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.

 

[LD1]

What are you digging it with?

900' in 2 hours seems pretty optimistic unless you have a real big trencher or wheel machine. And the cost and overhead of that I wouldn't even know why you would consider moving equipment for $300.

And to put that 300yds/2hrs in perspective.....thats 7.5' PER MINUTE.

$1 per foot/foot deep.

So a 2' deep trench....$2/ft would be what "I" would charge and thats open and backfill. Without the backfill....which with a backhoe doesnt take as long as digging....maybe $1.50 per ft.

NO WAY would I even entertain under a dollar a foot.......let alone the 33 cents per foot you are proposing

 

[plowhog]

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.

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.

 

[Jchonline]

Start with figuring out your actual costs. Value your time as an operator per hour and as an admin bidding/working out the plan, loading/unloading equipment. Value the cost per hour of use on the tractor including maintenance costs. Value travel (fuel, trailer/vehicle upkeep). Then think about other things your have to purchase to keep your equipment up and running.

Figure out how long it will take you to do the actual work in each case above, then you have a 田ost to do the job. Once you have that, you will have a much clearer picture of what to charge so you make a margin.

 

[4570Man]

What are you digging it with?

900' in 2 hours seems pretty optimistic unless you have a real big trencher or wheel machine. And the cost and overhead of that I wouldn't even know why you would consider moving equipment for $300.

And to put that 300yds/2hrs in perspective.....thats 7.5' PER MINUTE.

$1 per foot/foot deep.

So a 2' deep trench....$2/ft would be what "I" would charge and thats open and backfill. Without the backfill....which with a backhoe doesnt take as long as digging....maybe $1.50 per ft.

NO WAY would I even entertain under a dollar a foot.......let alone the 33 cents per foot you are proposing

I’m digging with my JD 310. You’re right that 7.5 feet a minute is probably optimistic. So the tune of this thread is I should charge more.

 

[4570Man]

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.

Nothing unique. Several chain places.

 

[LD1]

I’m digging with my JD 310. You’re right that 7.5 feet a minute is probably optimistic. So the tune of this thread is I should charge more.

I'd say more than optimistic.

Idont know your dirt, but 150-200 ft per hour would be best case. So figure 5-6 he job

 

[Diggin It]

Nothing unique. Several chain places.

Might have been Cumberland General Store. I think they used to send out catalogs with unusual stuff.

 

[4570Man]

Might have been Cumberland General Store. I think they used to send out catalogs with unusual stuff.

There used to be a general store over by the Homestead tower, but they tore the GS down probably 10 years ago and it’s been closed longer than that.

 

[4570Man]

I'd say more than optimistic.

Idont know your dirt, but 150-200 ft per hour would be best case. So figure 5-6 he job

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.

 

[MossRoad]

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.

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.