Notes from the field
Practical guidance on non-destructive excavation, damage prevention, and getting utility work done without strikes or surprises. Written for the people who have to answer for what happens on site.
The hidden cost of waiting to dump
Every hour a hydrovac truck spends waiting to dump is an hour it isn't digging. Two problems quietly costing contractors more than they realize, and how a load of slurry becomes worth something instead of a liability.
Read more →Why daylighting is now standard before you bore
Paint on the ground tells you a utility is somewhere nearby. Daylighting tells you exactly where it is, how deep, and what it is. Here is why more owners now require it.
Read more →811 and the tolerance zone, explained
A valid 811 ticket is where the process starts, not where it ends. The tolerance zone is where most strikes actually happen, and where hydro excavation earns its keep.
Read more →Hydro excavation vs. hand digging: the real cost
Hand digging can look cheaper on a rate sheet. On the schedule and the risk ledger, a hydrovac crew usually wins. Here is the honest comparison.
Read more →Where the slurry goes: the closed-loop advantage
Every hydrovac job produces slurry. What happens to it next is a chain-of-custody question most contractors would rather not own. Our answer is one call.
Read more →Have a dig coming up?
Describe the site and we'll tell you what it takes, usually over the phone.