"They installed a 100 foot pipe, 15 feet down with a 45 degree turn. It was an incredibly huge job. The job was done professionally, fast, efficiently and successfully. Joe and Orlando were professional, helpful and always there to answer my questions."
Licensed & insured · Class A General Engineering, LIC #1094194
Underground Construction Services
Sewer, water, fire, storm, gas, electric and communications lines, installed and repaired by our own crew across the Bay Area.
Developer or GC with plans? Request a site utility bid
Trenching, boring and potholing
PG&E Applicant Installer and OQ qualified
Our own crew and equipment
Commercial, municipal and residential
Free Estimate
Request a Service
Describe your project and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.
Total Underground Construction installs, replaces and repairs the pipe and conduit under Bay Area sites and streets: sanitary sewer, domestic water, fire service, storm drain, gas, electric and communications. We are a Class A General Engineering contractor (LIC #1094194) based in San Leandro, working across Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, and our own crew does the digging, the pipe work, the backfill and the restoration.
Building on vacant land, a subdivision or a multifamily site? See underground utility installation for land development and new construction, where you can send your plans for a bid, and our underground utility installation cost guide for current Bay Area price ranges.
Every scope we build, and where to read more
Each row links to the page that covers that utility in detail.
| Utility | What we install and repair | Read more |
|---|---|---|
| Sanitary sewer | Sewer mains, laterals, cleanouts and connections to the existing system, plus trenchless replacement of existing laterals | Sewer line repair, trenchless sewer replacement, sewer line testing |
| Domestic water | Water mains, service lines, meters and the connection at the street | Water line installation and repair, water line inspection |
| Fire service | Underground fire lines from the main to the riser, hydrants, fire line backflow and the hydrostatic test | Fire line installation, fire line repair, fire line backflow |
| Storm drain | Storm drain pipe, catch basins and connections to the site and street system | Utilities for land development |
| Gas | Gas trenching to PG&E's design, plus gas line installation and repair | PG&E trenching and conduit, gas line repair, PG&E gas line inspection |
| Electric | Trench and conduit for PG&E electrical service | Underground electrical conduit guide |
| Communications | Conduit for phone, cable and fiber, usually in the joint trench with gas and electric | Joint trench guide |
How we get the pipe in the ground
We trench, bore or pothole depending on what is on the surface and what is already in the ground. Many sites need all three.
- Open-cut trenches are dug to the line and grade on the plans, shored where the trench is 5 feet or deeper, then bedded, backfilled and compacted for the tests. Gas, electric and communications can share one joint trench.
- Directional boring uses a steerable drill head to pull pipe or conduit under a street, driveway or landscaping, so only the entry and exit pits get dug. Our directional boring cost guide covers per-foot pricing and when a bore beats a trench.
- Potholing, usually by vacuum excavation, digs small test holes that show the real depth of an existing line before a trench or bore reaches it. See potholing before you dig.
Where to start, depending on who you are
A developer with a set of plans and a homeowner with one broken line need different things from us. Here is the right first stop for each.
- Developers and homebuilders with plans for vacant land, a subdivision or a multifamily building: send them through the site utility bid form. We price one utility or the whole site.
- General contractors and public agencies checking us out as an underground sub: our capabilities and qualifications page lists our license, PG&E qualifications and scope. Certificates of insurance and prequalification paperwork are available on request.
- Owners and builders working through PG&E new service: our PG&E applicant installation guide explains who digs what under Rules 15 and 16.
- Property owners with one line to fix: start with that utility's page in the table above. Our sewer line repair page walks through an under-slab sewer replacement we did in a Pleasanton kitchen.
Building a bid list? Our roundup of Bay Area underground utility companies names other contractors worth a call.
Licensed, qualified and doing our own work
- Class A General Engineering, LIC #1094194. That is the California license class for underground utility and infrastructure work.
- PG&E Applicant Installer qualified and OQ qualified, with OQ 02-15 and OQ-0507 on file. The numbers are listed on our PG&E trenching page.
- Our own crew and equipment on the underground scope, from the first cut through restoration.
- Insurance certificates and prequalification paperwork on request.
Projects we handle
New construction and land development
Sewer, water, fire, storm and joint trench for subdivisions, multifamily buildings and commercial sites, built to the approved plans.
Commercial and industrial
Fire service lines, backflow upgrades, parking lot storm drains and underground work for tenant improvements.
Municipal and public works
Water, sewer and storm work in the public right of way, utility relocations and main repairs.
Residential
Sewer lateral replacement, water service upgrades, backflow testing and utility trenching for new homes and remodels.
Send Total UC your plans
If you have plans, the fastest way to a number is the bid form on our land development utilities page. Add the plan link, tick the utilities you want priced, and we reply within 24 hours. For a single line or a repair, use the form at the bottom of this page or call (415) 350-3363.
Customer Reviews
What Our Clients Say
Bay Area customers on the underground side of the work: depth, permits, and city coordination.
"I failed an inspection required by City of San Mateo's lateral sewer line ordinance. Joe gave me a quote with a few contingencies for what he could not see until excavating, and the contingent items were not necessary, so the quote held. Permits and all phases were perfectly sequenced, and we passed inspection."
"An excellent experience working with Joe on my water service, city side upgrade. He went above and beyond to push the project through, even as the city changed the sequence and timing of several technical and administrative steps. His communication and follow through were exceptional."
"We needed a pipe dug out of a concrete driveway in order to clear the sewer line. Joe explained everything and the work was done in one day."
"They came out to assess the situation and proposed a cost effective solution. They drove out that night to get the sewer line into a passable condition so we would not be without water, free of charge. During the project they had four guys working and completed the sewer line replacement in a single day."
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Open-cut trenching digs a continuous trench from point A to point B to lay pipe or conduit. Directional boring uses a steerable drill to install the line without digging a trench along the whole route. Boring usually costs more per foot but avoids most surface restoration, and it is often the only option under roads, driveways or landscaping where an open cut is not allowed.
Yes. Almost all underground utility work in the Bay Area needs a permit from the city or county, and work in the street or sidewalk needs an encroachment permit as well. Who pulls each permit is written into the bid, and we confirm it with you when we price the job.
It depends on the scope. A residential sewer lateral replacement may take one to two days. Site utilities for a subdivision or multifamily project run weeks to months, depending on how the work is phased. Our proposal includes a schedule.
It depends on the utility and the local standard. Water services are typically installed with 30 to 42 inches of cover. Gravity sewer is often 4 to 10 feet deep, set by the grade needed to reach the main. Storm drain depth is set by the grades on the civil plans.
Yes. We install storm drain pipe, catch basins and the connections to the site and street system, either as part of a site utility package or on their own. Send the plans through the bid form on our land development page.
PG&E does not certify contractors. We are PG&E Applicant Installer qualified and OQ qualified, with OQ 02-15 (installation of pipe, backfill and compacting) and OQ-0507 (damage prevention during excavation) on file.
Our Process
How It Works
Three straightforward steps from first call to finished project.
Diagnose & Inspect
We assess the project site, review plans, and use camera inspection or utility locating to understand exactly what's underground before we touch anything.
Quote & Plan
You receive a clear, itemized estimate with no surprises. We handle permits, coordinate with utilities, and schedule the crew around your timeline.
Service & Cleanup
Our self-performing crews complete the work to spec and code. Site is restored and cleaned up, and we don't leave until the job looks right.
Coverage
Service Areas
Serving 10+ Bay Area counties from our San Leandro headquarters.
Alameda County
San Leandro · Oakland · Fremont · Hayward · Berkeley + 8 more
Contra Costa County
Walnut Creek · Concord · Richmond · Antioch · Pittsburg + 5 more
San Francisco
San Francisco
San Mateo County
Daly City · San Mateo · Redwood City · South San Francisco · Burlingame + 4 more
Santa Clara County
San Jose · Santa Clara · Sunnyvale · Mountain View · Palo Alto + 5 more
Napa County
Napa · American Canyon · St. Helena · Calistoga
Solano County
Vallejo · Fairfield · Vacaville · Benicia · Suisun City + 1 more
Sonoma County
Santa Rosa · Petaluma · Rohnert Park · Windsor · Healdsburg + 1 more
Get Started Today
Ready to Get Started?
Whether it's an emergency repair or a planned infrastructure project, Total UC is ready to mobilize. Call us now or submit your project details for a free estimate.
LIC # 1094194 A (General Engineering) · Licensed & Insured
Free Estimate
Request a Service
Describe your project and we'll get back to you within 24 hours.