Safe, precise vacuum excavation for modern jobsites
Serving businesses across Arizona, Bunney’s Inc. deploys hydrovac trucks to expose utilities, trench accurately, and remove spoils with minimal surface disruption. Our vacuum excavation crews help you avoid utility strikes, keep schedules on track, and meet environmental and safety requirements without the rework that often follows mechanical digging.
New to Bunney’s? Learn who we are and explore our capabilities.
What a hydrovac truck does (and why it’s different)
A hydrovac truck uses pressurized water to loosen soil and a high-powered vacuum to remove the slurry into a sealed debris tank. The process often called hydro excavation or vacuum excavation is non-destructive, making it ideal where buried utilities or sensitive infrastructure are present.
Core components
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High-pressure water system (with heated water options for tough soils)
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Vacuum boom and debris tank for spoil containment
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Controls to regulate pressure and suction for different soil conditions
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Onboard safety and filtration systems to keep sites clean and compliant
Where hydrovac trucks add the most value
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Utility daylighting/potholing: Verify depth and alignment of gas, power, fiber, water, and sewer before you dig.
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Slot trenching: Narrow, accurate trenches for conduit banks, service laterals, and irrigation with limited surface impact.
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Foundations & pole bases: Proof and clean bore holes or set pads without striking unknowns.
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Culvert, catch basin & valve box cleaning: Targeted debris removal that restores flow.
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Tight or sensitive sites: Work around live plants, hardscape, or congested corridors with far less restoration.
Arizona-specific best practices
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Caliche and desert soils: We tailor water pressure and tooling to break cemented layers while protecting nearby utilities.
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Dust, runoff, and monsoon controls: Stabilized access, BMPs/SWPPP, and contained slurry handling reduce environmental impact.
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Rapid drying climate: Sequenced excavation/backfill limits settlement and voids in hot, arid conditions.
Safety, compliance & documentation
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811 coordination and utility-owner procedures
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OSHA excavation awareness; trench safety when scope goes beyond potholing
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Job safety analyses, traffic control, and controlled access around the work zone
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Photo logs, depth shots, and daily reports included in closeout packages
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Spoils/slurry contained and disposed at approved facilities; manifests on request
Ready to plan your project? Get a site walk and budgetary estimate from our paving team.
Planning & pricing: what drives cost
Hydrovac productivity (and total cost) depends on soil type, target depth/diameter, hose reach/access, groundwater, required traffic control, and disposal distance. We provide clear line-item proposals hourly or unit-price based on your drawings and site walk.
Typical workflow
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Pre-plan: Review locates, scope, and access.
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Set up: Traffic control and BMPs.
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Expose: Soft-dig to specified dimensions.
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Verify: Measure depth and alignment; record photos.
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Finish: Backfill/restore if requested; dispose of slurry; deliver documentation.
FAQs
What’s the difference between hydrovac and traditional excavation?
Hydrovac uses water and vacuum to remove soil without teeth or buckets. It’s slower for bulk removal but dramatically safer near utilities and reduces restoration.
How far can you excavate from the truck?
We can work dozens of feet away using long hoses. Productivity drops with distance, so we stage trucks to keep runs efficient.
Can you reuse the removed material for backfill?
Sometimes. Spoils are typically a slurry; when specs and jurisdictions allow, we can condition material or backfill with approved aggregates.
Do you work during monsoon season?
Yes. We add controls for runoff and access, sequence excavation to manage water, and keep photo documentation current.
What permits or notifications are required?
At minimum, an active 811 ticket and any right-of-way/encroachment permits. We’ll coordinate with the GC/owner to align on submittals and traffic control plans.
Is hydrovac safe around high-pressure gas and energized lines?
When performed by trained crews using proper pressure, standoff, and non-conductive tooling, hydrovac is the preferred method for exposing critical utilities.
