Small digs in Corpus Christi
Sewer taps, sprinkler and irrigation lines, sign and fence post holes: small hydrovac jobs where buried services are close.
A quote-request service, not a contractor. We pass your request to independent local operators who quote you directly.
What small digs cover
Not every hydrovac job is a refinery job. Homeowners, plumbers, landscapers, and sign and fence crews use one for small digs near buried pipes and cables, where a shovel or a backhoe risks striking something.
Typical requests
- Exposing a sewer line or tap for a repair
- Uncovering a broken sprinkler or irrigation line
- Post holes for signs, fences and poles near buried lines
- Exposing a water or service line before work on a house or lot
- Digging around a meter, cleanout or valve box
- Uncovering a line you can't pin down from the marks alone
Sewer and sprinkler exposure are common hydrovac jobs. If your job isn't on this list, describe it in the form and operators will tell you whether they take it.
A neat hole near the pipe
Vacuum, not a blade
Near service lines there is little room for error. Water loosens the soil and the vacuum lifts it out, so no blade meets the pipe. It suits tight lots, lawns and flower beds.
Spoil in the tank
The spoil goes into the truck's tank instead of onto your lawn or drive. Say whether it can stay on site or must be hauled off.
A big truck for a small hole
A hydrovac is a large truck. It needs room to park and a way in. Tell operators about gates, overhead lines, soft ground and narrow drives.
When a small job calls for one
- Sewer or drain you need foundA hydrovac opens the ground to a line once you know roughly where it runs. A plumber or a drawing gets you close first.
- Posts and poles near linesSet a sign or fence post without driving into a buried pipe or cable.
- An irrigation breakUncover the break without tearing up the lawn around it.
- Lines 811 doesn't markTexas 811 member utilities mark their own lines. A home's own sewer, sprinkler and other private lines usually need a plumber or a private locate.
- A spot a machine can't reachA hose reaches where an excavator won't fit. See also slot trenching.
How small jobs are priced
Small jobs are still usually priced by the hour, often with a minimum. Published guides put hydrovac work at roughly $200 to $450 an hour, and day rates around $3,500 to $4,500, as typical market ranges. These are not our rates, and operators can quote outside them. With a minimum, a short job can cost more per hour of digging.
| What moves the price | Why |
|---|---|
| Hours on site | Hydrovac work is generally quoted by the hour or by the day |
| Minimum charge | Ask each operator for its minimum on a short job |
| Travel to your address | Farther out can mean more |
| Surface | Lawn is quicker than concrete, which has to be cut or cored |
| Spoil | Hauled off or left on site |
| Number of holes | Several holes in one visit can cost less per hole than a single one |
What to have ready
Operators price faster, and closer to the final bill, when these are in the request.
- What you need dug or exposed, and the address or nearest intersection
- Your Texas 811 ticket number and its expiry date
- Photos of the locate marks and the area
- Which lines are yours (private) and which belong to a utility
- Gate width, overhead lines, parking and soft ground
- Surface: lawn, dirt, gravel, concrete or asphalt
- Where the spoil goes: hauled off, or left on site
- Whether a plumber or other contractor will be on site
811, pipelines and permits
Texas 811
Excavators generally must notify Texas 811 at least 48 hours before digging, not counting weekends and legal holidays. The call is free. If your job runs long, the ticket can expire: check the current rules and renew before it does. The notice is not only for contractors; in general it applies to homeowners who dig too.
Private lines
Texas 811 member utilities mark their own lines. A house's own sewer, sprinkler and other private lines usually aren't marked, so ask a plumber, check the plans or arrange a private locate.
Damage
If you hit a pipeline, notify the pipeline operator and Texas 811. If gas is escaping, leave and call 911.
City streets and sidewalks
Digging in a Corpus Christi street or right-of-way can need a city permit. Ask the City of Corpus Christi which permit applies before you schedule the truck.
When can you dig?
Texas 811 generally needs at least 48 hours' notice before you dig, and weekends and legal holidays don't count. Enter when you call to see the earliest usual start.
Earliest usual start
Example: call on a Thursday at 10 a.m. and the earliest usual start is Monday at 10 a.m. If a legal holiday falls inside the window, add a business day. This is a planning aid, not legal advice: Texas 811 and the line owners have the final word, and tickets expire on long jobs, so renew before yours runs out.
Small dig questions
Do homeowners need an 811 ticket?
In general, yes. Texas 811 needs at least 48 hours' notice before digging, not counting weekends and legal holidays, and the call is free. Whoever digs should have the ticket number in hand.
Can a hydrovac find my sewer line?
A hydrovac exposes a line once you know roughly where it runs; it doesn't locate it. Use a plumber, plans or a private locate to get close, then ask the operator to open the ground.
What does a small hydrovac job cost?
Published guides put hydrovac work at roughly $200 to $450 an hour, and day rates around $3,500 to $4,500, as typical market ranges. These are not our rates, and operators can quote outside them. Minimums and travel apply, so a short job can cost more per hour than a long one. Operators quote you directly.
Is a hydrovac worth it for one post hole?
Because of minimums and travel, one hole can cost more per hole than several. If you have a few holes or a few jobs close together, ask for them in one visit.
Price your small dig
Sewer, sprinkler & small digs is already picked. Add the town, what you need dug and your 811 status.
We pass your request to independent local operators who quote you directly. We don't own trucks or do the digging.