We’re about ready to bury electrical to my shop we’re building. Going underground for aesthetics when we build our house, and I don’t want to mow around power poles.

Got to trench about 500’. I’ve been quoted like $12/ft for trenching and conduit.

Spec says 2 inch schedule 40 pvc conduit with top of pipe at least 36 inches deep. I figure I can rent a trencher and do this myself right? Or is there something I don’t know about involved? Would save me a ton of money to DIY it.

I did mine in 2” about 2’ down. Easy

Same here.
just find the water, sewer, electric, gas lines around your house

Same here. For the op keep in mind you or someone will be pulling wire through it at some point, keep it as straight as possible and no 90’s.

It’s a straight shot. Only utility out there currently is water. I know where it is. Septic isn’t there yet and no gas so that’s easy enough

Like the guys said Doc, to easy sir. Worst case you can run the wire and slip the separate joints on if you have too, pulling 4/0 thru 2" can be a MOFO. Also, if you have any old nails, horse shoes any metal scrap (or buy another small copper wire) and bury beside the line along the run, will make finding it later much easier with a detector.

OH, ride on trencher cost more, but much easier/faster.

Once you get the conduit in you can use a shop vac to suck a string through there and then use the string to pull in a rope. I just use the top of a plastic soda bottle to make a "pig" that is smaller than the ID of the conduit and can slide easily through the conduit. It takes no time to get the string through. Takes 2-3 people to get the wire in. 1 to push and 1-2 to pull. Might need some soap on the first sweep 90. I've seen some people pull the wire as they glue the conduit together, never tried it that way. Go with whatever works for you. If you come into the bottom of a panel at the house, cut one of the formed bell ends of the conduit facing down and unglued. This will allow some movement of that wonderful clay soil without breaking the pvc connector at the panel.

I rented a walk behind self propelled on rubber tracks, it was a digging machine. Low cost, I think only $200. It dug my 200-foot strip so fast we went back to home depot and bought some more pvc to put in some extra hose bibs I had wanted too in the yard and then went to thin inlaws to trench a line.

I would lay the cable out beside the trench and slip the pipe over it, then glue the joint. Don’t install the long sweep 90’s until you’ve rolled the pipe/wire into the trench. I would also consider adding an empty piece of 1 1/2” conduit with two pull strings in it. Never can tell when you might need it.

Thanks guys.

Oncor is going to pull the wire. They give an allowance per meter that's planned and the only thing that doesn't fit under that amount is the trenching and conduit. So, all I'm responsible for is the trenching and conduit with a pull tape inside.

That’s great!

I did the same.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/CARLON-2-i...0-PVC-Compatible-Conduit-Fitting/3129167

Is this a long sweep 90?

Yes sir!

Yep, be sure to call Dig Test.

Texas 811

Once you get it in measure and document on your plans location of line so you can flag it later when laying other utilities.

done

Do it according to the current electrical code, if you don't it will probably comeback and bite you later.

I dug the trench. Laid out the wire beside the trench. Put the conduit together in 3-joint sections and walked them down the wire glue to the previous conduit and lay into the trench leaving the open end and wire outside of the trench. Just started at one end and worked towards the other. It was a whole lot easier walking the conduit down the line in sections vs. pulling 200' of stiff wire. Also made the 90-degree sweeps a lot easier.

Just an option.

I did the same for my old shop.

Way easier than pulling wire....

Conduit is in place. Friend/client sent his crew with equipment and they knocked it out today. Saved me a lot of time and money. He's an Oncor contractor so they do this all the time.


Now to wait for Oncor to pull wires.

Then its their problem.....

I did my own and went the easy route....

Walk in the park for you then Doc

I went with direct burial electrical wiring for a similar application. I'm sure it'll last longer than me.