junk that's been sitting there for years.

Dig Below grade

Shape Finished ground

  • Grading and yard contouringLow spots, slopes and runoff problems regraded and levelled.
  • Driveways and access roadsNew driveways, repairs and gravel roads built on a proper base.
  • Block walls and hardscapingRetaining block walls, plus the grading and base for patios and landscaping.

Haul Material and winter work

  • Aggregate deliveryGravel, sand and fill dropped where you need it.
  • Snow removalResidential and commercial clearing all winter.

How much do you need?

3.7 cubic yards (2.8 m³, about 4.5 tonnes)

Add 10 to 15% if it'll be compacted.

Get this delivered
Excavator working a full demolition and lot cleanup, with a disposal bin on site

Whole lots,
not just backyards.

Full teardowns, cleared lots and site prep for new builds. Machine, bin and cleanup, start to finish.

See demolition work

Field log

No stock photos. Every shot here is one of our jobs, taken on site.

Job stories Tap to watch

Drone, Yellow Point

Yellow Point: a gate, a new road and an old camper torn down

A fun few days out in Yellow Point! Gate prep, land clearing, road building, before getting to the fun part of demolishing an old travel trailer!Corben and Jackson on Instagram
  • Excavator beside the new gravel road through the trees
  • Form set for a gate post at the road edge
  • Truck and dump trailer at the gate while the posts go in
  • The finished road between the gate posts
  • Clearing brush on a slope
  • Cleared ground above the water
  • Tearing apart the old camper
  • What was left of the camper
  • The yard after the camper was gone

More from around the Mid-Island

Foundation pad prepped in the snow, under work lights
Foundation pad prepped in the snow, under work lights
Taking down an old timber building
Taking down an old timber building
Breaking out old concrete on the waterfront
Breaking out old concrete on the waterfront
Setting a tank beside a new build
Setting a tank beside a new build
Tight access under a covered entry
Tight access under a covered entry
Spreading base gravel along new forms
Spreading base gravel along new forms
Working the shoreline edge of a lot
Working the shoreline edge of a lot
Backyard regrade beside the shed
Backyard regrade beside the shed
A lot cleared and rough-graded
A lot cleared and rough-graded
Interior teardown down to the framing
Interior teardown down to the framing
Footing forms in beside the house
Footing forms in beside the house
Stripping and stockpiling topsoil
Stripping and stockpiling topsoil
Demolition cleanup with a bin on site
Demolition cleanup with a bin on site
Grading in a tight space
Grading in a tight space
Corben and Jackson Tonsi with James Tonsi of J. Tonsi Construction Ltd. in the middle
The Tonsi crewCorben and Jackson with James Tonsi (middle) of J. Tonsi Construction Ltd., building up Nanaimo since 1997.

Raised around job sites

We grew up on job sites. Our family company, J. Tonsi Construction Ltd., has been building up Nanaimo since 1997, and we were around the machines and the people who take pride in doing the work right from the start.

True Rock is the excavation side of that, run by the two of us under J. Tonsi Construction: modern equipment, honest quotes and a phone that gets answered. We work from Yellow Point up to Parksville, on everything from a single backyard drain to commercial site prep.

We'll look at the ground, tell you straight what it needs, and stay on it until it's done.

Corben and Jackson

Jackson Tonsi (left) and Corben Tonsi (right), the brothers behind True Rock Excavating

The crew

Two brothers, one family name on every job. Raised on Nanaimo job sites and running the machines themselves.

  • Jackson TonsiCo-owner and operator
  • Corben TonsiCo-owner and operator
Call (250) 668-2521

You've hit
true rock.

Send a few details or a photo of the site. Corben or Jackson will get back to you, usually within one business day.

  1. Tell us about the job. Two minutes on your phone. Photos help.
  2. We look at the ground. From your photos, or we come out and walk it with you.
  3. You get a straight price. Free, no obligation. Then we book you in.

Request a free estimate

Step 1 of 3

What's the job?

Pick the closest one. "Not sure yet" is fine.

Show us the site

Photos (optional, up to 6)

    Where do we reach you?

    Add your name.

    Add a phone number we can reach you on.

    Check the email address.

    Goes straight to Corben and Jackson. We only use your details to reply about this job.

    Call or text(250) 668-2521
    Corben's cell(250) 713-9766
    Instagram@truerockexcavating_
    Emailcorben@truerockexcavating.ca

    We work across Nanaimo, Lantzville, Nanoose Bay, Parksville and Yellow Point. Further out? Ask anyway.

    Questions people ask

    Is my job too small?

    Probably not. We take on everything from a single backyard drain to commercial site prep. If it needs a machine, it's worth a call.

    What does it cost?

    It depends on what's there: access, the ground, how deep we go and what gets hauled away. That's why we look first. The estimate is free and there's no obligation.

    How soon can you start?

    It depends on the season and what's already booked. Call or text and we'll tell you straight where the schedule's at.

    Do you haul it all away?

    Yes. What we tear out or clear gets loaded up and hauled off, so you're not left with a pile.

    Can you just drop off gravel?

    Yes. Tell us what you need and where it goes. The calculator in our services list will give you a rough amount.

    Are you insured?

    Yes, fully insured and registered.

    Based in Nanaimo. Digging up and down the Island.

    We work out of Nanaimo and cover the Mid-Island, from Yellow Point up to Parksville. If you can see the job from the Island Highway, we can probably get a machine to it.

    1. Parksville32 km north
    2. Nanoose Bay22 km north
    3. Lantzville13 km north
    4. NanaimoHome base
    5. Yellow Point18 km south

    Somewhere else on Vancouver Island? Call (250) 668-2521 and ask.

    49.17° N, 123.94° WNanaimo, British Columbia
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