Costs of telephone pole takedowns and wire burial? (house, wild, prices)

[doss1]

Anyone know what the average price range is to take down 1 telephone pole and about 600feet of wire? Also, would like to lay that wire underground.

Just trying to get a range/ballpark figure. Thanks.

[North Beach Person]

Wild guess from doing it in a municipality, $3000-5000.

[doss1]

Yes,. I was told around the same range the other day. Thanks.

[harry chickpea]

Telephone or power? There is a huge difference.

Telephone wire is typically buried by using a trencher that cuts a narrow hole less than 1 ft. down. Two men could easily do that in a day at minimal cost. When our telephone service was installed, the phone company paid for all work up to the demarcation box. $3000 to $5000 would be a rip-off. Total actual costs to a small company would be AT MOST $800 to $1000, figuring cost of labor, materials, and owning the trencher and trucks. With cheap labor and a constant use of the equipment, and wholesale costs on the wire, I'd think half that amount would be more accurate. BTW, Don't even think about doing this in an area where there are cattle. They'll break the wire.

Power lines are a whole different ball of wax. Power lines have to be placed in heavy plastic conduit and buried 2 feet down. In our area the customer buys the conduit and wire, digs the trench and pulls the wire, buys the meter box, and follows the exact specs of the power company. The power company then comes out and energizes the line after the inspections are complete. Figure roughly $20 per foot in costs. I rented a backhoe, dug my own trench, and used the help of day laborers and it still cost me an arm and a leg.

[doss1]

Hi Harry,
Thanks for your feedback. It's both power and telephone (i think). I've attached a pic. I need to knock this down because I have a small airplane that is in danger of getting tangled up in the wire during takeoff.

[harry chickpea]

With the possibilities of a crash being an alternative, I would probably pay whatever was needed...

[DanBev]

The power company buried power wire 3 ft down,direct bury no conduit as a new service awhile back,no charge.Telco trenched my wire at new home 2 ft down no charge.To there advantage with storms.

[JAG_HRD]

Originally Posted by TexasNick

Hi Harry,
Thanks for your feedback. It's both power and telephone (i think). I've attached a pic. I need to knock this down because I have a small airplane that is in danger of getting tangled up in the wire during takeoff.

Unless you have some kind of incredible STOL aircraft, I would think those trees might be a factor too!

[doss1]

Thanks for the comment, Dan.

Jag, I got the best STOL (aside from Helicopter): Piper Cub!

1300ft of land I need to bulldoze to make a landing strip...so any idea of cost to hire a bulldozer and knock down some trees?

[M3 Mitch]

Cool idea to be able to park your airplane at your house where you can fly it more.

Offhand I would think with construction down, and fuel prices down some, you should be able to get a pretty good competitive bid for the bulldozer work.

Not knowing your market, not knowing what the land looks like right now, any dollar estimate I could throw out would not be a SWAG, just a WAG, so not worth wasting the electrons.

If you get at least 2 or 3 bids I'm pretty certain you can be sure of getting a competitive price.