Expert Potholing Services in Santa Cruz County
By Devco Development & Engineering
Devco Development & Engineering provides professional Potholing (utility daylighting) services in Santa Cruz County, California, supporting utility verification for municipal projects, private development, and roadway improvements across coastal communities, established neighborhoods, and hillside corridors. Using precision hydro excavation, we safely expose underground utilities to confirm their exact location and depth before trenching, drilling, or excavation begins.
Santa Cruz County’s terrain and development patterns can present a wide range of utility conditions—tight coastal corridors, developed streets with limited staging space, and hillside areas where access and restoration are especially sensitive. Potholing provides the clarity needed at crossings, tie-ins, and conflict points by confirming the true horizontal and vertical position of utilities, helping prevent strikes and unplanned downtime.
Devco operates under California Class A (General Engineering) and Class B (General Building) contractor licenses and is a proud Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise (DVBE). We also maintain SDVOSB, PDBE, SB-Micro, and SB-PW certifications supporting both public works and private-sector compliance needs.
Hydro Excavation Daylighting (Potholing)
Potholing is a targeted excavation used to expose a utility for verification. Hydro excavation uses pressurized water to loosen soil and a vacuum system to remove spoils, enabling controlled excavation around sensitive utilities such as gas, electric, communications/fiber, water, and sewer infrastructure. This method is especially useful in developed areas where mechanical digging can increase risk and restoration costs.
Common Potholing Use Cases in Santa Cruz County
- Verify utility depth and alignment prior to trenching or HDD operations
- Confirm crossings under roads, driveways, and sidewalks
- Resolve discrepancies between plans, locates, and field conditions
- Support inspections, tie-ins, and stakeholder coordination
- Reduce strike risk, prevent outages, and improve schedule certainty
Why Choose Devco for Potholing in Santa Cruz County?
- Precision excavation: Controlled hydro methods reduce damage risk around live utilities.
- Coastal & hillside experience: Practical planning for access, staging, and restoration constraints.
- Construction-focused sequencing: Daylighting that supports efficient drilling and trenching operations.
- Licensed & certified: Class A & B licensed with DVBE and multiple compliance certifications.
