Utilities and site work
The trench is half the job
A new home on an old lot needs water, a sewer, power and often gas. Getting them there is where the surprises are. We locate everything before we dig, and we show you the route on a drawing first.
Included
Utility locates before any digging
A trench from the house or the street to the new building
Sewer line with a cleanout and the slope it needs
Water service, with a shutoff
Electric service, panel and a trench for the line
What changes the cost
What moves the price of this job
What moves the cost of site work.
Distance and depth
The longer and deeper the run, the more it costs. Frost depth sets how deep water lines go.
What is in the way
Trees, patios, retaining walls and neighbors' lines.
The sewer
Slope matters. A cottage lower than the main line needs a pump.
Your panel
An old panel may need an upgrade to carry a new home.
Access
A trench through a narrow side yard goes by hand.
Drainage
A new roof and a new slab change where water goes.
Not included: utility companies' connection fees, and landscaping afterward
How it goes
The stages
- 01
Step 1: 1. Lot check
Where the services enter the lot.
- 02
Step 2: 2. Locates
We call and mark every line before we dig.
- 03
Step 3: 3. The trench
Dug, laid, inspected, backfilled.
- 04
Step 4: 4. Connections
Water, sewer, electric and gas connected to the new building.
- 05
Step 5: 5. Grading
The yard drains away from both buildings.
Permits and rules
Permits and rules
Each utility has its own permit and its own inspection, and some connections are done only by the utility itself. We schedule each one.
Colorado requires a locate call before digging, and we make it on every job.
Questions
Questions about utilities and site work
Do I need a new electric service?
Maybe. It depends on the size of your panel, the new load and the distance. We look at it at the lot check.
Will you dig up my yard?
Some of it. We mark the route, protect what stays, and restore the rest.
Can the cottage share my sewer line?
Often. We scope the line with a camera first, so we know it's sound.
Is the house built before 1978?
It matters only if work touches painted surfaces on an older house, for example where a line enters a wall.
Wondering what's under the yard?
The lot check comes first, and it commits you to nothing.