Two workers in Blackstone Utilities vests feeding black conduit from a reel into a trench along a subdivision street at sunset, with a tracked trencher, a traffic cone and a green utility cabinet.

Services

Underground Power Installation

Underground power installation puts electric lines below ground instead of on poles. Across the Midwest and Southeast, Blackstone Utilities builds the underground route: open-cut trenching or directional drilling, conduit and duct bank placement and surface restoration, for homes, subdivisions, commercial sites and public projects, to the electric utility's requirements.

Service areas

How are power lines put underground?

Burying a power line means building a path underground, placing conduit or cable along it and restoring the surface. We open-cut the route where the surface can be disturbed and drill beneath roads, drives and landscaping where it cannot. Conduit goes in alone or grouped in a duct bank, as the design calls for.

Yellow directional drill on a front lawn, its drill rod and reamer entering a muddy entry pit, with marker flags along the bore path.

Underground Power Installation

Directional Drilling

Directional drilling, or HDD, places power conduit under roads, driveways and finished landscaping without a continuous trench. The rig drills a pilot bore between an entry pit and an exit pit, reams it to the size of the conduit or the bundle, and pulls the conduit back through.

Power conduit has its own rules. The electric utility sets the depth of cover, the conduit size and type and the separation from other utilities, so each bore is planned to those requirements and to the locates, with curves gentle enough for the cable to be pulled through later.

Single conduits or bundles under roads and drives
Bores planned to the electric utility's depth and separation rules
Entry and exit pits backfilled and restored after pullback

Scope of work

Trenching and duct bank

Across open ground and new subdivisions, an open-cut trench is the direct route. We dig to the depth the electric utility requires, place the conduit or duct bank with the specified spacing and cover, and backfill in compacted lifts.

Coordination with the electric utility

The electric utility sets the requirements for depth, conduit and clearances on its service. Tell us who is supplying and pulling the cable and who makes the connections, and we will scope the underground work to match.

What to send for a quote

Where the work is: the address or nearest intersection.
The length of the run and where it starts and ends, if known.
Any plans from the utility or an engineer.
Whether the ground is paved, lawn or open field.

At a glance

Service type: Underground power installation
Work: Conduit and duct bank by trenching or drilling
Service area: The Midwest and Southeast
How to start: Call us or request a quote

How we do the work

01
Locate

We request 811 locates and mark existing utilities on the planned route before digging.
02
Excavate

We open the trench or set entry and exit pits for drilling.
03
Install

We lay conduit in the trench or pull it back through the bore.
04
Restore

We backfill trenches and pits and restore the surface to the project specifications.

Questions about underground power installation

What is underground power installation?

Underground power installation places electric lines below ground instead of overhead. The work includes trenching or drilling, placing conduit and restoring the surface. Conduit goes in alone or grouped in a duct bank, as the design calls for, and the electric utility sets the depth, conduit and clearances.

Does the electric utility have requirements for the conduit?

Yes. The electric utility sets its own requirements for depth, conduit and clearances. Send its service requirements or the engineer's plans with your request, tell us who is supplying and pulling the cable and who makes the connections, and we will build the underground work to match.

Can power conduit go in without an open trench?

Yes. Directional drilling places power conduit under roads, driveways and landscaping, with pits only at the two ends of each bore. Each bore is planned to the electric utility's depth and separation rules and to the locates, and the entry and exit pits are backfilled and restored after pullback.

Do you build underground power for homes and subdivisions?

Yes. We build the underground route for residential services and new subdivisions: trenching or drilling, conduit and restoration, to the electric utility's requirements. Across open ground and new subdivisions, an open-cut trench is the direct route; under finished drives and landscaping, we drill.

What information do you need for a quote?

The location of the work, the length of the run, a short description of the job and how to reach you. Mention any plans or dimensions in the description, and say whether the work is new or a repair. We follow up by phone or email.

We work across the Midwest and Southeast. See the service areas for the states and cities we serve.