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Utility trenching in Ellensburg and Kittitas County

Water, power, gas, sewer, fiber and irrigation lines trenched to depth, bedded, inspected and backfilled properly. We call for locates before we dig, every time.

Call (435) 660-6256

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Conduit bundled and bedded in a utility trench through sagebrush

Trenching looks like the simplest thing on a site and it is the one with the worst failure modes. Hit an unmarked line and the day ends. Bed a line on rock and it fails in five years where nobody can see it. Backfill loose and the drive over the top settles into a trough that traces your trench exactly.

So: locates first. Washington law requires a call to 811 before digging and we make it on every job, marked or not, then hand dig in close to whatever got painted.

Then the trench. Depth set by the utility's own spec and by frost rather than by what is convenient, sand or select bedding under and over the pipe so it is not resting on cobble, warning tape at the right height above it, conduit and sleeves where a line crosses a drive or a future slab, and a clean, straight trench that the inspector can actually look at before anything goes back over it.

The Kittitas Valley is full of river cobble, which is why we trench with an excavator rather than a trencher on most of this ground. It is slower through the rock and it does not stall out halfway across your yard.

Backfill goes back in lifts and gets compacted, especially under anything that will be driven on. That is the step that gets skipped, and it is the one you notice two winters later.

Utility Trenching, on real jobs

Service trench run tight along a shop wall

Footing trench cut, formed and steeled, ready for the pour

Riser and distribution plumbing before backfill

From the seat, cutting a pad down to grade

Reviews

Take a look at what your neighbors are saying about us.

Chad was incredibly professional, knowledgeable, and accommodating. We had a sports court poured last summer and plan to hire him again next spring for a retaining wall and fire pit patio.
Kimberly McNutt
The foundation Chad did for me was a few hours from his home town and it went flawless.
Christopher Schoenike
Chad, owner of CKW Construction, did several small projects for me and was outstanding from start to finish. He was available on short notice, completed the work quickly, and went above and beyond. He is very capable, reasonably priced, and did an excellent job. I called him amazing—and I meant it. Highly recommended.
Sarah Norton
I came away with a wonderful impression after this encounter. The friendly attitude and considerate approach made a noticeable difference, and I appreciated how naturally the conversation progressed.

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Questions we get on utility trenching

Do I call for utility locates or do you?

We do. We call 811 before we dig on every job, we wait out the notice period, and we hand dig in close to the marks. If there are private lines that 811 does not cover, like a line you ran to a shop yourself, tell us where they are.

How deep does the line have to be?

The utility's specification and the local frost depth set it, not us. We dig to that, and on anything inspected we leave it open until it has been signed off rather than covering it and hoping.

Usually booked with this

Septic InstallationNew septic systems, repairs and replacements, installed to the designer's plan and the county permit.Dig Outs & BackfillBasement and crawlspace digs, footing trenches, over-excavation of soil that will not hold, and the compacted backfill after the concrete is stripped.Site PrepClearing, stripping, cutting and filling a raw lot into a building pad that drains.

Need utility trenching? Tell us about the site.

Free estimates across Kittitas County and well beyond it. Call or send the details and we will get back to you.