Utilities
Gas, hydro, water and telecom crews needing strike-free exposure and locates.
Capabilities
Hydro Excavation,
Hydro Excavation,
Done Without Damage
Hydrovac and vacuum excavation across Toronto, the GTA and Southern Ontario: daylighting and potholing, slot trenching, catch basin and oil-grit separator cleanouts, water box repair, frost digs, remote-hose work and 24/7 emergency response. Owner-led, every dig documented.
Service Directory
Everything We Dig
The full scope of non-destructive excavation AMG delivers for contractors, utilities and municipalities. Deep-dives on the core services follow below.
Hydrovac Excavation
Pressurized water and high-flow vacuum for any dig near buried infrastructure — the safest, most precise way to move earth on a live site.
Daylighting
Safely expose buried gas, hydro, fibre and water lines to confirm exact location, depth and condition before any machine digs.
Full detailsPotholing
Small, precise test holes that verify utility position ahead of boring, piling or design — fact on file, not a paint mark.
Full detailsSlot Trenching
Narrow, clean trenches for conduit, cable and fibre — no over-dig, precise edges, and far less restoration for your crews.
Vacuum Excavation
High-capacity suction digging for contained, controlled excavations where mechanical equipment carries too much strike risk.
Frost / Cold-Weather Digging
Heated-water excavation that cuts through Ontario's deepest frost, keeping winter repairs and builds on schedule.
Full detailsRemote Hose Excavation
Remote hose reaches backyards, easements, tight lots and indoor digs — up to 300 ft (90 m) from the truck. Tell us the distance when you book.
Line Locating
Private utility locates paired with visual confirmation — covering the services Ontario One Call doesn't register.
Utility Daylighting
Corridor-scale daylighting for utility crossings and congested rights-of-way — verified depths your designers and drill crews can build on.
Full detailsWater Box Repair & Replacement
Expose, repair, replace, raise and thaw water boxes and curb stops without damaging the service — built for municipal water crews.
Full details24/7 Emergency Excavation
Live dispatch around the clock for strikes, spills, breaks and washouts. Usually same-day across our core area — call and we give you a real ETA.
Full detailsCatch Basin & Oil-Grit Separator Cleaning
Vacuum clean-outs of catch basins, oil-grit separators (Stormceptor and similar units), sumps, wet wells, tanks and spoil — wet or dry material.
Full details
Daylighting · line exposed by hand wand
01 / Daylighting & Potholing
See Exactly What's Buried Before You Dig
Pinpoint the depth, alignment and condition of buried gas, hydro, fibre and water lines with clean, precise potholes — so design teams, drillers and excavators work from fact, not from a paint mark.
- Positive visual confirmation of utility depth and location
- Ideal ahead of directional drilling, piling and design surveys
- Photo and depth documentation delivered with every pothole
Slot trench · boulevard service line
02 / Slot Trenching
Narrow, Precise Trenches With Minimal Restoration
When you need a clean channel for conduit, cable or fibre, hydrovac slot trenching cuts exactly the width you specify — no over-dig, no torn-up boulevards, and far less surface for your crews to restore afterward.
- Consistent trench width and depth, even around obstacles
- Less surface damage means lower restoration cost for your crews
- Safe to run alongside congested existing utilities
Catch basin · grate lifted, chamber cleaned
03 / Catch Basin & OGS Cleaning
Powerful Vacuum Services for Wet or Dry Material
Clear catch basins, oil-grit separators (Stormceptor and similar units), sumps, wet wells, tanks and accumulated spoil quickly and cleanly. Our high-flow vacuum handles slurry, mud and standing water without sending a worker into a confined space.
- Catch basin, sump, wet well and tank clean-outs
- Spoil and slurry removal that keeps active sites clear
- Responsible offload and disposal of collected material
Heated dig through frost line
04 / Frost & Cold-Weather Excavation
Ontario Winters Don't Shut Us Down
When ground freezes a metre deep and conventional digging stalls, our heated-water systems slice through frost line to keep emergency repairs and winter builds moving — safely, all season.
- Heated water cuts deep frost other crews can't break
- Keeps winter watermain and utility repairs on schedule
- No thawing delays, no thermal damage to nearby lines
Extended hose · restricted-access dig
05 / Remote Hose Excavation
Reach the Digs Other Trucks Can't
Not every excavation sits where a truck can park. With extended remote hose, we dig up to 300 ft (90 m) from the truck — into backyards, between buildings, down easements and even indoors — without driving heavy equipment across a finished or sensitive site.
- Excavate well away from where the truck can stage
- Ideal for backyards, tight lots, easements and indoor digs
- Protects landscaping, hardscape and finished surfaces from heavy traffic
Locate confirmed · cables exposed intact
06 / Utility Line Locating
Locate, Then Prove It
We pair private utility locating with hydrovac daylighting so you don't just have a mark on the grass — you have the line, exposed and confirmed. Especially critical for unregistered private services.
- Private locates for services beyond Ontario One Call scope
- Visual verification removes guesswork before machine dig
- Reduces strike risk and costly utility damage claims
Night call-out · headlamp and work lights
07 / 24/7 Emergency Response
When It Can't Wait Until Morning
Watermain breaks, spills and washouts don't keep business hours. Our dispatch line is answered around the clock, and we mobilize fast — usually the same day, often within a few hours depending on where the nearest truck is — for sites across the Greater Toronto Area and beyond. Call and we give you a real ETA.
- Live 24/7 dispatch, every day of the year
- Rapid mobilization for breaks, spills and washouts
- Calm, experienced operator who works safely under pressure
Water box · leaning curb box exposed for repair
08 / Water Box & Curb Stop Services
Expose, Repair & Thaw Water Boxes — Damage-Free
Municipal water crews rely on hydrovac to work around curb stops and water service boxes without cracking the box or nicking the line. We expose, locate, repair, replace and raise water boxes to grade — and in winter, thaw frozen water services with heated water.
- Locate and daylight buried water boxes & curb stops, strike-free
- Repair, replace and raise water boxes to grade
- Thaw frozen water services & boxes with heated water, all winter
- Built for municipal water-service maintenance & renewal programs
Who We Serve
Built Around the Way You Build
We sub to the contractors and crews who keep Southern Ontario running — and we make their jobs safer and their schedules tighter.
General Contractors
Civil and commercial GCs de-risking excavation around live infrastructure.
Municipalities
Public works teams handling repairs, maintenance and capital projects.
Engineering Firms
Designers and surveyors who need verified subsurface data.
Telecom & Fibre
Network builders running conduit through congested corridors.
Environmental
Remediation and monitoring teams needing clean, controlled excavation.
Straight Pricing
How Hydrovac Pricing Works
Hydrovac is sold by the hour almost everywhere. Here is how our quotes are built, so you can compare them line for line.
- Billed by the hourTruck, operator and water included. A minimum charge applies to every dispatch; we tell you the number before you book.
- Three lines on every quoteHourly rate, mobilization or travel, and disposal per load. Nothing hidden in a fuel surcharge; we do not charge one.
- Fixed-scope pricing when the job is definedTell us the number of test holes, metres of trench or structures to clean and you get a written price the same business day.
- Nights, weekends and emergenciesAn emergency hourly rate applies in place of the standard rate; it is on your rate sheet before the truck rolls.
- HomeownersSame straight pricing, quoted up front. Tell us what needs digging and where, and you have a price before the truck rolls.
- Contractors, utilities and municipalitiesAccount pricing on a PO or approved account, with a certificate of insurance and WSIB clearance for your prequalification file.
Good to Know
Hydrovac, Answered
Hydrovac uses pressurized water to break up soil and a powerful vacuum to remove the resulting slurry into an onboard tank. Because nothing mechanical touches the ground, it's the safest way to dig around buried utilities — no blades, no augers, no strikes.
We confirm valid Ontario One Call tickets before mobilizing and can arrange private locates for services that fall outside the public registry. We then daylight to confirm everything visually before any machine work begins.
With remote hose, we can excavate up to 300 ft (90 m) from where the truck is parked — reaching backyards, easements, tight infill lots and indoor locations without driving across finished or sensitive surfaces.
Yes. Our heated-water systems cut through deep frost that stops conventional excavation cold. We run frost digs throughout the winter for emergency repairs and active winter builds across Southern Ontario.
Our dispatch line is answered 24/7/365. For sites within our core service area — the GTA, Hamilton, Niagara and the Waterloo region — we usually mobilize the same day, often within a few hours depending on where the nearest truck is. Call dispatch and we’ll give you a real ETA before you commit.
By the hour, with a minimum charge per dispatch, plus mobilization and disposal per load, all shown as separate lines on the quote. For a defined scope (test holes, metres of trench, catch basins) we give a written price the same business day. Call and we give you a number on the phone. See how pricing works.
A valid Ontario One Call ticket (we confirm it, and can arrange private locates), a spot to stage the truck near the dig, a water fill point for long digs, and your site contact. If access is tight, say so when you book and we plan the remote hose.
Yes. Homeowners, plumbers and property managers get the same up-front quote: tell us what needs digging and where, and we price it before the truck rolls. Frozen water services and curb stops are exactly what heated hydrovac water is built for, so winter is not a reason to wait.
Into the truck, then to a licensed receiving facility. We hold an Ontario MECP EASR registration for transporting hydrovac slurry, and disposal is shown as its own line on your quote. Nothing is left on your site.
Yes. Ask and we have our broker issue a certificate of insurance naming you as additional insured ($5M general liability, $1M limited pollution, $2M auto), and we send our current WSIB clearance certificate with it for your prequalification file.
Both. We expose, repair, replace, raise and thaw water boxes and curb stops without damaging the service, so municipal and contractor crews get a finished box, not just a hole.
Let's Scope It
Tell Us About Your Site
Send over the location, scope and timeline and you'll hear back the same business day with a clear scope and price.