Underground Utility Contractor in Des Moines, IA

Des Moines is the largest city in Polk County, with an estimated 213,096 residents (2024 Census estimate) on about 88 square miles of land. A very small part of the city extends into a neighboring county.

Public works projects and their documents

When a public owner such as a city, a water utility or a school district puts underground work out for bids, the project arrives as a package of documents: plans, technical specifications, general and special conditions, a schedule of items and the forms the owner requires. Reading that package carefully is the first part of the job.

What we look at in a public project:

Scope and items

Which pipes, structures and services are included, how they are measured, and which work is incidental.

Specifications

Pipe materials, bedding and backfill, testing, disinfection of water mains and restoration standards.

Conditions

Working hours, traffic control, access for residents and businesses, and the owner's inspection and approval steps.

Coordination

Other utilities in the corridor, located through Iowa One Call and exposed with hydro excavation where the plans cross them.

We also work for private owners in Des Moines, from homeowners with a single water service to businesses with larger site work; a short description and an address are enough to start.

Iowa One Call before excavation

Under Iowa Code chapter 480, excavators notify Iowa One Call before digging. Iowa Code section 480.4 requires 48 hours of notice, counted from 6:00 a.m. on the next business day without weekends or holidays, and a ticket stays valid for 25 calendar days.

Des Moines and nearby communities

Pleasant Hill, Windsor Heights, Carlisle, Norwalk, Altoona, West Des Moines and Urbandale are near Des Moines. We take on work in those communities too.

Public owners can send the bid documents or a link to them; private owners can send the address, the kind of line and a few photos. We reply with our questions before proposing an approach.