We just put our new trencher through its first big test: over 1,000 feet of utility trench cut along a fence line on a property right in Long Prairie, Minnesota — and it chewed through the run in a fraction of the time an excavator would take, at a fraction of the cost of hand-digging crews.

The Project at a Glance

  • The job: 1,000+ linear feet of utility trench along a fence line in Long Prairie, MN
  • The equipment: our Bobcat skid steer with a dedicated trencher attachment
  • The result: a clean, straight, consistent-depth trench ready for the line to go in
  • The finish: backfilled and blended once the run is inspected — like we were never there

Watch the trencher work

That second clip is the part most people never see up close — the trencher chain slicing a narrow, consistent-depth trench in one pass. No wide excavation, no torn-up ground on either side, no guessing at depth. The chain cuts exactly the trench the job needs and lays the spoil neatly alongside for clean backfilling.

Why a dedicated trencher changes the math

Long utility runs used to mean two bad options: pay an excavator to open (and then re-close) a wide trench, or pay a crew to dig by hand for days. A skid-steer trencher does what both can't — it cuts a narrow, straight, code-depth trench at walking speed. On a run like this one, that's the difference between a one-day job and a week, and it's exactly why we can price trenching affordably in Long Prairie and across Central Minnesota.

Long open utility trench running along a fence line in Long Prairie, MN
Straight, consistent, and over 1,000 feet long.

Built for jobs exactly like this

Fence lines, electrical service runs to garages and pole barns, water lines, drainage and sump discharge, irrigation, low-voltage and fiber conduit — if it needs a clean trench, this is the machine. We coordinate Gopher State One Call (811) locates before any digging, cut to the depth your electrician or plumber specifies, and backfill and blend the ground when the line is in and inspected.

Project Photos

Dedicated trencher attachment for our Bobcat skid steer Bobcat skid steer with trencher attachment ready to dig Cab view of a 1,000-foot trench run along a fence line in Long Prairie, MN Open utility trench with spoil piled neatly alongside Trenching tight along a chain-link fence line Backfilled trench line blended along the fence Trenching on a slope with the skid steer Trencher raised after finishing a section of the run

Need a trench cut — 10 feet or 1,000?

Whether it's power to a new garage, water to a barn, drainage away from the house, or a full fence-line run like this one, we cut it clean, to depth, and at a price that makes sense. We work alongside your electrician or plumber — we dig and backfill, they run the line — so nobody pays licensed-trade rates for shovel work. Call or text (320) 360-8285 with your rough footage and we'll get you a fast, firm quote anywhere in Central Minnesota.

Frequently Asked Questions

With our dedicated trencher, a run like this cuts in a day — the machine trenches at a steady walking pace in most soil. Compare that to days of excavator work or a week of hand digging, and it's easy to see why trenching this way costs less.

Just a few inches — a narrow slot instead of an excavated ditch. That means less spoil, faster backfilling, and a yard that heals in weeks instead of a season.

Yes — this whole job ran tight along a fence line. The trencher cuts a precise, straight path, so we can work close to fences, driveways, and buildings without disturbing them.

Always — Gopher State One Call (811) locates are confirmed before any trench is opened. It's free, it's required, and we coordinate it as part of the job.

Related: Trenching Services  •  Trenching Cost Guide  •  Excavation