# Here is the water line that kicked my arse



## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

Here is a link to my facebook on a water line that just kicked me in the teeth over and over.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.848990075137440.1073741891.182173475152440&type=1

We do these in 2-3 days most of the time this just took me 2 weeks to finish! Main thing was the ground was harder than any ground we have ever done, jackhammers pinged off of it! The little excavator did nothing! Besides the ground there was a boulder that the only things we know about it are that it was just above 2 feet deep near the top of it (under a driveway) and we probed down to 7 feet and it was still in our way the whole width of the driveway. And to people in other parts of the country with a frost line 2 feet may seem shallow but it's what our code is, the original contractors 100 years ago only went 8" deep and now I know why! The city went off on me about city tree roots that where over 1" in diameter, the city arborist said to use an air knife and asked if I knew what one was, I laughed and said we carry 2 of them and they did nothing on this ground. Then they said I damaged city concrete with my dog and pony show and they wanted handicap ramps possibly put in as a penalty but I showed them my before pictures and that went away but turned into select sidewalk repairs lol.


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## bulldozer (Jan 11, 2009)

Some jobs can test your patience to its very extreme. But pulling it off sets you in a league of your own..


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## PPRI (Aug 27, 2013)

Did you order a rock drill head for the boring machine? Might make the next one easier.


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## plumberkc (Jun 23, 2011)

Do you have an excessive dig clause built into your contracts?


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

PPRI said:


> Did you order a rock drill head for the boring machine? Might make the next one easier.


2g for the special rock bit housing and then another 2g for the med rock bit.

I would like the set up but I could not anchor down in the location I was at anyway so the rock bit would not have helped. I could only use one stake down because there where other lines in the ground around me, my carbide tipped monster bit did not even get worn down either my rods bent or I was pushed back no matter how slow I went I actually wasted 2 days even trying to use the drill, if I had it to do over I would have just plain started tunneling but who knew lol


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## Cuda (Mar 16, 2009)

plumberkc said:


> Do you have an excessive dig clause built into your contracts?


It really matters on how I write the bid up but in this case no I basically promised I would get it done for a certain amount easy or hard in this case it was hard, but I am not new anymore I bid up there on jobs I think might be trouble but under the ground anything can happen. A guy I know that just drills only said he once ran into buried train cars on a job, made my troubles look small.


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## cjtheplumber (Mar 9, 2012)

I call these jobs. "The job from hell" I did one where nothing was going right 374ft of new sewer line. Same problem hard soil. After that job I have included a clause anything that will delay my job extra cost. I feel you pain it sucks it gets to the point where all you want is to complete the job and get the hell out...


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## Plumber (Jan 18, 2009)

Shoulda got Big Bertha, but that got stuck, too...............

Did you make any profit from this job?


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## Plumbus (Aug 4, 2008)

In the Lake Tahoe area of the Sierra Nevada they used to blast with dynamite to facilitate trenching through the granite commonly found there. As you might expect, municipal, state and federal authorities no longer allow such practices.


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## theplungerman (Oct 26, 2011)

All (almost) our water lines and their respective meters are brought to front of house. Sometimes in backyard of neighbor directly behind. Bummer for the customer having to pay. Bummer you had drama. Bright side is when you bid another job and start talking about potential drama may be ahead they will believe you. Most of the time people know when you bsing,, or really have experience and are not lying. Your stock price increased a bit cuz of this job.


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