A trench seems simple until it isn’t. Water lines in Vernal need to sit deep enough that winter cold can’t reach them, and Uintah County’s frost protection depth for footings is 30 inches, which gives you a sense of how far down the cold can go. Sewer lines need steady fall, power and gas need proper depth and separation, and every trench has to be backfilled so it doesn’t turn into a sunken strip across your yard next spring.
We start by calling Blue Stakes so existing lines get marked, then lay out the route and dig to the depth and grade your project needs. We keep the trench straight and the bottom clean, coordinate with your plumber or electrician, and backfill in layers with compaction as we go. When we’re done, the ground is level and ready for whatever goes on top.
We trench across the Basin and know how local soils, rock, and winter cold affect buried lines.
Excavators and trenching buckets in sizes that fit tight backyards and wide-open acreage.
We'll talk through depth, route, and cost with you and your trades before we dig.
We keep spoil piles neat, protect lawns and driveways where we can, and level everything at the end.
Trenching looks simple from the road and gets complicated fast once you’re in the dirt. We dig for water service lines, sewer laterals, power to shops and outbuildings, gas lines, irrigation mains, and drain lines for homeowners, builders, farms, and businesses across the Ashley Valley. Some runs are a short hop from the house to a new garage. Others stretch across acreage in Ballard or Naples to reach a well, a barn, or a shop at the back of the property.
Whatever the run, the job comes down to the same thing: a straight trench at the right depth with a clean bottom, followed by backfill that stays put.
Each kind of line asks for something a little different. Water lines need depth so winter cold can’t reach them. Sewer and drain lines care most about fall, a steady downhill slope with no dips where water or solids can sit. Power and gas need the depth and separation your electrician, plumber, or utility provider calls for, and some lines need a sand or fine bedding layer so rock doesn’t rub against pipe or conduit.
We dig to the specs those trades give us. If something on the plan doesn’t match what we find in the ground, we stop and ask instead of guessing. For a new build with several lines heading the same direction, utility prep looks at the whole site so routes and depths get planned together.
A little prep on your end makes the day go faster and keeps surprises small. Before we show up, it helps to:
Routes rarely cross open dirt the whole way. When a line has to cross a lawn, we set sod and topsoil aside where we can so the yard comes back faster. Driveway and sidewalk crossings take more thought, since you either go around, cut through, or plan for a patch afterward. It’s worth deciding that before we start rather than in the middle of the dig.
Sprinkler lines are the most common casualty on residential jobs, so marking them ahead of time matters. If a line gets nicked or the system needs to be rerouted around the new trench, irrigation fixes can get it running again before the next watering season.
Soils around Vernal swing from sticky clay to sandy loam to cobble near the creek bottoms, and each one behaves differently with an open trench. Clay holds a wall well when it’s dry but turns slick and heavy once spring snowmelt soaks it. Sandy and rocky ground sloughs in more easily, so we keep trenches open only as long as they need to be and keep spoils back from the edge. Deeper trenches get sloped or shored so nobody gets hurt working in them.
Low humidity and strong summer sun also dry out stockpiled dirt quickly. That sounds harmless, but backfill compacts best with some moisture in it, so we pay attention to that when it’s time to close the trench.
The smoothest jobs have everyone on the same calendar. We open the trench, your plumber or electrician lays the line, the inspector signs off if needed, and then we backfill in layers. When one step slips, the trench sits open longer, which is never good for the walls or your yard, so we try to line up dates before the first scoop.
If your trench is part of a fix for standing water, our drainage solutions work covers French drains and outlets so the water has somewhere safe to go. Call (801) 669-0512 to walk your route and get a plan on the calendar.
We look at the route, distance, depth needed, and any obstacles in the way.
You get a written quote covering digging, backfill, and timing.
We call in locates, dig the trench, and work with your trades while the lines go in.
We backfill, compact, level the surface, and walk the finished route with you.
