Services
What we dig, and what we don't
Every job is a trench and a pipe. Here is what each one includes, and where our work ends and another trade's starts.
Sewer lines
From the house to the main, or to a septic tank.
Trench, pipe on a bed of sand or gravel, and a cleanout
Slope measured, not guessed
Not included: plumbing inside the house, or cutting a slab
Water service lines
From the main or the well to the house.
Trench below frost, pipe, tracer wire and a shutoff you can find
Connection at the meter or the pressure tank
Not included: the meter, which the utility sets
Septic tanks and drain fields
New systems and replacements, set to your county's approved design.
Tank, lids or risers at grade, and drain-field trenches
We wait for the inspector before we cover it
Not included: the soil test, the design or the pumping
Trenches for other trades
Water or conduit to a shop, a barn or a second house.
We open the trench to the depth the plan gives
We close it after your plumber or electrician is done
Not included: the line itself, when another trade lays it
Culverts and driveway crossings
Pipe under a lane or a driveway.
Pipe sized to the run, bedded and covered
Gravel to bring the road back
Not included: paving
Builder work
Utility trenches and tie-ins for a new home.
Water, sewer and conduit trenches on your schedule
811 placed once the lot is staked
Not included: footing and foundation excavation
Questions
About the work
What does a visit cost and what does it include?
We walk the lot with you, look at the ground, the access and the marks if they're down, and talk through the route. The visit fee is on the estimate, and it comes off the job price if you hire us. You leave knowing what we'd dig and why.
How long does a job take?
A water line to a house is often one or two days of digging. A sewer line or a septic tank and field takes longer, depending on length, depth and weather. We give you the days on the estimate, and tell you if frozen ground or rain changes them.
Do you pump septic tanks?
No. A pumping company does that. We dig out the lids, set risers so they sit at grade, and replace tanks and fields. Most tanks need pumping every three to five years.
Is my water line lead, galvanized or polybutylene?
Homes built before 1986 can have lead pipe or lead solder, and paint in homes built before 1978 can contain lead. If we open a line and find old pipe, we show you what it is and your options before we go further. Testing your water is a separate step, and a lab does it.
Have a line to run?
Tell us what's at each end, the house and the main, the tank or the well. We'll walk the route with you.