Santa Clara Trenching and Excavation
Most excavation in Santa Clara is underground utility work: a new electrical service, a sewer lateral, a water line, a storm drain. What sets the city apart is who owns the other end of those lines. Santa Clara runs its own electric utility, Silicon Valley Power (SVP), and its own water and sewer utility. Trenching here follows City and SVP requirements, not PG&E’s.
Harris Excavation digs and backfills utility trenches for Santa Clara homeowners, electricians, general contractors and developers. We’re a licensed general engineering contractor (CSLB #1117960) based in South San Francisco.
Trenching and Excavation Services in Santa Clara
- Electrical service trenching for SVP service upgrades, new services and EV chargers, dug alongside your electrician. We’re also PG&E Operator Qualified. Residential trenching
- Sewer lateral and cleanout excavation between the house and the property line
- Water and storm drain lines, including drain lines that carry roof water away from the foundation. Residential drainage
- Vacuum excavation with a hydrovac truck where the trench crosses live gas, electric or telecom lines
- Commercial and multifamily trenching for general contractors and developers. Commercial trenching
- Foundation and site excavation for additions, ADUs and new homes. Residential excavation
Silicon Valley Power, Not PG&E
If your property is inside Santa Clara city limits, your electricity comes from Silicon Valley Power, the City’s municipal electric utility since 1896. That changes who you coordinate with on a service upgrade. Your electrician pulls the permit from the City’s Building Division, and the City’s service upgrade guidance is clear: only SVP can disconnect SVP’s service conductors.
When a trench carries SVP conduit, SVP’s trench backfill standard applies. It calls for clean sand as the preferred backfill, with no clay or organic material, compacted to at least 90% in landscaped areas and 95% under paving. Conduit with less than 24 inches of cover gets a concrete cap. The inspector needs at least 24 hours’ notice, and nothing gets covered until it’s inspected. Your electrician and SVP set the exact trench spec for your service. We build to it and schedule around the inspection.
Water, Sewer and Work in the Street
The City also owns the water and sewer systems. Santa Clara’s sewer cleanout, the City’s access point to your lateral, sits at the property line. Older homes may not have one. The City will install one for a fee, or you can hire a private contractor. On the water side, the municipal code bars connecting to a City main without the Director’s written consent, and the City’s water system notes say the City or a City-assigned contractor makes all taps on the main. We handle the excavation around that work.
If your trench crosses the sidewalk, curb or street, it needs an Encroachment Permit from Santa Clara Public Works. The City’s August 2025 permit packet says to allow at least three weeks for processing. It requires a contractor with a current City business license and proof of insurance, a traffic control plan that follows the California MUTCD, and a call to Engineering at least 48 hours before work starts. Travel lanes can only be closed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. unless the Transportation Manager approves otherwise.
Locate First, Then Dig With Care
Every trench starts with a USA North 811 ticket, which needs at least two working days’ notice, and a dig area pre-marked in white paint. SVP marks its own lines, up to the secondary distribution box on residential services. Privately owned lines, like a feed to a detached garage or ADU, are the property owner’s responsibility to locate. Where marked lines cross our trench, we expose them by hand or with vacuum excavation before any machine digs.
Nearby Project: Electrical Trenching in Cupertino
Next door in Cupertino, we dug a trench for a new electrical service through a congested area, with existing electrical, gas and telecom lines in the alignment. We used a hydrovac truck, which loosens soil with pressurized water and vacuums it into a tank, to dig around the live lines without damaging them. Read about the Cupertino job.
Where We Work in Santa Clara
We work throughout Santa Clara, including the Old Quad, Central Santa Clara, Rivermark, Agnew, Forest-Pruneridge, Westwood Oaks and San Tomas Woods. Nearby, we also serve San Jose, Sunnyvale, Cupertino and Palo Alto. See all of our Santa Clara County work.
Santa Clara Trenching FAQ
Is my service upgrade handled by SVP or PG&E?
Inside Santa Clara city limits, it’s Silicon Valley Power. We dig and backfill the trench to SVP’s and the City’s requirements.
Do I need a permit to trench across my sidewalk or street?
Yes. Work in the public right-of-way needs an Encroachment Permit from Santa Clara Public Works. Allow at least three weeks for review.
Can you dig for a new sewer cleanout?
Yes. Santa Clara lets homeowners hire a private contractor for cleanout work, and the City’s cleanout sits at the property line. We handle the excavation and backfill.
Can you trench next to live gas and electric lines?
Yes. After 811 marks the lines, we expose them by hand or with a hydrovac truck, then dig the rest of the trench around them.
Get a Santa Clara Trenching Estimate
Send us your electrical plan, utility layout or a few photos of the route. We’ll walk the trench line and send a clear written estimate. Request a free estimate