Average cost of ditch digging?

[/pine]

For a 100% professional insight...visit a library and look for the latest edition of Walkers Estimating Reference...(they are about $100 on Amazon)...
All jobs have variables and Walkers is very good but some figures may still need to be interpolated...
look under mechanical trenching and also tractor excavations etc...

 

[bigtiller]

You want cheap? Call my previous employer. They paid me $5.48 an hour to dig 18" deep trenches with a spade for gas lines in 1987. Minimum wage back then was $3.35

 

[ddbackhoe]

I壇 have to haul equipment. I expect 2 hours to dig and another 2 hour to get there and back ( it痴 only about 10 miles ) I haven稚 made it out to look at the job yet but it痴 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値l take care of the rest. There isn稚 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知 in charge of fixing that it would be more money.

2 hours for 300 yards? No obstacles? Laser level or transit? Story pole? Level, flat bottom or sloped? I’m guessing you’ll get 50 feet/hour so 18 hours +travel and set-up.

 

[4570Man]

2 hours for 300 yards? No obstacles? Laser level or transit? Story pole? Level, flat bottom or sloped? I’m guessing you’ll get 50 feet/hour so 18 hours +travel and set-up.

It’s 2 feet deep from the ground level. It doesn’t have to be a level bottom. No transit involved.

 

[4570Man]

My yard is just about 100 yards deep. I can't imagine paying someone only $100 to dig a trench 2' deep the entire depth of my yard. I'd expect to pay at least $3-400 and wouldn't be surprised at higher quotes.

That’s less than my minimum fee which is currently $200 for in town. I’m thinking that’s not enough either.

 

[MossRoad]

That’s less than my minimum fee which is currently $200 for in town. I’m thinking that’s not enough either.

Yeah. You're selling yourself short. You're worth more than that. Well, I don't know that personally, but you get my drift.

:laughing:

 

[4570Man]

Unless you have insurance that covers a potentially expensive event like digging up utility lines, I would think that whatever money you could make would be potentially high risk.

2 million liability and my machine is covered it it burns down. There’s still a $1000 deductible so I’d be paying for the damaged water line.

 

[LD1]

My BH-90 could do that. I’ve never trenched with the 310 but I hope it does better. Maybe I should just charge by the hour.

You must be digging in sand or something to think you can do those numbers.

I know time flies when you are on the seat having fun and loose concept of time.

But a BH90....you are only gonna dig ~8' of trench max before you have to pull forward.

At 200' per hour you "think" you are gonna get, you are gonna have to pull forward 25 times. 25 times per hour is about once every 2 minutes. And I dont think a BH90 is gonna dig a 2' deep trench, from as far as it will reach to as close as it will crowd, in two minutes flat. plus the time it takes to actually pull forward, lower the outriggers, etc.

900' plus transport and load/unload....coffee and bathroom breaks.....you are gonna be hustling to get it done in one day.