Utility trenching on North Albuquerque Acres lots
Houses here sit well back from the road to catch the Sandia views, so trenches are long, and much of the ground between the street and the house is rock.
Runs we dig for custom homes in Albuquerque Acres
- Water service from the street to the house
- Sewer laterals, or lines to a septic system where the parcel uses one
- Electrical service and conduit for the house and outbuildings
- Gas line trenches for your licensed gas installer
- Conduit to a detached garage, casita or gate operator
- Irrigation mainlines for new landscaping
Ground between the road and the house
One trench can pass through several of these on the way up the lot.
| What we hit | How we dig it |
|---|---|
| Decomposed granite | Digs cleanly with an excavator and holds a wall well |
| Buried boulders | Pulled out of the trench or broken in place |
| Caliche | Ripped or broken with a hydraulic hammer before it can be dug |
| Arroyo crossing | Route planned with your engineer and the approved plans; may need extra approvals |
Trenching alongside the rest of your site prep
On new builds here, trenching usually fits between the pad and final grading.
- 1
Route set with the plans
We follow your builder's and engineer's utility layout so trenches don't cross the pad or the future driveway in the wrong place.
- 2
Locate
We request a New Mexico 811 locate, which matters along Paseo del Norte and the established streets where lines already run.
- 3
Dig and break rock
Trenches are cut to the depth each installer specifies, breaking caliche and rock as we go.
- 4
Inspection, then backfill
Your installers lay the lines and arrange inspections. We backfill and compact once the lines pass.
Keeping the trench line from becoming a scar
Owners here often keep as much native vegetation as they can. A trench up the middle of the lot cuts a straight bare stripe through it, so we look at routing lines along the driveway, where ground is already disturbed.
Backfill on a slope also has to be compacted well. Loose fill in a trench that runs downhill toward the house can settle and channel runoff, which is the opposite of what the rest of the grading is trying to do.
If your subdivision has an HOA with architectural guidelines, check whether they cover restoring disturbed ground.
Albuquerque Acres trenching questions
Can the utility trench run under my driveway?
Often that's a good route, since the ground is already disturbed. It should be dug and backfilled before the driveway base goes down, so plan the order with your builder.
Does rock make trenching a lot slower here?
It can. Decomposed granite moves quickly, while caliche or boulders need breaking. During the estimate we look for rock at the surface and in any nearby cuts to judge it.
Do you dig for my well or septic system?
We dig trenches for the lines your installers specify. Septic tanks and leach fields are designed and installed by a licensed septic installer, and we can do the excavation they lay out.
Request a free trenching estimate in Albuquerque Acres
Send the utility plan or site plan if you have one, and the address. We can look at a vacant lot without you.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (505) 578-0369.
More services in Albuquerque Acres
Trenching nearby
Let's walk your property. The estimate is free.
We come out, look at the lot with you, and hand you a written quote. No pressure, no obligation.