How much to install field tile

[David Wayne]

I know this will vary by region. I run my backhoe in spare time for $40 an hour.This isnt my day job. I am currently putting in an 8" tile across a hay field for a neighbor. Just folowing the old broken down line & tying in the laterals as I go. I am averaging about 40-50 feet done & backfilled an hour. $1 a foot seems like alot to me, What do you guys think?

 

[RaydaKub]

My cousin just told me he's putting in 1/2 mile of double wall 12" tile. Cost for that job is about $11,000. The 12" double wall is going to be a lot higher price for materials than your 8". I have to assume you are not including the tile price in your $40.

 

[Fossil Farm]

Have not kept up with the tile pricing for awhile, but usually the main would be one price and each Y or Tee would be an additional cost. You might want to check with the local Soil and Water Conservation District office or the ADS or Hancor salesman to get an idea on installation cost. Of course most costs are figured by a tile wheel or plow machine. I presume you are doing the backfilling also, which usually added a slight cost if it was a long main. Good luck.

 

[David Wayne]

They bought the tile, I am just installing. Its on the farm I grew up on,the first part across the hay field is about 1000' with way to many blowouts to try and patch. Some have gone so long its a little iffy trying to straddle them. The second part if it becomes necessary will be another 1000' across a pasture to where I think the outlet is.I still need to find it & make sure it is open. Yes I am backfilling & letting the oldest grandson (9 yr old ) run the 8n with the blade to dress it up. Its more like play time for us that I can make some money at but dont want to over charge anyone.
Thanks for your input.
David

 

[banjodunn]

Don't know about you guy's but I aint gunna swing a shovel for a $ a foot



Jon

 

[Gary Fowler]

$40 an hour seems cheap for a full sized back hoe with a skilled operator(I see you have a 4500 but not sure what size that is) They are 80 per hour where I live for sizes like 580 Case with operator. 450 dozers with 6 way blades are same rate.
If you are working by the hour for $40 and getting 40-50 feet per hour and doing the tie-in and back filling with another tractor, then I would think you should be adding additional time for your 8n if you use it so your hoe keeps working. I think you have offered your service at a bargain. Next job should be a bit higher. It may seem like a lot of money but think about your time, equipment rental rates (check local rental companies rates and compare to your personal rate) then add in cost for your labor even though it is spare time work, you should be paid at a comparable wage for skilled operators in your area. Then you need to consider fuel, wear and tear, insurance requirements, possible break down costs and I think you will see that you are underpaying yourself a lot.
DONT forget to pay the grandson for his work. I see new labor laws restrict use of children for farm labor below 16 years of age for any activity, cant even use them to gather the eggs.

 

[MrPete]

I understand where you are coming from. You are trying to help a neighbor and keep yourself busy. I do that quite a bit, just cover your costs plus a little for the implement fund. Have fun!

 

[Fossil Farm]

necessary will be another 1000' across a pasture to where I think the outlet is

You really should be sure the outlet is open and functional before spending alot of time and money on the other sections. If the tile was installed properly the first time, blowouts usually occur from blockages in the tile or surface water forcing the tile to become pressurized. I presume the existing tile is clay. If the clay sections are in good shape and not cracked or broken, it would be best to be sure you have a good outlet. There used to be several tile contractors in central Ohio, I'm sure you could give one of them a call just to get an idea of their pricing to put your mind at ease a bit. Bumpy Rhoades did alot of work in Delaware County. Of course that was 30 years ago. Not sure who is left anymore in that area.

 

[rambler]

4" tile runs about a buck a foot - tile & install. Tile plow.

10 inch tile runs about $5 a foot - tile & install. Wheel trencher.


A backhoe operation probably costs more, & I'd be concerned about properly bedding the tile - throw it in a flat bottom trench & put dirt on top, it will go D shapped and collapse. Dips and hills will create low spots in the tile that will collect soil particles and fill the tile. If you got a 1/2 moon spoon on your backhoe to create the 8 inch trench, and are good at keeping dips out of the bottom, good to go. A buck a foot wouldn't be too bad, tho he could find cheaper options it's in the ballpark for hoe work.

--->Paul

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I'm not into any commercial operations, but a friend once told me that his rate was roughly 1 dollar per hour for every thousand dollars of new purchase price for the machine (or comparable machine).
That would make a $40,000 machine $40/hour. If you're running two machines, you would add the two together for the total cost.
Note that the conversation mentioned here was about 15 years back, so there may be some need to adjust for inflation, fuel cost, etc.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

I'm not into any commercial operations, but a friend once told me that his rate was roughly 1 dollar per hour for every thousand dollars of new purchase price for the machine (or comparable machine).
That would make a $40,000 machine $40/hour. If you're running two machines, you would add the two together for the total cost.
Note that the conversation mentioned here was about 15 years back, so there may be some need to adjust for inflation, fuel cost, etc.

 

[Gary Fowler]

That estimate is likely pretty close. I have had some 580 Case backhoe and 450 dozer work done and they charged 60 an hour for the backhoe and 80 for the dozer. Last dozer work I got a 120 HP much larger one for the same price because the owner had the larger one with Cab and AC and the smaller one was open station. It was over 100F so he brought the big one for same price as he didnt have any work for it at the time. We used it for about a week when the operator got off work from his day job he would come by and work for about 3 hours. Funny how jobs just keep popping up when you have the equipment there and no minimum time. The contractor made out pretty well on the dozer work by just leaving it parked at my house for the 2 hours work for me turned into about 12 hours total dozer plus some dump truck and gravel delivery and some ditches, land leveling, etc. He got a couple thousand off me and my brother in law before it was over.

 

[Dr Dave]

Dont forget to get a utility locate! A local contractor hit a 24" gas line, while installing drainage tile. Did not have a locate, lucky to be alive! Damage is in the millions, they will have to replace at least 1 mile of pipe and X-ray, many more. The explosion was heard and seen 20 miles away.

 

[David Wayne]

My internet had been down a couple days so here is an update. We finished up the first 1000' Tue. evening. Got a downpour of 2 1/2" that night. Wed. morning it looked like a 15 foot wide river. Thursday morning, no water. I had left the area where the new tile tied into the old tile uncovered and that hole was dry. So I pulled the tile back enough to look in and it was running 1/2 full and moving fast. I put some dye in it that I got from the healthdept and 10 minutes later found the outlet 20 feet from where I thought it was. So the tile is working, no need to replace the other 1000 at this time. They are happy & have more for me to do when I can get to it. Thanks again for your input.
David

 

[Fossil Farm]

Good deal. Be sure there is an animal guard on the outlet pipe.

 

[MHarryE]

It must be nice to work for people that have cash money. Last year I dug in 200 feet of water line and got half of a hog. Year before that I installed 3 culverts for the same person and got 1/4 of a beef steer. That same year I took care of a neighbor's cattle while he was recovering from hip replacement surgery and I got another 1/4 beef. If you add up the value I work really cheap but I eat well.

 

[horsinaround]

You really should be sure the outlet is open and functional before spending alot of time and money on the other sections. If the tile was installed properly the first time, blowouts usually occur from blockages in the tile or surface water forcing the tile to become pressurized. I presume the existing tile is clay. If the clay sections are in good shape and not cracked or broken, it would be best to be sure you have a good outlet. There used to be several tile contractors in central Ohio, I'm sure you could give one of them a call just to get an idea of their pricing to put your mind at ease a bit. Bumpy Rhoades did alot of work in Delaware County. Of course that was 30 years ago. Not sure who is left anymore in that area.

I have a similar issue... I have blowouts through my field. There are two neighbors downstream from me. What is the best fix if they are unwilling to fix their plugged/broken sections?

 

[Fossil Farm]

I have a similar issue... I have blowouts through my field. There are two neighbors downstream from me. What is the best fix if they are unwilling to fix their plugged/broken sections?

That is a tough situation. In some parts of Ohio, many of the larger mains are under the county engineer and he can help in repairing, replacing those mains if there was a maintenance agreement setup years ago. The county records would have to be searched to find out. There is also an obscure Ohio drainage law that if the tile has existed more than 21 years, the affected owner can repair the tile downstream at their own cost. I believe it is called a "prescriptive easement." Of course that gets into legal issues, and you would need more guidance on what options are available in your area than what I can provide. Good luck.

 

[LD1]

I have a similar issue... I have blowouts through my field. There are two neighbors downstream from me. What is the best fix if they are unwilling to fix their plugged/broken sections?

I think the first thing you need to do is talk to the neighbors.

How many neighbors does this "main" cross over, and do you know where the outlet is? and do the neighbors have any blowouts on thier land?

Maybe the neighbors will be reasonable and you guys can tackle this as a "joint" venture with shared cost and help eachother out:thumbsup:

 

[horsinaround]

I think the first thing you need to do is talk to the neighbors.

How many neighbors does this "main" cross over, and do you know where the outlet is? and do the neighbors have any blowouts on thier land?

Maybe the neighbors will be reasonable and you guys can tackle this as a "joint" venture with shared cost and help eachother out:thumbsup:

There are four other properties between me and the ditch/creek and it is about a 4000 foot run. The tile was installed over 50 years ago. They too have blowouts.