We just put our new trencher through its first big test: over 1,000 feet of utility trench cut along a fence line on a property right in Long Prairie, Minnesota — through ground loaded with Central Minnesota glacial rock. Two of us worked it for two full days, and the trench still came out straight, clean, and to depth. An excavator would have opened a moonscape doing it, and a hand crew would still be out there.
The Project at a Glance
- The job: 1,000+ linear feet of utility trench along a fence line in Long Prairie, MN
- The equipment: our Bobcat skid steer with a dedicated trencher attachment
- The conditions: heavy glacial rock most of the run — 2-man crew, 2 full days, done right anyway
- The result: a clean, straight, consistent-depth trench ready for the line to go in
- The finish: backfilled and blended once the run is inspected — like we were never there
Watch the trencher work
That second clip is the part most people never see up close — the trencher chain slicing a narrow, consistent-depth trench in one pass. No wide excavation, no torn-up ground on either side, no guessing at depth. The chain cuts exactly the trench the job needs and lays the spoil neatly alongside for clean backfilling.
Why a dedicated trencher changes the math
Long utility runs used to mean two bad options: pay an excavator to open (and then re-close) a wide trench, or pay a crew to dig by hand for days. A skid-steer trencher does what both can't — it cuts a narrow, straight, code-depth trench at walking speed. On a run like this one, that's the difference between a one-day job and a week, and it's exactly why we can price trenching affordably in Long Prairie and across Central Minnesota.
Built for jobs exactly like this
Fence lines, electrical service runs to garages and pole barns, water lines, drainage and sump discharge, irrigation, low-voltage and fiber conduit — if it needs a clean trench, this is the machine. We coordinate Gopher State One Call (811) locates before any digging, cut to the depth your electrician or plumber specifies, and backfill and blend the ground when the line is in and inspected.
Project Photos
The Full Farm — From the Air
The trench was one piece of a much bigger transformation on this Long Prairie farm. Before the fence could go up and the trench could go in, we cleared the land end to end — trees down and hauled, brush piles gone, old farm equipment moved out, tire piles removed, even the buried railroad ties pulled and hauled off. Then we augered the holes for the 6x6 posts, the fencing contractor set the new line, and our trencher cut the utility run alongside it — ready for the electricians to lay their lines. Here's what it all looks like from the drone:
Acres of overgrowth and clutter turned into clean, fenced, usable farmland. Our crew handled the land clearing, stump and root removal, post-hole augering, the 1,000+ ft trench, and the hauling — and the specialty work was done by the right specialists: the fencing company built the fence, and licensed electrical and camera/IT contractors handled their systems. We coordinated all of it — lining up the trades, keeping every crew on schedule, and keeping the owner updated from the first tree down to the last gate hung. That's how a project this size stays on track: one point of contact who runs the whole job.
We even hauled in 300 pallets for the farm's operation to finish the job off.
Need a trench cut — 10 feet or 1,000?
Whether it's power to a new garage, water to a barn, drainage away from the house, or a full fence-line run like this one, we cut it clean, to depth, and at a price that makes sense. We work alongside your electrician or plumber — we dig and backfill, they run the line — so nobody pays licensed-trade rates for shovel work. Call or text (320) 360-8285 with your rough footage and we'll get you a fast, firm quote anywhere in Central Minnesota.
Frequently Asked Questions
In clean soil the trencher moves at a steady walking pace and a run like this can go in a day. This job hit heavy glacial rock most of the way, so it took our 2-man crew two full days — and that's still a fraction of what an excavator or hand crew would need. Rock happens in Central Minnesota; we quote honestly and grind through it.
Just a few inches — a narrow slot instead of an excavated ditch. That means less spoil, faster backfilling, and a yard that heals in weeks instead of a season.
Yes — this whole job ran tight along a fence line. The trencher cuts a precise, straight path, so we can work close to fences, driveways, and buildings without disturbing them.
Always — Gopher State One Call (811) locates are confirmed before any trench is opened. It's free, it's required, and we coordinate it as part of the job.
Related: Trenching Services • Trenching Cost Guide • Excavation