Trenching can be done by open trenching, direct drilling or thrusting methods. You can save unnecessary work and cost by following these basic requirements.

Trenching guidelines for developers

• Get local council permission if trenching public footpaths/roads is required.
• Check the location of existing power/telecommunications and other underground networks before digging by visiting the beforeUdig website. Special conditions may apply if any network is present.
• Clearly find the network terminal point in the street and the ETP location at your property BEFORE selecting the trench route and digging. Contact your broadband provider or us where there's no terminal or you're unsure where it is.
• The trench should be as straight as practicable avoiding sudden changes in direction or elevation.
• Trench depth should be 450mm below finished ground level. Where the lead-in will be under permanent material (e.g. concrete driveway) the depth can be reduced to 300mm.
• Take extra care when digging within 500mm of a network terminal point.

The only difference between urban and rural lead-ins is that some of the cable may be direct buried on a rural property. The cable should be carried in a pipe under high traffic areas directly around the house or driveway and can be direct buried to the road. The maximum ducting distance is around 30m.

If our cables are damaged, call 0800 4 NETWORK (0800 463 896) immediately.

Learn more

• Develop with Chorus - what you need to know
• Guide to lead-ins and trenching (PDF)