Emergency excavation in San Bernardino, same day
Shandin Excavation routes active sewer, water and utility emergencies to a licensed excavation contractor who can roll the same day across the valley, often within a few hours. The published after hours range means you know the callout cost before the truck leaves: $600 to $1,500 on top of the hourly rate, and nothing hidden in the morning.
The three calls that cannot wait
- 1
Collapsed sewer lateral
Every drain in the house backs up at once and the lowest shower or floor drain fills with sewage. The crew opens the lateral at the break, bypasses or clears it so the house drains tonight, and the full replacement is scheduled with the inspector for the next working day.
- 2
Broken water service
Water surfaces in the yard or under the driveway between the meter and the house. Shut the meter valve, then the crew excavates to the break so the plumber can repair or replace the line before it undermines a slab or a footing.
- 3
Utility strike or cave in
A line hit during someone else’s dig, or a trench wall that has let go. The gas company comes first on gas. After the site is safe the crew makes the excavation stable and compliant so the repair can happen.
While you wait
Stop running water for a sewer backup. For a water leak, the shutoff is in the meter box at the sidewalk; a meter key or a long screwdriver turns it. For any smell of gas, leave the house and call the gas company from outside before you call anyone else. Photograph what you see and text it to the number on this page; it tells the contractor which machine to bring. California law lets emergency excavation start before the normal two working day wait, but the 811 ticket still gets called in and the crew hand digs near any suspected line.
For the full repair after the emergency is stabilized, the sewer lateral page explains the trench and the cost guide has the ranges.
Not an emergency yet? Send it here
A wet spot, a slow drain or a sunken strip of yard that has been there a while is a normal call. Send the address and one licensed contractor calls within one business day.
Emergency questions
What counts as an excavation emergency?
Sewage backing up into the house, a water service leak flooding the yard or undermining a slab, a gas or electric line hit during a dig, or a trench or slope that has caved. A slow drain or a wet spot that has been there for a month is a normal call, not an emergency.
What does a same day callout cost?
After hours and weekend callouts add $600 to $1,500 on top of the normal $165 to $285 hourly rate, depending on the time of night and how fast the crew has to roll. A daytime same day response is usually just the hourly rate and mobilization.
What should I do while I wait?
For sewage, stop running water in the house and keep people out of the affected room. For a water leak, shut the main at the meter box by the sidewalk. For a gas smell, leave and call the gas company from outside before anything else. Photograph the problem for the contractor.
Can you dig at night?
Yes, with lights, when the situation calls for it. Most emergencies are stabilized the same evening, meaning the leak is stopped or the backup bypassed, and the full repair happens the next working day when the inspector and the 811 marks are available.
Does 811 still apply in an emergency?
Yes. California law allows emergency excavation to start before the two working day wait, but the ticket still has to be called in and the utilities notified, and the crew hand digs near any suspected line until it is located.