Project guide
Hiring trenching / underground contractors in Texas
Trenching and underground utility contractors open the ground for pipe and conduit, bed and backfill it, and put the surface back. What looks like a straight line on a plan is governed by a few hard numbers: 811 locates before any digging, a minimum cover depth that varies by utility (commonly 18 to 24 inches for electric and gas service, and below the frost line for water), and OSHA's requirement that any trench five feet or deeper have a protective system such as a trench box, shoring or a sloped wall, with a competent person on site. Bedding material under the pipe, compaction of the backfill in lifts and tracer wire on non-metallic pipe are the details that separate a line that lasts fifty years from one that settles and cracks the driveway above it.
GradeLine lists 187 trenching / underground contractors that serve Texas.Compare their work and equipment, then confirm availability and service area before requesting a quote.
Listed businesses are based in Corpus Christi, , Houston, League City, Van Alstyne, Tyler, though most crews travel well beyond their home city.
What trenching / underground work costs
Simple trenching in soft soil is often priced per linear foot, roughly $4 to $12 for shallow runs and $10 to $30 or more when depth, rock or shoring come into play. A residential water or sewer service replacement typically runs $3,000 to $12,000 depending on length, depth and how much pavement has to be cut. Directional boring under driveways and roads is priced separately, often $10 to $30 per foot.
Ranges are national and approximate; regional labor rates, material prices and site conditions move them in both directions.
Common projects
- Water, sewer and gas service lines from the main to the house, including tie-ins and taps
- Electrical, telecom and fiber conduit runs, plus direct-burial cable trenches
- French drains, storm laterals, culverts and irrigation mains
What affects a quote
- Trench length, depth and width, and whether the route crosses pavement, tree roots or other utilities
- Soil, rock and groundwater, which decide whether a trencher, an excavator or dewatering is needed, and whether shoring is required
- Bedding stone, compacted backfill, pipe material, and restoration of grass, gravel or concrete over the top