Self-performed trenching and pipe crews
Domestic Water Lines & Meter Services
C900 PVC or ductile iron water lines, valves and meter stubs, laid with trace wire and pressure-tested before service.
Commercial Site Utilities
Underground Utilities
in Houston, TX
Water, sanitary sewer and conduit for commercial and industrial sites across Greater Houston. Our crews trench, lay, backfill and test to the civil sheets, so paving starts on schedule.
23Years on Houston Ground
1Superintendent Per Job
$2MGeneral Liability
98%Repeat & Referral
Service Overview
Houston Underground Utilities Built to Pass Inspection
Every Houston building needs water, sewer and power before it can open. Those lines run through wet clay, under future paving, and past pipes already in the ground. Underground utilities are the trenching, pipe laying, backfill and testing that carry service from the main to the building. Jimenes Construction self-performs that work as an underground utility contractor in Houston, TX, with our own operators and one superintendent on every job.
Our crews lay domestic water lines and meter stubs, sanitary sewer mains, services and manholes. We trench and bed the underground fire line alongside your registered fire line contractor. We also build conduit and duct bank for power and data. General contractors, developers and industrial owners hire us with civil sheets in hand. We keep storm drainage on our storm sewer page, deep-trench protection on trench shoring, and mass digging on excavation.
The spec drives every choice. Inside Houston, the work follows City of Houston standard specifications and the Taps and Meters permit. Out in the suburbs, MUD engineers set the plans for water and sewer. Texas rules keep new water lines 9 feet from sewers. Every run is pressure- and mandrel-tested before it is buried for good. We price pipe, fittings, backfill, testing and restoration on their own lines. Paving over the trench comes after the backfill passes, and our commercial paving crew can close it out.
Site Utilities at a Glance
- Self-performed trenching and pipe crews
- Built to City of Houston specifications
- 9-foot water and sewer separation checked
- Sand bedding compacted in 6-inch lifts
- Pressure, bacteria and mandrel tests coordinated
- Third-party density testing on backfill
Coverage
Underground Utility Services We Self-Perform
Six kinds of underground work on commercial and industrial sites. Our crews dig, lay and backfill all of them.
Sanitary Sewer Mains & Services
Gravity sewer, manholes and building services set to grade, then mandrel-checked and camera-inspected.
Fire Line Trenching & Pipe
Trench, bedding and backfill for the underground fire main, built alongside your State Fire Marshal-registered fire line contractor.
Main Taps & Tie-Ins
Connections to City of Houston and MUD mains, scheduled with the utility's crew and inspector.
Conduit & Duct Bank
PVC conduit runs and concrete-encased duct bank for power, lighting and data, built to the electrical engineer's drawings.
Utility Trench Backfill & Restoration
Sand, select fill or cement-stabilized sand in tested lifts, so paving over the trench does not settle later.
Our Process
Our Underground Utility Process
Five steps from civil sheets to accepted lines. Send the sheets or call (832) 576-3278 to put locates and layout on the calendar.
- 01
Plans, Records & Locates
We read the civil sheets and pull the City utility maps, file the Texas 811 ticket, and pothole any line we have to cross.
- 02
Layout & Trench Safety
The surveyor's stakes are checked for line and grade. Trenches 5 feet and deeper get a shield or shoring, and wet trenches get dewatering.
- 03
Lay Pipe & Bed It Right
Pipe goes on a firm bed, with sand placed by hand around it and compacted in 6-inch lifts. Trace wire goes on every plastic water line.
- 04
Backfill & Density Tests
Trench backfill goes back in lifts to the spec's material. The testing lab checks density before any paving goes over the top.
- 05
Test, Tie-In & Close Out
Water lines are pressure-tested, chlorinated and sampled. Sewer lines are mandrel- and air-tested, then camera-inspected. We make the tie-in with the utility's crew and hand over the records.
Timeline
How Long Does Underground Utility Work Take?
Planning ranges by project type, from mobilization to final acceptance.
| Project Type | Typical Scope | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Single-building water and sewer service | Under 300 LF | 1 - 2 Weeks |
| Retail pad or restaurant site utilities | Water, sewer, fire stub | 2 - 4 Weeks |
| Office or warehouse site utilities | Mains, services, conduit | 4 - 8 Weeks |
| Industrial plant utility and duct bank work | Multiple systems | 6 - 12 Weeks |
| Subdivision or MUD section water and sewer | Mains, manholes, services | 8 - 16 Weeks |
Engineering & Compliance
Pipe, Bedding & Testing Standards
Most utility failures start in the trench. A bad bed or loose backfill shows up later as a leak or a sunken parking lot.
Pipe & Materials
- C900 PVC water pipe, DR 18 on City jobs
- Trace wire on every plastic water line
- SDR 26 PVC or ductile iron sewer per plans
- Restrained ductile iron where water dives under sewer
Bedding & Backfill
- Sand bedding compacted in 6-inch lifts
- 95 percent density, ASTM D698
- Cement-stabilized sand under paving on sewers
- Fabric and crushed stone on soft, wet trench bottoms
Separation & Safety
- Water kept 9 feet from sewer (TCEQ 290.44)
- Hand digging within 1 foot of pipelines
- 811 ticket and potholing before crossings
- Shoring or shield at 5 feet and deeper
Testing & Records
- Water lines held at 125 psi or more for 8 hours (City spec)
- Chlorinated, flushed and bacteria-sampled
- Sewer mandrel-tested at 30 days, 5 percent max
- Air and camera tests, reports handed over
Why Jimenes
Why Choose
Jimenes Construction
One Crew From Trench to Test
When excavation, pipe and backfill are three different subs, bad bedding becomes nobody's fault. Our own crews dig, lay and backfill, and one superintendent owns the test results.
Built to Pass the First Test
A failed pressure or mandrel test means digging up finished work. We compact in thin lifts, check separation and grade before backfill, and pre-test before the inspector arrives.
Houston Trench Experience
Wet clay trenches cave, fill with water and soften underfoot. We dewater, shield, and lay fabric and stone where the spec calls for it, backed by 23 years on this ground.
Line-Item Pricing
Lump-sum utility bids hide rock, dewatering and restoration. We give pipe, fittings, bedding, dewatering, testing and paving repair each its own line, and change orders get signed before work starts.
Credentials
Insurance, Warranty & Sign-Off
Texas licenses plumbers and registers fire line firms, but it has no license for the crews who dig, lay and backfill. Ask any underground utility contractor in Houston for insurance papers and past test reports. Ours go out with every proposal.
Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County
Permitted & Inspected City of Houston and Harris County General Liability $2M per occurrence
Workers’ Comp Full crew coverage
Warranty 1-yr workmanship
Warranty 1-yr workmanshipWhere We Work
Our Service Area
Based in Houston and laying site utilities from the Ship Channel plants out to new MUD sections past the Grand Parkway. If you searched for underground utility companies near me, or utility contractors in Houston, this is the ground we cover.
- Houston
- Spring
- The Woodlands
- Conroe
- Cypress
- Katy
- Sugar Land
- Missouri City
- Pearland
- Pasadena
- Baytown
- League City
Do not see your town? Call us, we travel for the right project.Check Your Address
Good Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a set of civil sheets and a question about the pipe? The superintendent who will lay and test your lines picks up the phone.
Talk to a Builder(832) 576-3278
What utilities can be installed underground on a commercial site?
Most site utilities go underground on a commercial job. The common ones are:
- Domestic water lines and meters
- Sanitary sewer mains, services and manholes
- Fire service lines to the sprinkler riser
- Storm sewer that carries site runoff
- Electrical and data conduit or duct bank
How much does underground utility installation cost in Houston?
There is no flat rate, and two sites of the same size can price very differently. The cost drivers are:
- Pipe size and material
- Trench depth and shoring
- Groundwater and dewatering
- Number of crossings and main tie-ins
- Pavement cut and repair
- Backfill type, since cement-stabilized sand costs more
- Testing, and City or MUD fees paid by the owner
How deep are water and sewer lines buried in Houston?
Depth comes off the plans for each job. State rules put the top of a water line at least 24 inches below the ground. In City of Houston right-of-way, the design manual calls for 4 feet of cover over a 12-inch or smaller water line, measured from the top of curb. Bigger lines go deeper. Sewer depth follows the grade and slope, so it often runs deeper. Deep trenches need protection, covered on our trench safety and shoring page.
How do you find existing lines before digging?
We find lines before the bucket moves. Our steps are:
- Pull the City utility maps from GeoHub
- File the Texas 811 ticket at least 48 hours ahead, not counting weekends and holidays
- Hire a private locator for on-site lines 811 does not mark
- Pothole every line we have to cross
- Hand dig within a foot of a gas or product pipeline
Who handles the tie-in to a City of Houston main?
The tie-in is a shared job. The owner gets a Capacity Reservation Letter and a Taps and Meters permit from the City. On a live City main, the City's crew operates the valves, and we give at least 72 hours' notice for a wet connection. An inspector is on site, and once the line is open we finish the connection in one push. MUD tie-ins follow the district's engineer and operator. Service lines from the building to the main are plumbing under Texas law, so a licensed plumber is part of the job.
What tests do new water and sewer lines have to pass?
Every new line is tested before it is accepted.
- Water: held at 125 psi or more (small lines) or 150 psi or more (large lines) for 8 hours, with leakage under the spec limit
- Water: chlorinated at 100 ppm or more for at least 24 hours, flushed, then bacteria-sampled
- Sewer: a mandrel pulled at 30 days or later, with 5 percent maximum deflection
- Sewer: an air or water leakage test and a camera inspection
- Fire lines: at least 200 psi for 2 hours under NFPA 24, run by the registered fire line contractor
Keep Reading
Related Services
Site utilities rarely run alone. These are the trades that come just before and after the pipe.
Trench Safety & Shoring
Trench boxes, shoring and daily competent-person checks for deep utility trenches.
Learn More
Laid. Backfilled. Tested.
Let's Get Your UtilitiesIn the Ground.
Email the utility plan sheets. You get back a line-item estimate for pipe, backfill, testing and restoration.
OR CALL (832) 576-3278
