Trench Paving in Irvine & Orange County

What Is Trench Paving?

When a contractor digs through a parking lot, driveway or street to run conduit, water, sewer or gas lines, the cut has to be closed with new pavement. Trench paving, also called a trench patch, fills that cut with compacted asphalt so it sits flush with the surface around it. A good patch keeps water out of the base and doesn't sink later.

• Utility trench patching after electrical, plumbing, irrigation and telecom work
• Paving around utility boxes, vaults and cleanouts
• T-cut repairs where the city or the property requires them
• Base and compaction under the patch, because that's where trench patches fail
• Re-striping any lines the trench cut through

T-Cut Trench Repairs

On many public streets, and on some private lots, a trench can't just be filled to the edges of the cut. A T-cut means the pavement is saw-cut back past each side of the trench, so the new asphalt bridges onto undisturbed ground. In cross-section, the patch looks like the letter T. It spreads the load and keeps the trench edges from settling. The width and depth of the T-cut are usually set by the city's standard trench detail.

Permits for Trench Work in Irvine & Orange County

Private property: trench patches inside a private parking lot or driveway usually don't need a street permit, though the property owner, HOA or general contractor may have their own requirements.

Public streets and sidewalks: work in the public right-of-way usually needs an encroachment permit from the city, such as the City of Irvine's Public Works department. The permit typically sets the trench backfill, compaction, asphalt thickness, T-cut and traffic control requirements, and the city inspects the work. Ask us about your project and we'll explain what's typically required.

Recent Job: Trench Paving in Irvine Parking Lots

After underground electrical work in Irvine commercial parking lots, we placed and compacted new asphalt in the saw-cut trenches and around each electrical box, including next to the accessible (ADA) stalls, with the work area fenced off. See all the project photos.

Who We Work With

• Electrical, plumbing and solar/EV charger contractors who need trenches closed
• General contractors and builders
• Property managers, HOAs and shopping center owners
• Homeowners after a sewer or water line replacement

Lots that have to stay open? We can work nights or in phases.