Trenching in Atlanta: local operators and what it costs

Red clay and buried rock

Atlanta sits in the Piedmont, where soils like the Cecil series have a red clay subsoil the USDA describes as firm, sticky and plastic. That clay holds a clean trench wall well when it is moist, smears and clogs equipment when it is soaked, and turns hard as brick in a dry spell. The Piedmont is also granite country, and a trench line can meet rock that has to be worked around or broken, which is worth mentioning if you already know it is there.

Georgia 811 gives three business days

Georgia 811 asks for at least three business days of notice before excavation, counting Monday through Friday between seven in the morning and half past four in the afternoon, without major holidays. A request placed after half past four counts from the next business day, and a locate request lasts thirty calendar days. The law applies whenever mechanized equipment is used, even on private property. Digging only by hand is not covered by the requirement, though calling is still advised.

City permits to keep in mind

Atlanta requires a land disturbance permit for land-disturbing work unless it is exempt, and projects that disturb less than five thousand square feet are exempt unless they lie within two hundred feet of a stream bank. A single trench across a yard usually stays well under that size, but the city's minimum erosion rules still apply. Any disturbance of the public right-of-way, such as crossing a sidewalk to reach a service line, needs a right-of-way permit.

Weather

Atlanta's rain is spread through the year, with July and March the wettest months and October the driest, about fifty inches in all. With October usually the driest month, autumn is a good time to cut a trench in clay.

For your project post

Give the length and depth of the run, what goes in it, where it starts and ends, the slope of the yard, and anything it must cross. Mention whether rock or old roots have turned up in that area before.