Cavayoo Services logo
Service

Hydro Excavation & Utility Potholing in Central Texas

Hydro excavation uses pressurized water to break apart soil while our vacuum trucks remove the loosened material. It's the industry-preferred method for exposing gas, water, electrical, fiber and communication lines - because the risk of a strike is virtually eliminated. Cavayoo supports pre-construction utility verification, daylighting, potholing, service pits, sign and pole holes, and excavation around sensitive utilities across the Austin metro.

Why contractors choose this service

  • ✓Non-destructive - safe on gas, fiber, electric, water and communication lines
  • ✓Precise utility exposure - verified depth and offset, no guesswork
  • ✓Reduces liability from utility strikes and inaccurate 811 marks
  • ✓Works in tight-access sites where mechanical digging can't fit
  • ✓Documented test hole logs for engineering records

Common use cases

  • →Utility daylighting and potholing before excavation, drilling or construction
  • →SUE (Subsurface Utility Engineering) Level A test holes
  • →HDD bore pit setup, service pits and line exposure for tie-ins
  • →Sign, pole and small trench excavation
  • →Emergency exposure of hit or damaged utilities
  • →Test holes and repair access around sensitive utilities

On-site workflow

Our process

  1. 01

    Review locates & site

    We confirm 811 marks, plans and access, then stage the hydro-vac and water source.

  2. 02

    Controlled excavation

    Pressurized water breaks apart the soil while our vacuum removes it cleanly, precisely and without contacting the utility.

  3. 03

    Document & restore

    Depth and horizontal offset are recorded, the exposure photographed, and the site backfilled and restored to your specification.

Cavayoo Services crew performing hydro excavation process on an Austin-area job site
Cavayoo field crew running hydro excavation - Central Texas

What contractors and homeowners say

What customers say about our hydro excavation work

  • We were trenching near a fiber run off South Lamar and nobody wanted to touch it. Cavayoo vac-truck potholed the whole corridor in a morning. Zero damage, zero drama.
    Priya S.
    Civil Superintendent, Austin · Austin, TX
  • Needed potholes on a Dell campus tie-in. Crew was OSHA-tight, minimal spoil, and the utility depths matched the as-builts to the inch.
    Karen
    Site Super, Round Rock · Round Rock, TX
  • Rocky ground out here eats trench boxes. Their hydro rig dug a clean 6-ft pothole where no backhoe was getting near the gas main.
    Luis
    Excavation Lead, Leander · Leander, TX
  • We were tying into a 12-inch water main in Sun City. Cavayoo daylighted the utility and gave us a report the engineer signed off on same day.
    Trevor
    Utility Contractor, Georgetown · Georgetown, TX
  • Bidding a commercial pad off I-35 - needed potholes across five utilities in a day. They hit the schedule and the utility depths were spot-on.
    Rick
    Estimator, Kyle · Kyle, TX
  • Limestone yard, nobody wanted to trench. Hydro crew potholed for our pool gas line without cracking a single flagstone. Homeowner was thrilled.
    Diego
    Pool Builder, Buda · Buda, TX

Quotes reflect representative customer feedback across Central Texas job sites. First names and roles only, per customer privacy.

Job site media

Hydro Excavation & Potholing - recent field work

Real crew footage and photos from Cavayoo's Central Texas job sites. Video tiles are placeholders - swap them out with real clips once you have them.

Cavayoo Services hydro-excavation vacuum truck in branded livery daylighting underground utilities on a North Austin commercial job siteHydro-Excavation
Hydro-excavation daylight of gas and water lines before trenching on a North Austin commercial build-out.
Video coming soon
CCTV Inspection
CCTV crawler pass through an 8-inch sanitary lateral - NASSCO PACP-coded footage delivered to the GC same day. Real clip coming soon.
Cavayoo technician in a branded Cavayoo logo shirt reviewing live CCTV pipeline inspection footage on a monitor inside a marked service truckCCTV Inspection
QA review of NASSCO PACP-coded CCTV footage before the sewer inspection report is delivered to the client.
Cavayoo crew operating a high-pressure sewer jetter with branded Cavayoo hat and hi-vis clearing a grease-clogged sewer lateral in Cedar Park, TexasPipe Jetting
3,000 PSI hydro-jetting to cut roots and grease out of a clogged sewer lateral in Cedar Park.
Video coming soon
Pipe Jetting
Slow-motion nozzle pass cutting a grease mat out of a restaurant grease line. Real clip coming soon.
Cavayoo Services locator technicians in branded shirts marking private water, gas, and electric lines with paint and flags before excavationLine Locating
Private utility locate and paint marking on a Round Rock site prior to hydro-excavation and trenching.
Companies we work with

Contractors and cities that trust Cavayoo for hydro excavation & potholing

A short list of the GCs, sitework partners, and municipalities who bring us in on utility work across Central Texas.

  • Jimmy Evans Company logo - Cavayoo Services partner
    Sitework Contractor
    Jimmy Evans Company
  • JL Gray Construction logo - Cavayoo Services partner
    General Contractor
    JL Gray Construction
  • CLS Excavation Inc. logo - Cavayoo Services partner
    Excavation
    CLS Excavation Inc.
  • Patin Construction logo - Cavayoo Services partner
    Construction
    Patin Construction
  • City of Round Rock, TX logo - Cavayoo Services partner
    Municipality
    City of Round Rock, TX

Hydro Excavation FAQ

Frequently asked

How deep can you hydro-excavate?

Our rigs comfortably reach 15 feet, and up to 30 feet in most Central Texas soil conditions. Deeper is possible - call to review the site.

Can you produce a SUE Level A deliverable?

Yes - we work with engineering firms on Level A (verified) test holes and provide the documentation package they require.

Do you dispose of the spoils?

Yes. Spoil handling and approved disposal are priced separately based on classification, volume and destination.

Is hydro-excavation really safer than a backhoe or hand-dig?

Yes, when the goal is exposing a live utility. Water and vacuum don't cut, spark or crush - so gas, fiber, electric and water lines get exposed intact. Backhoes strike; hydro-vac doesn't. That's why utility owners and OSHA-conscious GCs specify it.

Can you work in freezing weather?

Yes - our rigs run heated water systems for cold-weather work. Central Texas winter freezes rarely stop us; we adjust water temperature and cycle times to keep the exposure clean and the equipment running.

How many potholes can you complete in a day?

On a typical urban site with average depth and reasonable access, one truck completes 8–12 potholes per day. Deeper holes, hard soil, dense utilities or heavy traffic control reduce that number. We'll give you a realistic per-day count with the quote.

Do you handle traffic control and permits?

Yes. We coordinate lane closures, ROW permits, MOT plans and municipal notification as required by TxDOT and local agencies. If your project has a specific traffic control plan, we build the mobilization around it.

How much does hydro-excavation cost?

Priced by number of potholes, depth, soil conditions, disposal, mobilization and access. SUE Level A test hole packages are available. Send site plans and 811 marks and we'll quote it firm.
Local coverage

Hydro Excavation across Central Texas

We run hydro excavation crews out of Cedar Park and cover the greater Austin metro within a 100-mile radius. Pick your city for local context, common issues we see there, and a fast quote.

Williamson County

Hydro Excavation in Cedar Park, TX

New construction sewer line verification before final backfill

Open Hydro Excavation page →
Williamson County

Hydro Excavation in Leander, TX

New subdivision sewer inspection before final acceptance

Open Hydro Excavation page →
Williamson County

Hydro Excavation in Round Rock, TX

Clay soil complicating traditional excavation - hydro-vac is often the better call

Open Hydro Excavation page →
Williamson County

Hydro Excavation in Liberty Hill, TX

New subdivision sewer pre-backfill inspection

Open Hydro Excavation page →
Travis County

Hydro Excavation in Austin, TX

NASSCO PACP-coded sewer inspection for real-estate transactions and lender-required reports

Open Hydro Excavation page →
Williamson County

Hydro Excavation in Georgetown, TX

Historic downtown clay sewer line condition surveys

Open Hydro Excavation page →
Also serving

Request a quote

Best number for a same-day call back.

Where we send the video report and PACP-coded PDF.

Skip if you're not sure - we'll ask on the call.

Schedule an appointment (optional)

Prefer to talk now? Call (737) 618-0219. Same-day response, Mon–Fri 7:00 AM – 6:00 PM (after-hours available). We don't share your info.

In-depth guide

Field guide: Hydro-Excavation in Central Texas

How hydro-excavation works, when it beats mechanical digging, and how to spec it right for local soil.

Read the guide →
Request a hydro excavation quote →Contact Cavayoo dispatchView all service areas
Call NowGet Quote