Fiber conduit placed in a narrow, shallow saw cut instead of an open trench — for FTTH rollouts, campus links and data center connections in Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and the rest of Maricopa County.
Microtrenching places fiber conduit in a narrow cut sawed into the pavement or the ground — typically 16 to 24 inches deep and often around 1¼ inches wide. The exact width and depth are set by the conduit going in and by the jurisdiction's specification, and we confirm them route by route.
The cut, the conduit and the restoration happen in a short window, so a street or a sidewalk is opened for far less time than with a conventional trench.
Neighborhood builds where long runs follow the curb line and every block has to be opened and closed quickly for residents.
Connecting buildings across parking lots and drives on schools, business parks and industrial sites without tearing up the whole surface.
Short, direct routes into a data center or between buildings on its campus, where the conduit has to land on schedule with the rest of the site work.
Microtrenching is not always the answer. It is often the fastest one on paved routes, and we will say so when it is not.
A conventional trench removes and replaces a wide strip of surface. A microtrench opens a fraction of that, so there is less material to haul, less to restore and less time with the lane or sidewalk closed.
Boring is the better tool to get under roads, landscaping or obstacles. On long, straight runs along pavement, a microtrench is usually simpler to set up and to inspect, and the two often work together on the same route.
Badly deteriorated pavement, corridors congested with shallow utilities or a jurisdiction that restricts the method can all point to boring or open trench instead. We check that before pricing, not after.
The sequence on a typical microtrench route, from paperwork to finished surface.
Utility locates (Arizona 811) and coordination of the right-of-way permit and traffic control with the city before any cut.
A microtrencher cuts the narrow slot along the approved alignment, to the depth the specification calls for.
Spoil and cutting slurry are vacuumed as the saw cuts and hauled to an approved disposal site, keeping the work zone clean.
Conduit is placed in the slot, then crossings and handholes are tied in so the fiber can be pulled later.
The slot is backfilled (typically flowable fill) and sealed at the surface to the jurisdiction's restoration spec.
Four facts drive most of the price. Send what you have and we will fill in the rest with you.
Total linear feet, and how it splits between segments if the route has several.
Asphalt, concrete, sidewalk or unpaved — and its condition, which decides whether microtrenching fits.
Number of driveway, street and intersection crossings, where boring may be needed.
Which city or agency issues the permit, since each sets its own restoration requirements.
If you have them, also send the conduit size and count, the restoration specification and whether a slurry disposal site is designated for the project.
We quote microtrenching across the Phoenix metro area, including:
What owners, ISPs and GCs ask before a microtrench route.
Typically 16 to 24 inches deep, and narrow — often around 1¼ inches wide. The final dimensions depend on the conduit being placed and the jurisdiction's specification, and we confirm them for each route before pricing.
It depends on the route. On long runs along pavement it usually means less excavation and a faster restoration. Where the pavement is in poor condition, the corridor is congested or the jurisdiction restricts the method, boring or open trench can be the better call, and many routes use more than one.
Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Chandler, Scottsdale, Gilbert, Glendale and the rest of Maricopa County. Each city sets its own permit and restoration requirements, so the jurisdiction is one of the first things we ask.
It is vacuumed as the saw cuts and hauled to an approved disposal site. Where that site is, and whether disposal is provided by the owner or carried by the contractor, affects production and cost, so we ask about it up front.
Route length, surface type, number of crossings and the city or jurisdiction. Conduit size and count, the restoration specification and the slurry disposal arrangement help us tighten the number.
Microtrenching is one method inside our fiber and data center work, alongside the other divisions.
Aerial and underground fiber, boring, duct bank, splicing and OTDR testing, and data center power.
Service, distribution, switchgear, feeders and tenant improvements for commercial and industrial sites.
Site grading, excavation, utilities, paving and road work for public and private owners.
Give us the alignment, the surface and the city, and we will come back with the method, the restoration exposure and a schedule.
