We dig trenches for water lines, sewer laterals, power to a shop, gas, irrigation and drainage. We take care of the locate request, the digging and the backfill, so you aren't left with an open ditch across the yard.
Boise Trenching Services for Homes and Job Sites
Most trench jobs start with something simple. A new shop needs power. The water line from the meter is leaking. A builder needs a sewer stub run out to the street. Picturing the trench is easy. Getting the depth, the slope and the backfill right is the part that keeps the line working for a long time.
We do trenching across Boise and the Treasure Valley, including Meridian, Eagle, Nampa, Kuna, Star and Middleton. We're based in Caldwell, so Canyon County jobs are close to home too.
Types of Trenching We Do
Utility trenching
Power, gas, water, sewer, phone and fiber all need a trench at some point. A common one around here is running power to a detached shop or an ADU in the backyard. For bigger runs and new service hookups, see our utility excavation page.
Water and sewer line trenches
Water and sewer trenches have their own rules. Water lines have to sit below frost. Sewer lines need steady fall the whole way to the main, so the trench bottom has to be graded, not just dug. We cover both in more detail on our water line excavation and sewer line excavation pages.
Irrigation and drainage trenches
A lot of Treasure Valley homes run on pressurized irrigation, and those mains and laterals need trenching when they're added, moved or replaced. We also dig for French drains, downspout lines and drainage that carries water away from a foundation. Our drainage excavation page has more on that.
Trenching for new construction
Builders call us for utility runs, footing trenches and service lines on new homes and shops. We work from your plans and stakes and can line up our schedule with your plumber and electrician. On a new build the order matters. Water and sewer go in before flatwork, conduit has to be under the driveway before it's poured, and each line usually needs to be seen before it's covered. We can work off your utility plan or walk the routes with your superintendent on site.
What Treasure Valley Soil Means for Your Trench
Dirt around here isn't all the same, and it changes how a trench gets dug. A route can dig clean for 50 feet and then hit a cemented layer or a pocket of cobble. It helps to tell us what you've run into planting trees or setting fence posts.
- Caliche and hardpan. In parts of Meridian, Nampa and Kuna you can hit a cemented layer a foot or two down. A small machine skates on it. It takes the right bucket and some patience.
- Basalt. Southeast Boise and the Kuna area have rock close to the surface in spots. Rock slows the job and can change the price.
- River rock and high water. Near the Boise River, in Garden City and parts of Eagle, you get cobble and gravel. The water table can come up fast once irrigation season starts.
- Decomposed granite. Lots in the Boise foothills dig easy, but the walls cave if they're left too steep.
That's why we like to see the site before we give you a number. Soil conditions move the price and the timeline more than trench length does. If we hit something nobody expected, like an old slab, a buried foundation or a rock ledge, we stop and talk with you before going further.
Locates, Permits and Trench Safety
Idaho law says whoever is digging has to call Digline (811) at least two business days before work starts. We make that call. The locators mark public lines like gas, power and city water. They don't mark private lines, such as a sprinkler main, a line out to a shop or an old septic line, so tell us about anything you've had put in over the years.
Permits usually cover the line going in, not the trench itself. Your plumber or electrician typically pulls that permit, and the inspector may want to see the pipe or conduit before it's covered. We plan the backfill around that inspection.
Safety matters on deeper work. OSHA requires protection like sloping, benching or a trench box once a trench gets to 5 feet deep. Most residential trenches are shallower than that, but sewer laterals and some water services can go deeper. Sloped or benched walls are much wider at the top, so a deep trench near a fence, a house or a driveway takes planning. We account for that in the estimate.
After the Line Goes In
Pipe that needs it goes on sand or fine bedding, so rock in the native soil can't wear through it. Once the line is in and any inspection is done, we backfill in layers and compact as we go, so the trench line doesn't sink. Extra spoil gets spread on site or taken off with dirt hauling, and the strip is left graded for seed, sod or gravel. More on that is on our backfilling page.
What Trenching Costs in Boise
We don't quote a per-foot price over the phone, because two 100-foot trenches can be very different jobs. The things that change the price most are:
- Length and depth of the trench
- Soil, caliche or rock along the route
- Access, like gate width, fences, trees and landscaping in the way
- Existing lines that have to be dug around by hand
- Bedding sand or gravel the pipe needs
- Where the extra dirt goes, and how much of the yard needs to be put back
One customer whose main water line burst said Tanner gave them three quote options and explained each one. That's how we like to bid: clear choices, so you can pick what fits your budget, like a straight route versus one that goes around a driveway.
Why Treasure Valley Homeowners Call Us
We're an Idaho registered contractor (RCE-65836) with a 5.0 rating on Google. Read the reviews and you'll see Tanner's name in most of them. He's the one people talk to about the bid, the schedule and the work itself, so you aren't passed between people.
Call (208) 697-2429 or request a free estimate and tell us what the trench is for, how long it needs to be and where it starts and ends. Photos of the route and anything in the way help, and so does a site plan or permit drawing if you have one.
