Need a trench for power to a new house or shop, a water line, septic field lines or a drain? We dig trench across the Upper Cumberland with our own CAT mini excavators, to the depth the utility or your plans call for.
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Most jobs are one of these four. Tell us what goes in the ground and where it needs to run.
Trench for buried power to a new house, a shop or a barn. The electric utility sets the depth and the rules for its lines, and we dig to them.
Trench for a water line to a new house, a barn or a shop, dug to the depth your plans call for.
Field line trenches dug to the depth and the layout on your state septic permit, as part of a new septic install.
See septic installation →Trench for drain pipe that carries water away from a house pad, a wall or a wet spot.
See site preparation →There is no one depth for every trench. The utility company sets the depth for its own lines, and your plans or permit set it for water, septic and drain lines. We dig to that depth and check it as we go.
Tennessee law says whoever is digging has to get a locate ticket from Tennessee 811 at least three working days before the work starts, and it is free. Each utility then marks its own buried lines before the digging starts.
Lines you own, like a water line you ran to a barn or a line to a shop, are not the utility’s to mark. Show us where yours run before we start.
Sources: Tennessee Public Utility Commission, underground utility damage prevention FAQs · Tennessee 811 damage prevention guide for excavators
A lot of trench lines here climb a hollow or cross a hillside, and a lot of ground here has rock in it. Both change how a trench goes, so we walk the route with you and look at the slope and the rock before we quote.
On sloped ground, we cut a level spot wherever a box or a fitting has to sit level. On our Jackson County utility job, we cut a level pad at each pull box that landed on a slope.
When the bucket hits rock it can’t dig through, we break the rock out with a hammer or a rock cutter on the excavator. Rock takes longer to dig, so if your route might have rock, we talk about it on the site visit.
In the summer of 2026 we dug trench for new underground power and fiber lines in Jackson County, near Gainesboro.
Real reviews from Precision Grading Specialists customers around the Upper Cumberland. See all of our Google reviews
“Richard was able to start my job right away and it was done within 3 days! We got way more land cleared than I expected, the price was reasonable, and everything was done to scope. We will be using them again for future projects. Communication was great the whole time, and I feel I got a ton of value out of the whole deal!”
Sharlene B.Google review
Precision Grading Specialists“Had the mulched out for two days to clean up branches and small fallen trees on road side and in pathway through the woods. Very professional, listened to what I wanted done, and absolutely delivered to have things looking neat and clean! Highly recommend them!”
CCGoogle review
Precision Grading Specialists“Great people to work with. Richard was very accommodating and job well done. Would definitely recommend them to friends and family! Thank you Richard!!!”
Helen G.Google review
Precision Grading SpecialistsAs deep as the job calls for. The utility company sets the depth for its lines, and your plans or permit set it for water, septic and drain lines.
Tennessee law requires a locate ticket from Tennessee 811 before digging, and each utility marks its own lines. Lines you put in yourself are not marked by the utilities, so show us where they run.
Yes. We walk the route first and look at the slope and the rock. Where a box has to sit level on a slope, we cut a level spot for it.
We break it out with a hammer or a rock cutter on the excavator. Rock takes longer to dig, so if your route might have rock, we talk about it on the site visit.
Yes. We backfill and rough grade over the trench once the lines are in.
Yes. We install new septic systems and build house pads, so the trenching can be planned with the rest of the site work.
Free site visit. We’ll walk the route with you and give you a written quote.