Unless you're simply using a hoe in the garden to create small rows for seeds, you want to leave earthmoving of any sort to an excavator. Before you start digging up your property to install new plumbing pipes or even for a small built-in pool, note why a professional excavator is the best choice for this job.
Condition of the subsoil
Don't assume that the dirt you walk on is the dirt you'll need to excavate when you start digging; the subsoil underneath your topsoil can be very different in its overall consistency, and this can make excavation that much more difficult for you. Rocky soil may require drilling or hammering in order to break through it, and soft soil may very well collapse into the excavated pit. Very moist soil can mean water spilling into your pit and this needs to be removed along with the soil. A professional excavator can test the subsoil and ensure that they have the right tools and are using the right techniques for excavating so there are no surprises once they start to dig.
Quality of the dig
You may think that excavating a pit for a pool or digging trenches for a new underground sprinkler system means just digging up the earth, but in truth, you need a quality dig. This involves digging a pit evenly so that one side of your new pool doesn't get pressure from too much compacted soil, and the other side of the pit doesn't pull away and cause separation of the soil from the pool, which results in it not getting the support it needs. Poorly dug trenches can also mean that your pipes or other pieces for plumbing or a new sprinkler system sag or collapse in one area, or are not sufficiently buried in another. For a quality dig, rely on a professional excavator.
Working around underground materials
Your local city may mark off buried pipes, cables, and the like, but you may still need to work around them when you excavate. If you don't know how to protect your pit or trenches, they can collapse around those buried materials or you can compact dirt in the area, which puts too much pressure on those pipes. A professional excavator will know how to avoid damaging those buried materials and also how to work around them to keep them protected as pits or trenches are dug.
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