Test Hole Cost
Calculator — South Florida

A test hole — also called a pothole or daylight hole — is a small, precisely located excavation made using vacuum excavation (pressurized air or water) to physically expose a buried utility. Once exposed, crews measure the utility's exact depth, diameter, and material type. This constitutes ASCE 38-02 Quality Level A (QL-A), the highest accuracy standard for subsurface utility data and the gold standard for design-phase utility verification.

Miami-Dade County sits on Miami limestone and coral rock — a dense, consolidated substrate that is significantly harder to excavate than the sandy soils in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Air excavation takes longer per hole, equipment wear is higher, and holes sometimes require water-assisted cutting through rock layers before vacuum removal. This can add time and cost on some projects — your firm quote reflects actual site conditions.

The mobilization/setup fee covers truck dispatch, crew travel to your site, equipment setup and breakdown, safety briefing, and project coordination. It applies once per project visit regardless of how many holes are completed that day. On full-day programs — like test holes combined with a half day of utility locating — setup is typically bundled into the overall project quote.

Most standard potholing projects in Broward, Palm Beach, and Miami-Dade can be scheduled within 3–7 business days. Emergency jobs — imminent bore operations, utility strikes, construction conflicts — are often accommodated within 24–48 hours. Submit your plans or describe your crossings and we typically respond with a firm quote within 2 hours during business hours.