Trenched a cable through a sprinkler line last Tuesday

Job was in a new subdivision outside Austin. Ran a cat6 for a doorbell cam through the front yard. Dug maybe 6 inches down and hit a sprinkler line that wasn't on any map. Water shot up like a geyser. Homeowner came running out yelling. Had to call an irrigation guy to patch it. Cost me $150 out of pocket and the homeowner was pissed. Has anyone else dealt with unmarked utilities on residential jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

jesse_west18d ago

...so I had a buddy who did the exact same thing last month. He was trenching for some landscape lights and hit a main irrigation line. Water was shooting straight up like 8 feet. I think the homeowner was more mad about the water bill than the repair cost honestly.

laura_white9918d ago

Honestly, "mad about the water bill" got me thinking. Did that water just keep running for hours until someone could shut off the main valve, or did they have to call a plumber out right then to cap it? Tbh I'd be livid too if I saw my water bill spike by like 200 bucks because of one dumb mistake. Ngl, what was the final cost for the homeowner to fix the line and the bill combined?