Trenching...

[cowboyjwc]

Years ago I asked a "HO" who was digging him or me? He said he assumed I was doing it and asked why. I told him I charge $50 an hour weather I'm hooking up electrical equipment or digging ditches and I don't dig very fast. He decided to have his two teenagers do it.

 

[tshea]

We rent a trencher at 25' otherwise the apprentice gets the shovel. I used to sub trenching to my brother-in-law until he got sick. Sometimes we have the HO do the trench. We give specific instructions.
The nice easy ground in spring, becomes as hard as concrete around Aug. Then you need a backhoe! When homeowner finds out how much for trenching, they usually get it done.
Had a guy do half the trench for us. Called and said we could finish, don't care how much!
I usually tell teh customer (resi) "Do you want to pay to do wiring or pay me to dig trenches?"

 

[lowryder88h]

Trenching

Trenching

I own two shovels one is marked HO and the other one is marked HO. I be am a electriciam, me not labooreer.

 

[SurfSide EC]

I usually tell teh customer (resi) "Do you want to pay to do wiring or pay me to dig trenches?"

I hate digging as much as the next guy and the older I get the less I want to, but how is trenching any less electrical than drilling holes or stapling wires??

 

[bradleyelectric]

Its not, but you can tell someone else that you need a trench from here to eternity and have them do it easier than you can tell them to drill out this circuit and have it right.

 

[frank_n]

I never dig. I rent a trencher for $175 and charge $400. This covers my time to trench and stand in line at Rent-Rite. I actually spend more time getting the trencher to and from the job than I do digging. That's why I love the trencher!

Frank

 

[larryl]

trenching

trenching

you can rent a ditch-witch for 170.00 for half day,

you own what ever you hit,,,
i NEVER do any trenching,

 

[JohnE]

Years ago I asked a "HO" who was digging him or me? He said he assumed I was doing it and asked why. I told him I charge $50 an hour weather I'm hooking up electrical equipment or digging ditches and I don't dig very fast. He decided to have his two teenagers do it.

I take the same approach. "It's $75 per hour and we're not very good with a shovel." I will sub it out, though, if they'd like.

 

[fisherman]

you can rent a ditch-witch for 170.00 for half day,

you own what ever you hit,,,
i NEVER do any trenching,

I don't do trenching either. Most of the yards in my area of Florida are covered with sprincklers My digs are anywhere from 25' to 150' , but I hate going back and repairing what I've hit.

 

[RUWIREDRITE]

Trenching

Trenching

Here in the Garden State we have a saying that states "Call Before Your Dig" so a proper markout is done of all utilities before a machine or manual labor hits the dirt. The consequences of not calling can bring on big fines from the local utility companys if you happen to hit something.I have seen contractors, homeowners, or hired help get charged up to $20,000 dollars if they hit something and forgot that important call.We own trenching /digging equipment of all kinds to do the job so, it's not too bad dealing with the dirt/rocks/roots/granite/ bedrock and so forth. I have had the HO dig their own trenches in the past, and found that digging in a straight line seems to be a strange effort to them. This usually means we must straighten or adapt to what they have left us. Depending on the situation at hand we have a set fee for trenching after a thourough inspection has been done to a specific site.

 

[quogueelectric]

trenching

trenching

I ran out and bought a ditch witch 4 foot blade and turning wheels. My wife ran it over in the driveway totaled a one month old suv and knocked my ditch witch into the next county. Last job I had to rent one until I can get mine fixed. North shore of long island Roslyn harbor Hit Boulders as large as cars its a glacial thing. Almost worked for free for 3 days. If the terrain is known to be tough sub it out. If the earth is sand and clay go ahead and rent that trencher but allways add a little for the unexpected we should not work for free nobody else does.

 

[SurfSide EC]

I own two shovels one is marked HO and the other one is marked HO. I be am a electriciam, me not labooreer.

I need to get into your kind of electrical work. It's all labor around here.:smile: Just the other day I had to dig about a 30-40' ditch, 3' of it underneath sidewalk. If you can get somebody else to dig it or trench it, good, but it's just part of electrical, and it's all labor. Digging a ditch sure can beat hauling wire, boxes, tools, ladders, etc., in and out of jobs.