Handhole Installation
We install and set handholes across Palm Beach County — the precast and polymer junction boxes that hold underground electrical, telecom, and site-lighting connections. From driveway lighting pulls to commercial service points to telecom pull boxes, we handle the excavation, box setting, bedding, and conduit tie-in so your electrician or cable crew can land terminations clean.
We’re licensed building contractors (CBC#1270161) with a full excavator fleet, so we handle residential handholes in tight yards and full traffic-rated 4’x4′ vaults in commercial driveways or parking lots — same crew, same approach.
Call (561) 366-2050 for a free handhole installation estimate in Palm Beach County.
Handholes We Install
- Electrical service point handholes (residential and commercial)
- Street lighting and site lighting junction boxes
- Telecom, fiber, and cable pull boxes
- Traffic signal and control handholes
- Generator and pool equipment service boxes
- Precast concrete boxes and polymer boxes (Quazite, Carson, and similar)
- Sizes from small 12″x17″ pull boxes up to full 4’x4′ concrete vaults
- Both traffic-rated and non-traffic-rated
How We Set a Handhole
- Locate existing utilities — we call in locates and verify a clear dig area before any excavation
- Excavate — to box depth plus bedding depth, clean sides, squared bottom
- Bed and set the box — crushed aggregate base, leveled, aligned with the conduit pathway
- Tie in conduit — knockouts opened and sealed, conduits landed to the route
- Backfill and compact — to the subgrade spec for the load rating (traffic vs non-traffic)
- Surface restoration — asphalt patch, sod, hardscape, whatever matches the existing site
- Hand off to the electrician or cable crew — they pull wire and land terminations
Traffic-Rated vs Non-Traffic-Rated
Traffic-rated boxes go where vehicles drive over them — driveways, parking lots, streets. They’re rated for specific loads (H-10 for light traffic, H-20 for heavy) and need the right bedding, concrete collar, and compacted backfill to hold up under years of load.
Non-traffic boxes sit in yards, landscape areas, or sidewalks — lighter duty, simpler install, but still need proper bedding and drainage. We do both. Tell us where the box is going and what crosses over it, and we’ll spec the right box and install method.
What We Don’t Do
We do the hole and the box — excavation, bedding, setting, backfill, restoration, and conduit tie-in up to the box. We don’t pull wire or make live electrical connections. That’s licensed electrician work and we’re not going to step on their scope.
We also don’t do directional boring (underground drilling without an open trench). For runs between boxes, we open-cut trench. If a project absolutely needs a bore — crossing under mature trees or existing pavement that can’t be disturbed — we can coordinate with a boring sub.
Need a handhole set for your project?
Call (561) 366-2050
for a free estimate.
What clients say
★★★★★ 5.0 · 26 reviews on Google
Aaron and his team did a great job. Very professional and easy to work with. I highly recommend them!
I have been working with Thum Co. for a little over a year for demolition and grading services in West Palm Beach, and they are five stars in my book. From the owner to every operator and team member, they have been perfect to work with. Their professionalism, reliability, and quality of work have never let me down. If you need demolition or grading services, I highly recommend Thum Co. They truly set the standard for excellence in their industry.
Aaron and company are great to work with. They are very responsive and do a great job. Highly recommend!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between a handhole, a pull box, and a junction box?
They’re related but different. A junction box is any enclosure where electrical conductors come together. A pull box is a smaller box that lets you pull wire through a conduit run without pulling one continuous 300-foot piece. A handhole is usually a larger box, often underground, sized so a tech can reach into it with their hands (hence the name) to make connections or pull wire. In practice the terms get used interchangeably, especially by manufacturers.
Do you pull the wire or just set the box?
We set the box and tie in the conduit. The electrician pulls the wire and lands the terminations. We stay in our lane — licensed building contractor work stops where licensed electrical work starts.
Do you do handholes for traffic areas like driveways and parking lots?
Yes. Traffic-rated boxes need the right concrete collar and compacted bedding, and we handle both. Tell us the expected load (cars only, pickup trucks, heavy delivery trucks) and we’ll spec the right box and install method.
Do you do fiber and telecom, or just electrical?
Both. The box setting work is the same — the only difference is what conduit you’re tying into. We’ve set boxes for power, fiber, cable, site lighting, and generator connections.
What about permits?
Most handhole work falls under the electrical permit the electrician pulls (they’re installing the wire). For standalone site-lighting handhole installs without the electrical work in scope, we can pull the building permit for the excavation and box work. We figure this out during scope.
How fast can you set a box?
Small residential pull box or service handhole, 2-4 hours on site. Larger 4’x4′ traffic-rated vaults, half to full day depending on depth and surface restoration. Most jobs we schedule with 1-2 days notice.
Do you do directional boring for conduit runs?
No. We open-cut trench between boxes. If a project absolutely needs a bore — crossing under a mature tree or existing pavement you can’t disturb — we coordinate with a boring sub.