How much is trenching worth?

[rutwad]

I am wondering if anyone knows what the average rate for trenching is. Approximately 18"s deep 650', dig and cover up only. Any ideas what to charge?

Thanks

 

[QwikDraw]

5.50 a foot here, although I jujst bid a 400 foot long electric trench (18") @ $4 a foot ($1600) and got under bid @ $1100.......

 

[rutwad]

5.50 a foot here, although I jujst bid a 400 foot long electric trench (18") @ $4 a foot ($1600) and got under bid @ $1100.......

Seriously?? Per Foot?

Hello trencher, goodbye mulcher!

People may want mulching, but they need trenching. At 10 ft/min and $4/ft, that's $2400/hr.

That can't be right, can it? A 1 mile trench would pay over $20k

 

[QwikDraw]

Well, I'm just getting info from a buddy with a very sucessful business. He gets 10 a foot with conduit installed...dude makes good money and has very nice equipment.

He just helped me quote sitework for 8 houses on a road I cleared,the developer said they were the best prices he got. Different kind of work, much easier on the machines too.....

This is Connecticut so prices may be higher than down south...

 

[QwikDraw]

Just to be clear this is trenching with an excavator not a trencher...I don't know what that would be...

 

[rutwad]

Just to be clear this is trenching with an excavator not a trencher...I don't know what that would be...

That probably makes a diference, but it sounds like he's got a good business.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Yep trenchers get big money.

It was worth me buying a Bradco trencher for the front of my MTL, since I was being charged about the price of the equipment.

I used it for the first time yesterday, did two separate 200ft trenches in no time. I have to say it was sweeeet.

I've rented 4x4 trenchers in the past, and they all got stuck every few minutes, but with the tracks, and trencher attachment, I never got stuck - heck I almost felt guilty it was so easy.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Seriously?? Per Foot?

Hello trencher, goodbye mulcher!

People may want mulching, but they need trenching. At 10 ft/min and $4/ft, that's $2400/hr.

That can't be right, can it? A 1 mile trench would pay over $20k

I would like to know what trenches at a rate of 10' per minute. I think that if somebody is trenching at that speed, they aren't trenching very deep. After all, you would be trenching a mile in less than 9 hours. If your trenching that shallow, forget the trencher and use a plow of sorts and be done with it in no time at all. Of course non of this applies if you have to go through rock.

 

[Cat_Driver]

Well, mine does that at about 18", BUT I'm in pure sand

 

[rutwad]

I would like to know what trenches at a rate of 10' per minute. I think that if somebody is trenching at that speed, they aren't trenching very deep. After all, you would be trenching a mile in less than 9 hours. If your trenching that shallow, forget the trencher and use a plow of sorts and be done with it in no time at all. Of course non of this applies if you have to go through rock.

I was guesstimating, but I would think our R40 would do better and worse depending on depth and soil type. Alot of my trenching has been across pasture land with mostly top soil. That's 2"/second.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I was guesstimating, but I would think our R40 would do better and worse depending on depth and soil type. Alot of my trenching has been across pasture land with mostly top soil. That's 2"/second.

How deep are you trenching, and how wide is the trench? Just wondering. About all the trenching, (just short of a mile) that I have done has been in the summer (dry) 9" wide and 54" deep through DG and granite. Very hard on the carbide teeth.

 

[rutwad]

How deep are you trenching, and how wide is the trench? Just wondering. About all the trenching, (just short of a mile) that I have done has been in the summer (dry) 9" wide and 54" deep through DG and granite. Very hard on the carbide teeth.

That's some serious trenching.

18" deep, 6" wide.

 

[Eagleview]

I was going to buy a trencher , we have an auger type one in OZ It's called the "Trenchmaster". Once your in you just drive away and the auger flights cut and lift the soil . The guy that demoed it drove over a 4" concrete slab and cut it in half I got cold feet because if you cut a utility line such as an Optic fibre cable you loose your house as no machine insurance will cover the damage . Out here if you do'nt dial 1100 and wait two days for utility location and damage one , your on your own . A guy cut one with a backhoe in Brisbane , put out all the ATM's , TAB , phones , dial up computers etc , Telstra were going to hit him$200,000 per hour lost revenue . I do'nt know if he dialed 1100 or not but if he did'nt he's probably living in a caravan now . It changed my mind about trenching . With these new remote controled cable moles cables can be anywhere and you just do'nt know .

 

[MtnViewRanch]

That's some serious trenching.

18" deep, 6" wide.

I need to put in some line later this year that should be 24" down. I am curious how fast our trencher will do that. Time will tell.

 

[Flatheadyoungin]

a buddy of mine does this for a living and he told me $5 a foot for his ride on trencher....pretty big one....

that's all i know.....don't know if there is a minimum or extra for rocks but i'm sure there is