How to Hire a Hydrovac Company

A hydrovac company digs with water and suction instead of a bucket. A truck sprays pressurized water to break up the soil, and a large vacuum lifts the mud (called slurry) into a debris tank on the truck. Because no bucket or blade touches buried lines and the water pressure can be adjusted, it is the industry standard for digging near buried pipes and cables.

The most common jobs are potholing (a small test hole to see exactly where a utility is and how deep it runs) and daylighting (exposing a buried line so crews can see it before they trench, bore or drill).

Hire a hydrovac when you need to dig close to something buried that you cannot afford to hit. Typical work includes:

• Confirming the location and depth of utilities before trenching, boring or drilling
• Utility installation and repair
• Pipeline construction and maintenance
• Fiber optic cable installation
• Water treatment and municipal infrastructure projects

Every state requires a call to 811 before you dig, and each state sets a tolerance zone around marked lines with its own rules for digging inside it. In Texas, for example, the rules for Railroad Commission-regulated pipelines limit digging inside the zone to hand digging, soft digging, vacuum excavation or pneumatic hand tools. Check your state on the Hydrovac News state regulations reference.

There is no national price list. Each provider quotes your job, and Hydrovac Hotline does not see or publish the amounts providers quote. What you can control is how you compare quotes. Here is how the work is usually billed:

• Hourly: the most common method. The rate covers the truck, the operator and standard equipment for each hour of work on site.
• Daily or by volume: some jobs are billed by the day or by the cubic yard removed.
• By the linear foot: for a defined trenching scope, such as slot trenching, some providers quote a price per linear foot.

On top of the base rate, check how each quote handles these items:

• Mobilization: the charge for moving the truck, crew and gear from the provider's yard to your site.
• Disposal (dump) fees: slurry should go to an approved site, such as a licensed landfill, slurry disposal facility or recycling center. The cost depends on volume, the facility's tipping fee, the distance to the site and the type of waste.
• Water supply: whether water is included or delivered for an added charge.
• Standby time: billable time when the crew is on site but cannot dig for reasons outside its control, such as waiting on locates, permits or other trades. It is often billed at a reduced rate. Get the rate and the rules written into the agreement.

1. What equipment will you send? Ask for the pump pressure (PSI), water flow (GPM) and debris tank size, and whether the truck suits your ground and access.
2. Are you licensed, insured and certified? Ask for proof before work starts.
3. How do you work safely? Ask how they follow OSHA rules and Common Ground Alliance best practices.
4. Have you done jobs like mine? Ask for similar projects and references you can call.
5. How do you bill? Hourly, daily or by volume, and whether mobilization, water and disposal are included.
6. How do you avoid hitting utilities? Ask about their potholing process, pressure control and 811 locates.
7. When can you start? Confirm availability, especially for urgent repairs.
8. Where does the slurry go? A clear disposal plan avoids surprise dump fees.
9. Can you work in cold weather? Winter jobs need heated water systems.

Insurance. Ask for a certificate of insurance (COI) before the truck arrives. A typical hydrovac COI shows general liability, commercial auto and workers' compensation, and often umbrella coverage. Many clients ask to be named as an additional insured. When you compare bids, look for proof of general liability, workers' compensation, equipment coverage and, where the job calls for it, a performance bond. Your own contract sets the limits you need.

Training and certification. There is no national hydrovac operator certification in the United States or Canada. Instead, OSHA requires employers to train workers for the hazards of the job, including the excavation standard (29 CFR 1926 Subpart P) and permit-required confined spaces (29 CFR 1910.146) when crews enter vaults or manholes. Ask for written safety programs and training records. Many clients also look for safety prequalification such as ISNetworld or a COR program.

• No paperwork. A bid without a certificate of insurance, safety records or the licenses the job needs.
• A price far below the others with no explanation. Strong bids break out labor, equipment, disposal and compliance costs.
• Vague answers or slow replies while they are trying to win your work.
• No disposal plan. If they cannot say where the slurry goes, expect surprise fees, and ask for disposal records.
• No plan for buried utilities. They should describe their potholing process and how they confirm 811 locates.
• A quote that leaves out mobilization, disposal or standby, so the final bill can grow.

Hydrovac Hotline is free for people requesting quotes and for the providers listed on it.

1. Describe the job once. Fill in the quote request form with the site location, the type of work and your timing.
2. Our team reviews it. A person on the Hydrovac Hotline team checks every quote request.
3. We choose who receives it. The team sends your request to listed providers who serve your area.
4. Providers contact you directly with questions and quotes. Compare them using the checklist above, then hire the one that fits.

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