Trenching on older North Valley properties
The hard part of a North Valley trench isn't the dirt. It's everything already buried in it, from an old well line to a forgotten irrigation pipe that no locate service knows about.
811 marks public lines, not yours
We request a New Mexico 811 locate before every trench. That covers utility-owned lines. On older North Valley lots, private lines run from wells to houses, from houses to septic tanks and leach fields, and from ditches to orchards, and nobody marks those for you. Walk the property with us and point out everything you know about.
Digging in valley clay
Silt and clay dig easily, and trench walls stand up better than they do in mesa sand. The catch is water: after rain or an irrigation turn, the soil turns sticky and heavy, the bottom of the trench can hold water, and machines rut the yard.
We schedule digging for when the ground has dried out, keep spoil on one side where it won't wash into the trench, and compact the backfill so the line doesn't end up under a soggy, sunken strip.
Typical North Valley trench jobs
Replacing a failing well line
A new water line from the well to the house, dug next to the old one so your plumber can switch over.
Sewer hookup instead of septic
Where a sewer main is available, a trench from the house to the connection point for your plumber. The septic system itself is a separate matter for your installer.
Power to a horse barn or workshop
Conduit across a big lot to an outbuilding, routed around pens and tree rows.
Gas to a new addition
A trench for your licensed gas installer, held open for inspection.
Before a trench crosses your lot line or a ditch
- Check whether your parcel is in Albuquerque city limits or unincorporated Bernalillo County; the county's online jurisdiction tool shows it
- Keep trenches and spoil out of MRGCD ditches and easements unless the district has approved the work
- Ask your installer which permits and inspections their part of the job needs
- Plan backfill around the inspection date, not before it
Trenching questions in North Valley
What happens if you hit a line nobody knew about?
We stop, expose it by hand and call you. If it's live, your plumber or electrician decides how to deal with it before we keep digging. Telling us about lines up front prevents most of these surprises.
Can you dig near my leach field?
We keep equipment and trenches off the septic tank and leach field. If a line has to pass close by, your septic installer should weigh in on the route first.
Does a muddy trench bottom cause problems for the pipe?
It can make bedding the pipe harder. We'd rather wait for the ground to dry than dig in standing water, and your installer may want bedding material brought in.
Book a North Valley trenching walk-through
Bring any old drawings or notes about where your lines run.
Prefer to talk it through? Call (505) 578-0369.
More services in North Valley
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.