Plumbing Trenching
We trench and prep sites for plumbing repairs across Palm Beach County — sewer mains, water mains, and commercial drain lines. We’re not the plumber. We’re the site work crew that shows up first, gets your plumber access to the pipe, and puts the site back together when the repair is done.
We’re licensed building contractors (CBC#1270161) with a full excavator fleet, saw cutting capability, pumps for dewatering, and paving restoration. On most of these jobs we sub under the plumber — they pull the permit, we execute the site work around their timeline.
Call (561) 366-2050 for a free plumbing trenching estimate in Palm Beach County.
What We Trench For
- Sewer main lines and laterals
- Water main lines and service lines
- Commercial drain line repairs under existing pavement
- Underground plumbing infrastructure in multi-unit and commercial buildings
- Any job where the plumber needs access to pipe under pavement, structure, or heavy fill
How a Typical Job Runs
Real example: a multi-unit beachside condo had main drain lines failing under the asphalt driveway. The plumber needed access to the pipe but couldn’t get there without tearing up pavement. Here’s what we did:
- Saw cut the pavement — clean cuts along the pipe run so the repair zone was defined
- Carefully excavated the fill — down to the pipe, protecting what was still working
- Blocked off the work zone — safety and traffic control for residents and deliveries
- De-watered the trench — pumped down so the plumber had dry, stable ground to work on
- Plumber did their repair — we stayed out of their work and kept the trench open and safe
- Backfilled in lifts — compacted to pavement subgrade spec
- Installed asphalt base material — crushed aggregate, compacted
- Final asphalt paving — matching existing surface to preserve the parking area integrity
The plumber did their job. We made sure their job was possible.
What We Don’t Do
We don’t install pipe, make pipe connections, or touch the plumbing system itself. That’s licensed plumbing work. On plumbing repair jobs we also don’t pull the permit — the plumber does, and we work under their permit scope as the site work and restoration sub.
Interior plumbing trenching (slab cutting and excavation for indoor plumbing repairs) is usually the plumber’s scope with smaller equipment. We do the exterior and under-pavement work.
Got a plumbing repair that needs site work?
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
Do I call you or call my plumber first?
Either works, but most of these jobs start with the plumber identifying the failure. They call us to handle the site work so they can do their repair. If you know you have a sewer or water line issue that needs pavement removal, you can call us first and we’ll coordinate with your plumber.
Can you handle commercial and multi-unit projects?
Yes. We’ve done sewer and drain line trenching under occupied multi-unit buildings, commercial parking lots, and active sites. We block the work zone, keep residents and deliveries routed around, and stage the schedule to minimize disruption.
Do you coordinate with the plumber’s timeline?
Yes. This is the whole point. Plumbers need the site ready when they arrive and closed back up when they’re done. We dig, hold the trench open safely, and don’t start backfill and restoration until the plumber calls the repair complete and any inspection is done.
Do you handle asphalt restoration?
Yes. Base material, compaction, and final asphalt paving. We leave the surface matching as close as possible to pre-dig condition so the area is fully usable.
Do you de-water the trench too?
Yes. Pump and hose to a drainage point or truck, depending on the situation. This is especially important on coastal jobs where the water table is high — we’ve de-watered plenty of trenches on beachside properties.
What if the repair is under concrete, not asphalt?
We saw-cut and restore both surfaces. Tell us the surface type and we’ll scope the cut, excavation, and restoration accordingly.
Do you pull the permit?
No. On plumbing repair jobs the plumber pulls the plumbing permit and our site work runs under their scope. For standalone site excavation work without plumbing involvement, we can pull a building permit for the dig.