Average cost of ditch digging?

[4570Man]

So I’ve dug several water lines before but I haven’t really paid attention to the time frame. 2 feet deep is good enough in my area. So what would you expect to pay to have a 300 yard water line dug. I’m thinking $1 a yard. Which on this project is more than my minimum price for showing up.

 

[dragoneggs]

So I’ve dug several water lines before but I haven’t really paid attention to the time frame. 2 feet deep is good enough in my area. So what would you expect to pay to have a 300 yard water line dug. I’m thinking $1 a yard. Which on this project is more than my minimum price for showing up.

Seems a little low but I suppose if it is wide open, flat, and easy digging... but I wouldn't do it unless you have haul in/out extra.

 

[4570Man]

Seems a little low but I suppose if it is wide open, flat, and easy digging... but I wouldn't do it unless you have haul in/out extra.

I’m not backfilling the ditch either. So you think it’s worth more?

 

[dragoneggs]

I’m not backfilling the ditch either. So you think it’s worth more?

If it is your next door neighbor, okay but if rocks/roots are in the way, and you are loading/hauling/unloading equipment? Nope or should I say, Yep!

Can you do it in a day?

 

[4570Man]

If it is your next door neighbor, okay but if rocks/roots are in the way, and you are loading/hauling/unloading equipment? Nope or should I say, Yep!

Can you do it in a day?

I’d have to haul equipment. I expect 2 hours to dig and another 2 hour to get there and back ( it’s only about 10 miles ) I haven’t made it out to look at the job yet but it’s supposed to be open area. Backfilling the ditch would require another trip out but he has a tractor. He just wants the ditch dug and he’ll take care of the rest. There isn’t supposed to be any gas or electric lines in the way. He said cutting the water line to his house is a possibility. If I’m in charge of fixing that it would be more money.

 

[4570Man]

Googling my question comes up with prices WAY higher than mine. Like upwards of $2 a foot installed and backfilled. I don’t want to rip the guy off, but I don’t want to do it for charity work either.

 

[Diggin It]

( it’s only about 10 miles ) I haven’t made it out to look at the job yet but it’s supposed to be open area.

I don't see how you can price it until you see the site. Part of my place is hard packed red rock gravel that was very difficult for a full sized track hoe to dig. Part of it is soft dirt I can easily dig 30" deep and 8" wide with a shovel. The part I wanted dug would make a huge difference in how long it would take you to dig.

 

[Diggin It]

Side question ....

Why do I know Crossville? What's there in the way of a big business or store that I would have found in a web search at one time? Some kind of General Store or something, I can't really remember now.

 

[NTG]

There isn’t supposed to be any gas or electric lines in the way. He said cutting the water line to his house is a possibility. If I’m in charge of fixing that it would be more money.

"Isn't supposed to be...."? If there's any doubt at all, make sure you call that number ahead of time if they do that in Tennessee. I *think*, I'm not sure, but I *think* in Georgia, it's actually a law that we're supposed to call that 811 number before digging anywhere and they'll come out at no charge and mark all utilities for you. If you don't call and you hit something, you're in deep stuff.

 

[newbury]

So I致e dug several water lines before but I haven稚 really paid attention to the time frame. 2 feet deep is good enough in my area. So what would you expect to pay to have a 300 yard water line dug. I知 thinking $1 a yard. Which on this project is more than my minimum price for showing up.

Just a data point on costs, I had about 400 feet of water line run last year about 18" deep:

Well I like to "wrap up" threads.
<snip>
So we got the water running with no new costs, total cost for water was about $1050, that included plumber and helper for 3 hours, excavator, operator and helper for 4 hours, 500' of 3/4 PEX, and probably about $50 to $100 of Sharkbite fittings and 12 gauge tracer wire. But I learned about fiber and RG6.

So with materials cost at about $300 I figure I paid about $700 for labor and equipment cost. (had a VERY nice almost new JD 17G which I offered to keep so he wouldn't have clean it)

And I did not add in site visits or travel costs by the plumber and the excavator operator, or for them and their helpers when they did the job. That took each of them an hour drive JUST to get to and from my site. So a total of 6 man hours for travel alone.