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Site visit, plan review and Dial Before You Dig. One clear quote covering dig, cartage and cleanup.
Licensed Sydney Trenching
Trenching & Drainage Sydney
Service trenches, stormwater lines, subsoil and ag drains dug to line and level across Sydney. Bedded, backfilled and compacted so the plumber can lay straight in and nothing sinks afterwards. Tight access and rock handled.
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✓ Licensed operators
✓ Dial Before You Dig
✓ Fully insured work
✓ Local Sydney crew
Rock
Digs handled
Mini to 35t
Machine range
4.9★
Average rating
Free
Site quotes
At a glance
The trenching job, in short
Machine range
1 to 8t
Minis for narrow runs, midis for long or deep trenches
Typical jobs
Stormwater to sewer
Service, drainage, ag and subsoil lines
Width
300 to 600mm typical
Bucket sized to the pipe and the bedding
Fall
Set with laser
To the plumber's or engineer's levels
Services
Located and exposed
Dial Before You Dig, then hand-dug at crossings
Bedding
Sand or aggregate
Laid ready for the pipe
Backfill
Compacted in layers
No settlement under paths and driveways
Ground
Clay, sandstone, fill
Rock trenches cut with saw or breaker
What's included
What trenching and drainage covers
Service trenches
Power, water, gas, comms and sewer runs dug to the depth and width the trade needs.
Stormwater drainage
Lines from downpipes and pits out to the street or an absorption system, dug to fall.
Subsoil and ag drains
Trenches behind retaining walls and along wet areas, dug and bedded for slotted pipe.
Bedding and backfill
Sand or aggregate bed laid, then backfilled and compacted in layers after the pipe's in.
Rock trenching
Sandstone and shale cut with a saw or broken out where the bucket won't go.
Reinstatement
Surface levelled and left ready for turf, paving or concrete.
Where it suits
Every line we dig
From a single downpipe run to the services for a whole development, the trench is sized to the pipe and the ground.
How it runs
First call to clean handover
Every job follows the same sequence, whether it's a single trench or a full site cut.
A trench can be a day, a basement can be weeks. Dates come with the quote, not after.
What size suits your job
Right machine for your access
Excavators are sized in tonnes, and the size decides both what it can dig and whether it fits your block. We bring the one that suits the job, not whatever's parked up.
Not sure what'll fit? Access usually decides it, tell us the site and we'll match the machine.
The job explained
What a good trench actually looks like
A drainage or service trench starts with two things: the levels and the services. The plumber or engineer sets the invert levels, the depth the pipe has to sit at each end, and the fall between them. Dial Before You Dig comes back with what's already in the ground. Where the new trench crosses an existing service, that spot is hand-dug first so the bucket never meets it.
The trench is then set out with pegs and string and cut with a bucket sized to the pipe. Too narrow and the plumber can't work in it; too wide and there's more backfill to compact and more surface to reinstate. Depth is checked with a laser as the machine works along the run, because a trench that's right at both ends but sags in the middle still holds water.
Sydney ground changes what happens next. In clay the walls stand clean and the trench is straightforward. In sandstone the bucket stops and a saw or breaker takes over, which is slower but leaves a straight trench rather than a broken one. Fill and old rubble mean loose walls and a wider trench than planned.
Bedding goes in before the pipe: sand or fine aggregate laid and levelled so the pipe sits evenly along its whole length rather than resting on high points. Once the pipe is in and tested, the backfill goes back in layers, each one compacted, with the right material around the pipe first. This is the step that decides whether the driveway or path above sinks in a year.
The surface is then reinstated, levelled and left ready for turf, paving or concrete. A good trench is one nobody can find a year later, because nothing has moved.
Recent work
Sites we've dug
Penrith Site cut
Castle Hill Pool dig
Ryde Basement
Liverpool Civil
“Very easy to deal with.
Excellent communication” Priya, Penrith
Excellent communication” Priya, Penrith
“Left the site spotless.” Dave, Castle Hill
“Would definitely recommend them!” Marcus, Ryde
“Great job thanks so much.” Lauren, Liverpool
“Very easy to deal with. Excellent communication” Priya, Penrith “Left the site spotless.” Dave, Castle Hill “Would definitely recommend them!” Marcus, Ryde “Great job thanks so much.” Lauren, Liverpool
“Very easy to deal with. Excellent communication” Priya, Penrith “Left the site spotless.” Dave, Castle Hill “Would definitely recommend them!” Marcus, Ryde “Great job thanks so much.” Lauren, Liverpool
Trenching and drainage questions, answered
How much does trenching cost in Sydney?
It depends on the length and depth of the run, the ground (clay is quick, sandstone isn’t), access for the machine and whether bedding and backfill are included. Every job gets a written quote after a site look, with dig, materials and reinstatement spelled out.
Do you lay the pipe as well?
We dig, bed, backfill and reinstate. The pipe is laid by your plumber or drainer, and we work to their levels. On many jobs we’re on site the same day so the trench is open for as short a time as possible.
How do you avoid hitting existing services?
Dial Before You Dig on every job, then hand-exposure wherever the new trench crosses a known service. Where plans are unreliable, which is common on older Sydney blocks, we pothole to confirm before the machine digs.
Can you trench through rock?
Yes. Sandstone and shale are cut with a rock saw or broken out with a breaker. It’s slower than digging clay and is priced separately in the quote once we’ve seen the site.
Will the trench sink later?
Not if it’s backfilled properly. Backfill goes in layers and each layer is compacted, so the surface above stays level. Loose backfill is the reason trenches show up as dips in driveways.
Can you dig a trench down a narrow side passage?
Yes. Mini excavators fit through most side gates and some retract narrower for tight passages. Spoil is handled on boards or wheeled out so the passage isn’t wrecked.
Do I need council approval for stormwater to the street?
Connecting to a council kerb or pit usually needs a permit from the council, and your plumber or certifier normally arranges it. We dig to the approved plan.
Other services
Excavation for every stage
What happens next
Tell us the job. We'll size it up.
✓ Tell us the suburb, the access and what needs digging
✓ We'll come out and look before quoting anything
✓ You'll get a written quote with what's included spelled out
✓ The machine's matched to your access, not whatever's free
✓ Clear on spoil, cartage and cleanup before we start
✓ No obligation, no pressure
Where we work
Excavation right across Sydney
From Liverpool and Macarthur out west, up through the Hills and the North Shore, across the Inner West and the Eastern Suburbs, over to the Northern Beaches and down to the Sutherland Shire. If you're anywhere in Sydney, we can get to you.
Check we cover your suburb →Free quote
Ready to get your dig underway?
Tell us about the job. We'll look at the site before quoting, so you know what's included before anything starts.
✓ Written quote after a proper site look
✓ Free quote after a proper site assessment
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Request received. We'll be in touch to arrange your site assessment and clear quote.