Rock and Boulder Removal From Yard — Dug Out, Reused or Hauled
A boulder sits where you want a shed or a garden, rock keeps coming up under the lawn, or the old landscape rock beds are more weeds than rock.
JMB Builders does rock and boulder removal from yards across the Twin Cities metro and north to St. Cloud. We dig out boulders and buried rock with a skid steer or excavator, break the ones too big to move with a hammer, pull old landscape rock out of beds, then fill and seed the holes. The rock is set somewhere else on your lot or hauled away. Priced per project.
- Priced per project
- Boulders dug out, moved or hauled
- Holes filled, topsoiled and seeded
- Gopher State One Call (811) before digging
- Licensed MN contractor BC809005
Much of central Minnesota was left rocky by the glaciers, and on many lots north of the Twin Cities the soil turns up rock every time it is dug. A boulder showing a hand's width above the lawn can be the size of a car underground. Buried rock breaks mower blades, stops a fence post auger and heaves up after frost.
We find the edges first with a probe and a shovel, then dig around the rock with a skid steer or excavator and roll it out of the hole. A rock too big to lift is broken with a hammer or left and buried deeper, whichever makes sense. The hole is filled and compacted, topsoiled and seeded so it does not sink.
Good boulders are worth keeping. We can set them along a driveway or a bed as edging, or stockpile them for a wall. The rest, along with old river rock and landscape rock pulled from beds, is loaded and hauled.
What you supply
- Photos of the rock or boulders with something for scale, and of the path to them
- What you want done with the rock: moved on the lot, stockpiled or hauled away
- Sprinkler lines, invisible fence and any private buried lines marked
- What goes in afterward: lawn, a garden, a shed pad or new beds
What JMB supplies
- Gopher State One Call locate before digging
- Boulders dug out with a skid steer or excavator, oversized ones broken with a hammer
- Buried rock pulled from lawn and garden areas
- Old landscape rock and fabric pulled from beds
- Rock set as edging, stockpiled or loaded and hauled, as quoted
- Holes filled and compacted, topsoiled and seeded or sodded
- Lawn protection on the path in and out, and photos in your job folder
How it is priced: per project
Quoted in writing from your photos within one business day. What moves the number:
- Number and size of the boulders, and how deep they sit
- Whether oversized rock has to be broken with a hammer
- Reusing the rock on the lot vs. loading and hauling it
- Amount of old landscape rock to pull from beds
- Access for a machine and lawn protection
- Fill, topsoil and seed or sod to finish the holes
Photos with a person or a shovel next to the rock help. Buried size is a guess until we dig, so the quote says what happens if a boulder is bigger than it looks.
How long it takes
A few boulders: usually half a day to a day. A rocky lawn cleanup or pulling rock out of all the beds: one to two days.
How your project works
- 1
Send photos, get a written quote
Send three photos of the space and a sentence about what you want. You get a clear, itemized quote within one business day. We only come out to measure first when the job needs a tape measure — no pressure, no games.
- 2
Pick materials, or bring your own
We help you choose profiles and materials that fit the house and the budget, or match your existing millwork exactly — or you buy the door or trim yourself and we install it. Everything is confirmed before the crew is scheduled.
- 3
Clean, precise installation
The crew shows up on time, protects floors and furniture, and installs with tight joints and consistent reveals. Photos of the finished work go in your job folder.
- 4
Walkthrough and invoice
We walk the finished work with you. If anything is not right, we fix it before we call the job done. Then one invoice, paid by check or direct deposit — no card fees, no payment links.
Situations and options
Single large boulder
Dug out, rolled out of the hole, moved to another spot or hauled, and the hole filled and seeded.
Rocky lawn cleanup
Buried rock near the surface pulled out of lawn or garden areas so the mower and tiller stop hitting it.
Landscape rock removal from beds
River rock or trap rock and the old fabric under it pulled out of beds, hauled, and the beds left ready for mulch, plants or sod.
Boulders reused as edging
Rock dug from the yard set along a driveway, a bed or a slope instead of being hauled away.
Rock and Boulder Removal From Yard — Dug Out, Reused or Hauled: questions, answered
How do you remove a large boulder from a yard?
We probe to find its size, dig around it with a skid steer or excavator, and roll or lift it out of the hole. A rock too big to move whole is broken with a hammer. The hole is filled, compacted, topsoiled and seeded so it does not become a low spot.
Can a boulder be broken up instead of moved?
Yes. A hammer on a machine breaks large rock into pieces that can be loaded and hauled. It is slower than moving a boulder whole, so it is used when the rock is too big to lift or the access too tight.
Can you reuse the boulders somewhere else in my yard?
Often. Rounded fieldstone boulders make good edging along a driveway or bed, or can be stockpiled for a boulder wall later. Keeping them on the lot costs less than hauling them away.
Why do rocks keep coming up in my lawn?
Frost heave. Each winter the ground freezes and lifts, and rocks in the soil work up a little closer to the surface. On rocky lots it keeps happening for years. Pulling the rock near the surface and topsoiling over the area makes the lawn usable.
Do you remove old landscape rock from flower beds?
Yes. River rock or trap rock and the fabric under it are pulled out and hauled, and the bed is left ready for mulch, plants or sod. It is slow, heavy work, so it is priced by how much rock is in the beds.
What if the boulder is bigger than it looks?
It often is, because most of a boulder is underground. The quote says what happens if it is bigger than expected: break it, bury it deeper or move it whole, and what that changes. We tell you before we go further.
Recent JMB work, from our job log
59 installs recorded across 30 Twin Cities communities since Dec 2025. Window and door installs for homeowners and for the builders and dealers we sub for. Counts come straight from our job log; no customer names.
Get a written quote for this job
Three photos and a sentence is enough. You hear back within one business day. Or text the photos to 763-204-2099.
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Read morePage reviewed September 26, 2026 · JMB Builders LLC, MN license BC809005 · All excavation pages
Where we work
Excavation near you
Based in Zimmerman, scheduling across the Twin Cities metro. Closest first: