Trenching
Trenching for utility installations is a defined piece of work with a clear boundary. The section below says exactly where our part ends, because that boundary matters to you and to us.
What we do
We open the trench, keep it to the depth and grade your utility contractor specifies, protect the sides, and backfill and compact it once the line is in.
What we do not do
We do not make the connection to the water, sewer, gas, or electrical service. That work belongs to a contractor licensed for it. We coordinate our schedule around theirs.
What this includes
- Trench opened to the depth, width and grade your utility contractor specifies
- Sides protected so the trench is safe to work in for the length of time it stays open
- Bedding material placed where the line requires it
- Trench left open and accessible while your utility contractor sets the line
- Backfill in lifts, compacted, with warning tape at the depth the line calls for
- Surface restored to the condition we agreed before we started
What it does not include
- The connection itself. We do not make the connection to the water, sewer, gas or electrical service. That work belongs to a contractor licensed for it.
- Supplying, laying or joining pipe, conduit and cable.
- Any work inside the town road right of way, which is separately permitted.
- Rock trenching that requires blasting.
What we need from you
None of this is paperwork for its own sake. Each one is something that changes the price or the schedule if it turns up late.
- The specification from your utility contractor: depth, width, bedding and cover
- Confirmation that Dig Safe 811 has been called and the site is marked. This is not optional and we will not open ground without it.
- The schedule your utility contractor is working to, so the trench is not open longer than it has to be
- Agreement on what surface restoration means before we start, not after
How we price it
Trenching is priced by the linear foot at a stated depth and width, including backfill and compaction.
Depth drives the price more than length does. A deeper trench needs wider sides and more protection, and both cost more per foot.
Rock, water in the trench and unmarked existing lines are the three things that change a trench price. All three are stated as assumptions in the quote rather than discovered on the invoice.