# Trenching for Plumbers



## Frenchy93 (Mar 4, 2016)

Guys, how do you price excavation for plumbers?

I'm assuming you have no choice but to do hourly because your working with the plumbers. 

Am I missing something here?


----------



## griz (Nov 26, 2009)

Plumbers, Sparkies and anyone else that needs digging usually negotiate a deal with the dirt guy.

Pretty normal.


----------



## Agility (Nov 29, 2013)

*Trenching For Plumbers*

I think he is the dirt guy and is wondering if he's basically cornered into working by the hour since the plumbers are working by the hour. 

Is that right, Frenchy?


----------



## Metro M & L (Jun 3, 2009)

Keep it civil and just ask for 10 percent of the rough in bid.


----------



## tgeb (Feb 9, 2006)

A simple trench for electrical service or well line type of thing, where the length and depth are known factors I can give them a fixed price to excavate and backfill.

Something like a sewer connection where the length and depth is not a known commodity and the depth could be over 4' so it may require benching or shoring, I'll opt for an hourly rate. It keeps me from getting antsy if the project is taking more time than estimated.

It's human nature to try and speed things up when you're loosing money, but deep trenches are no place to cut corners.

Plumbing trenches also need to be graded properly and if the plumbing contractor is you grade checker, that can slow things down depending on how well they can do their job. I've worked my way back up too many trenches to get a couple inches that the grade checker miscalculated....even after I tell him the trench is too flat....


----------



## Frenchy93 (Mar 4, 2016)

Agility said:


> I think he is the dirt guy and is wondering if he's basically cornered into working by the hour since the plumbers are working by the hour.
> 
> Is that right, Frenchy?


That is correct.



tgeb said:


> A simple trench for electrical service or well line type of thing, where the length and depth are known factors I can give them a fixed price to excavate and backfill.
> 
> Something like a sewer connection where the length and depth is not a known commodity and the depth could be over 4' so it may require benching or shoring, I'll opt for an hourly rate. It keeps me from getting antsy if the project is taking more time than estimated.
> 
> ...


With the first thing you said, I agree with that, a simple known depth/length etc is easy to put a fixed number on.

Here anyways, very few will allow for trenches to be left on a commercial job site. At our company we will dig the trenches and backfill with lose dirt overnight so it's a quick dig-out in the morning. So on a project like a school, you would think you could just dig all the trenches and be done, but thats not the case, you can only work as quick as the plumber lays the underground pipe/spreads gravel etc.

This is what I'm wondering, I'm assuming you'd have to give an hourly rate because if the plumber is slow as can be you're losing out. A quote for 3 days of trenching can easily turn in to 4,5,6. 

Thanks for your responses.


----------

