Average Trenching Cost: Affordable and Reliable Trenching Services in Houston

The average trenching cost ranges from $500 to $1200 for 100′ of underground electrical conduit or water, sewer, or gas lines. Whether you are building a new home, upgrading utilities, or responding to drainage issues, the cost can have a major impact on your overall cost, efficiency, and safety. Trenching requires accurate measurements, careful planning, knowledge of the soil type and the utilities that will be installed. This article aims to help you understand how much it will cost to trench and backfill and how to find a quality, low-cost trenching service in Houston.

Average Cost Of Trenching And Backfilling in Houston

Homeowners & businesses often want to know “How Much Will This Be?” when digging trenches for sewer line installations.

For Residential projects, the current minimum average cost (before taxes, etc.) for Standard Trenching Backfill in Houston is $5-$12 per linear foot. This average trenching cost encompasses the total cost of excavation, labor, backfilling & basic surface restoration.

Example of Trenching And Backfilling Rates:

• The backhoe trenching cost per foot: $20-$40 per linear foot, depending on the soil type & accessibility.
• Manually Hand Dug Trenching: Manual Trenching is typically $30-$50 per linear foot due to the labor-intensive nature of the method.

While hand trenching may seem like an expensive option, it’s sometimes a necessity due accessibility restrictions & where accuracy is important (e.g. narrow utility corridors).

Cost to dig a trench by project

The average trenching cost can vary greatly based on the nature of the project, the soil conditions, and the reason for the project. Below are some examples of what trenching costs typically look like for different types of projects.

Residential Sewer Line Trench:

The average cost to dig a trench per foot by hand for a sewer line is typically between $1,500 and $3,500 for the average property. Complex layouts or very rocky soil types will result in higher costs associated with this project type.

Utility Trenching:

The typical costs for installation of electric, gas, and water lines are calculated by the length of the trench in feet. The average cost to trench electric line per foot will be between $15 and $35. Utility trenching also frequently requires permits, additional safety measures (i.e., fencing), and careful planning.

Drainage Trenches:

The cost to trench for drainage includes the depth, width, and materials of the drain. Homeowners often ask: “How much does it cost to dig a trench for drainage?”. The general range of prices to dig a drainage trench is $10-$25 a linear foot. If a retaining wall or concrete reinforcement is required, the cost may be slightly higher.

Concrete Slab Trenches:

The labor required to cut a trench through an existing concrete slab makes this a much more intensive labor project, with the cost to trench concrete slab ranging between $30-$60 per linear foot. These prices include the costs to cut through the concrete; excavate; and backfill with soil or gravel.

Underground conduit installation cost per foot

The average trenching cost for utilities (electric, communication and water) will be impacted by the installation of below-ground conduit, with the per-foot cost for installing a conduit typically ranging from $20-$50. The installation costs of the conduit will vary based on the depth of the trench, the type of conduit being installed and the type of terrain.

United Trenching Services provides precision trenching and conduit installation to make sure you have a compliant, safe and future-ready installation of your utilities.

Factors That Affect The Trenching Cost

When estimating the average trenching cost, the following factors all play a major role as well:

Types of Trenches:

A simple, straight trench is going to be less expensive than a trench, which has several curves, has steep grades, or contains a variety of depths. Specialized trenches are going to require more man-hours and knowledge add to the costs of digging them. Examples of specialized trenches are foundation and utility trenches.

Type and Condition of the Soil:

Soil that is sandy or not compacted is relatively easy and inexpensive to excavate. Conversely, rocky and clay-rich soils require additional manpower and equipment to excavate. Excavating through a saturated or a compacted soil condition would also require additional labor and equipment.

Depth and Width of Trench:

The deeper or wider a trench, the more it will be to excavate. Sewer line trenches require a minimum depth of 3 – 5 ft, increasing their overall cost as compared with shallow drainage trenches.

Equipment Utilized:

The cost of employing labor to dig manually is going to be more expensive than utilizing heavy machinery (i.e., Backhoe & Trencher), the presence of which will drastically reduce the time expended to complete a trench, thus lowering the total average trenching cost.

Accessing Property:

The more difficult and costly it is to access your property due to distant location from the street, the cost for trenching will increase (i.e., Required to obtain Street Permits, Obstructive Tree Removal, etc.).

Backfilling and Restoring:

The costs of backfilling the trench, along with the cost of compacting the soil back to pre-excavation conditions, along with restoring Landscape or Pavement, are costs that will be incurred at the end of any trenching project, and restoration failure could incur additional future costs of repairing the damage.

By taking into account the above factors, you can maximize your project planning time, avoid unexpected cost increases at the end of the project from change orders, and ensure the best possible pricing on any trenching work required for your project.

Finding Affordable Trenching Services Without Compromising Quality with Trenching Service

Choosing the most affordable average trenching cost available may entice you when choosing a Trenching service in Houston to perform work. However, cutting corners within trenching can have an adverse effect on your project’s overall success and result in additional (and expensive) mistakes. An improperly excavated trench could collapse, harm existing utility lines, or cause you to fail your inspection process. To ensure that you achieve the right balance when selecting a Trenching Service consider following these guidelines:

1. Get Multiple Quotes.
2. Evaluate the Experience and Equipment of the Contractor.
3. Review Customer Feedback and References.
4. Inquire About Permit Management.

United Trenching Services has incredibly transparent pricing, highly experienced crews, and a variety of high-efficiency Trenching Equipment to assist in all types of Trenching Projects from Digging Foundation Trenches to Utility Trenches and much more. We do everything possible to provide excellent service while offering affordable pricing.

Conclusion

There are many different ways to trench for sewer lines and variously-sized utility lines; however they all share the same basic characteristics: they are important, require accuracy, and involve expense. The average trenching cost can vary widely depending on how it is done, what kind of soil you are using to dig the trench, and the amount of material being removed from the trench; therefore, it is important to select an experienced and credible company for utility trenching, foundation trenching, and excavation vs trenching.

At United Trenching Services, we provide professional-grade, customized utility trenching solutions that are based on your project specifications.

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