Pole & Post Holes · Cambridge
Pole and Post Holes by Hydrovac in Cambridge
A kilometre of perimeter fence along a 401 yard runs the whole way beside the gas and telecom at the property line. Hydrovac cuts every hole and leaves every line.
Most post holes are auger work, and in clear ground that is the right tool. Hydrovac takes the holes where the auger cannot be trusted: a perimeter fence along a property line the locate shows services under, lighting and camera poles in a paved yard over private feeders, sign bases in a boulevard full of duct, pool enclosure posts beside the pool's own gas and electrical, and deck footings tight to the house where the services enter. The water cuts to the diameter and depth asked for, the vacuum removes the spoil, and whatever is beside the hole stays intact.
Who books this in Cambridge
- Industrial and logistics sites along the 401, Franklin Boulevard and the Pinebush lands, for perimeter security fence, yard lighting, camera and gate poles, and bollards, with the truck working from the yard and the posts set behind it.
- Fence contractors on the newer subdivisions in the city's east and south, where the joint-use trench sits inside the rear lot line and a full day of holes is within arm's reach of it.
- Pool companies and deck builders on the older Galt, Preston and Hespeler lots, where footings go in tight to the house, the gas meter or the pool equipment pad, and the ground may hide a mill-era line or an old foundation.
- Utilities and electrical contractors for hydro, telecom and street-lighting poles in the boulevard, under the City's Highway Occupancy Permit and the locate.
- Homeowners who would rather know what is under the lawn before the post goes in.
What to expect on the day
Posts are laid out and marked before the truck arrives. On a yard job the hose runs from a truck parked out of the traffic lane; on a residential job from the street or the driveway. Each hole is cut to the agreed diameter and depth and checked with a rod, and holes are left open for the installer to set posts the same day or covered if there is a gap. Holes that will not be used are backfilled with clean granular material and compacted to grade, and on a new-build lot the grade around them matches the lot-grading plan rather than leaving a soft spot in the swale.
Depth, frost and the river ground
Fence and deck footings in this region must extend below the depth frost reaches, as the Ontario Building Code requires, and the depth that applies to a Cambridge property is confirmed with the City's building division rather than taken from a website. In Galt and Preston the ground adds a wrinkle: river-deposited soils vary within a lot, and a hole that cuts easily through gravel at one end of a fence can be wet silt at the other, which is why the quote states a count and a soil assumption. Hydrovac's heated water also cuts frozen ground an auger bounces off, which is why winter pole and fence repairs come to it.
What sets the quote
Hole count, diameter and depth, soil, access and hose run, pavement cutting on a yard, and whether holes are in the right-of-way and need a permit. Silt and clay produce more slurry per hole than gravel, and disposal loads are part of the price.
Frequently asked questions
How many post holes in a day?
In typical Cambridge ground with services nearby, thirty to fifty holes at footing depth is a full day including disposal runs. Gravel is faster; wet silt, frozen ground and paved yards are slower. The quote states the count it is based on.
Can the fence crew set posts behind you?
Yes, and that is the normal arrangement on perimeter fence. Holes are cut in the installer's order, left open and marked, and the posts and concrete follow the truck down the line.
Can you dig beside the gas meter or the pool heater line?
Yes, that is what hydrovac is for. The service is exposed first so its route is known, then the footing hole is cut beside it. The One Call locate applies to the public services, and the gas utility's own requirements for work near its service are followed.
Serving Cambridge and surrounding areas. Contact us for a no-obligation quote specific to your property.