Cable and conduit plowing
Vibratory plowing for long open runs, where a plow puts more conduit in the ground per day than any other method and leaves almost nothing to restore.
What plowing is, and why it wins on open ground
A vibratory plow pulls a blade through the ground and feeds conduit, duct, or direct-buried cable into the slot behind it in one pass. There is no trench to dig, no spoil to handle, and no backfill to compact. On open ground the surface closes behind the plow and the restoration bill nearly disappears.
That makes plowing the production method on the long runs of a build: rural road ditches, section lines, easements across farm ground, and the open stretches between the crossings that have to be bored. On the right ground a plow crew installs in a day what a trench crew installs in a week.
Plowing is not the right answer everywhere, and we will say so. Rock, heavy utility congestion, and anything that has to stay under a paved surface belong to boring or open cut. Most builds we run are a mix, and getting the mix right is most of the schedule.
The method that carries the mileage
When an internet service provider or a rural cooperative is measuring a build in miles rather than feet, plowing is usually what makes the numbers work. It is also what keeps landowner relations manageable, because a plowed run leaves a seam rather than a scar across somebody's field.
We plow as a standalone scope and as part of a full underground package, and on most builds our plow crews and bore crews are working the same route in sequence so nothing waits.
What plowing scope covers
Production installation on open ground, with the parts of the job that actually cause callbacks handled up front.
Conduit and duct
Single conduit and multi-duct packages plowed to spec depth, with pull tape and proofing so the path is usable when the cable crew arrives.
Direct-buried cable
Direct burial where the design calls for it, at the cover depth the owner and the jurisdiction require.
Long rural runs
Road ditch, section line, and cross-country easement runs measured in miles, which is where plowing pays for itself.
Locates and clearance
Existing facilities located and potholed where the route runs close, because a plow blade is unforgiving of a bad locate.
Road and driveway crossings
Crossings along a plowed route bored rather than cut, by our own crews on the same schedule.
Surface restoration
Seam closed, ruts repaired, and disturbed ground seeded or restored to the standard the landowner or agency set.
Why plowing scope stays with us
A plow crew is only as good as the route planning in front of it and the restoration behind it.
- Plow and bore crews on the same job, so a road crossing does not stop a mile of production.
- Route walked and locates verified before the blade goes in the ground.
- Crews that mobilize across five states, including the open country where plowing is the whole build.
- Restoration handled as scope rather than as an afterthought a landowner has to chase.
- One contract for plowing, boring, blowing, and excavation instead of four contractors pointing at each other.
FAQ
Cable and conduit plowing questions
Still have a question? Call us at (651) 529-1527 and we'll walk you through it.
On open ground with room to work and no paved surface to protect, plowing installs far more footage per day than boring and leaves almost nothing to restore. Boring wins wherever the surface has to stay intact, such as roads, driveways, rail, and waterways. Most builds we run use both, with plowing carrying the mileage and boring taking the crossings.
To the cover depth the design and the jurisdiction require, which for telecom and electric duct is typically measured in feet rather than inches and varies by state and by right of way. Give us the spec and the route and we will confirm what is achievable in that ground.
Rock, heavy utility congestion, and anything that has to pass under a surface that must stay intact. We walk the route before bidding and tell you which segments plow, which need to be bored, and which should be open cut, because guessing at that mix is how a schedule slips.
Request a bid
Send us the scope.
Plans, a route, a permit set, or a description of the crossing. We will come back with questions before we come back with a number, because a bid built on assumptions helps nobody.
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- Building across MN, ND, SD, IA, WI
- Boring, plowing, blowing, excavation, waterline, and aerial
Request a bid
Tell us about the project and an estimator will follow up.