Underground Electrical Service: Define the Trenching Scope Before Comparing Bids

A trench is a route, not a length in a text message

Ask for the current drawing identifying the proposed connection points and route. A homeowner’s estimate of the distance from a box to a garage does not establish where the utility will authorize the installation. Keep the design version on every proposal so contractors do not price different routes.

The PG&E Residential Project Resources page provides panel-upgrade process and materials resources. Use these to ask informed questions, while treating the project-specific utility documents as the basis for the work. This guide intentionally does not give trench depths, conduit specifications or installation instructions.

Draw the responsibility boundary

Have the contractor mark which portion it includes and which party handles anything beyond it. Distinguish work on the property, any public area and any area requiring another owner’s permission. Ask who obtains relevant approvals and who confirms access before a start date is promised.

A hypothetical proposal might include excavation to the property line while a utility drawing shows work extending farther. Both documents can look complete until placed side by side. The resulting gap is not solved by assuming the electrician will absorb it; it needs a revised scope and an identified responsible party.

List surfaces that must be put back

Excavation pricing and restoration pricing answer different questions. Record affected concrete, paving, planting, irrigation and other finishes. Ask what “restored” means: functional repair, matching material or a larger replacement area. The contract should identify exclusions where an exact visual match is not promised.

Photograph accessible existing surfaces before work begins. Keep the photographs with the scope and mark fragile features to discuss during the site visit. This documentation is for comparing the promised outcome with the finished work, not for diagnosing hidden utilities or authorizing an excavation route.

Coordinate inspection hold points

Ask the installer and utility representative which inspections or verifications affect sequencing and who requests them. Put responsibility for waiting time and rescheduling in the proposal if those costs are material. Do not cover work merely because the next trade is booked.

Keep the construction drawing, local permit information and utility correspondence available to the person running the job. A required inspection discovered after restoration can cause avoidable rework. The exact sequence must come from the agencies and professionals responsible for your project; online anecdotes cannot replace their instructions.

Compare risk explicitly

Request a base scope, a list of known exclusions and a method for authorizing unexpected work. Examples of questions include how changed routing, undisclosed surface conditions or additional restoration would be priced. Do not invent quantities for conditions nobody has investigated.

Review PG&E Pre-application Resources with the electrician before submitting or revising project information. Your final comparison sheet should show the same endpoints, drawing version, access assumptions, inspection responsibilities and restoration standard for every bidder. The lowest headline price is not the lowest complete price when one proposal leaves the difficult portions undefined.

A route-and-restoration comparison example

Suppose two hypothetical proposals both say “trenching included.” Proposal A prices the route shown on an early sketch and restores only the disturbed strip. Proposal B prices the current utility drawing and includes a larger paved restoration area. Their totals cannot establish which contractor is more economical until the route and finished condition match.

Send both bidders the same current drawing and a list of affected surfaces. Ask each to mark the endpoints it covers and confirm whether approvals for work outside the parcel are included or excluded. Do not ask a bidder to assume it has permission to cross another property. An unresolved access issue belongs on the decision list, not inside a silent contingency.

Next, request a short handoff description: what must be ready when the crew arrives, what remains visible for required review, which party confirms readiness for subsequent work, and who restores the area. The answer should identify responsibilities rather than provide homeowner instructions for excavating or installing electrical infrastructure.

For restoration, use observable descriptions. If the contract says landscaping is excluded, identify who will reinstate it. If irrigation may be affected, define responsibility for evaluation and repair. If a finish cannot be matched exactly, agree on the intended replacement boundary before construction.

Finally, ask how changed conditions are documented and approved. A defined authorization process is more useful than a vague assurance that the contractor will “take care of anything.” Your comparison is ready when another person can follow the route on paper, identify each responsible party and understand what the property will look like when everyone has finished.