Duct & Cable Plowing Across Canada
Efficient Utility Installation with Minimal Surface Disruption
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Need ducts or cables installed fast, clean, and cost-effectively? Our plow crews are ready to go.
Some of our clients:
What Is Duct and Cable Plowing?
Duct and cable plowing is a fast, low-impact way to install underground conduit or power cables with minimal surface disruption. A specialized plow slices a narrow trench into the ground, places the duct or cable at the required depth and in a sand envelope where required, meanwhile backfill and compaction are taken care of directly behind the plow in one seamless process.
This method is highly efficient for long, continuous runs — especially in rural or open areas — and is often used for telecommunications and power installations. Because the ground is disturbed only along a narrow line, plowing reduces cleanup, speeds up production, and keeps costs lower than traditional trenching.
When Is Cable or Duct Plowing the Right Choice?
Plowing is a go-to method when:
- You’re installing over long distances (500m or more)
- The terrain allows for clear right-of-way access
- You want to save time and reduce restoration costs
- You’re installing shallow-depth conduit (typically <1.2m)
- You need to place multiple ducts at once
Compared to trenching or drilling, plowing is faster, and often more affordable.
Why Choose AVERTEX for Duct or Cable Plowing?
At AVERTEX, duct and cable plowing is one of the most efficient ways we install buried infrastructure. Using purpose-built vibratory and static plows, we can bury conduit or cable over any distance with minimal surface disruption, making it an ideal method for rural, suburban, and open field projects.
Our experienced crews work across Canada, deploying the right plow for the job based on ground conditions, project scope, and installation depth. Whether you’re installing fibre conduit on front lawns or multiple high-voltage cables across a wind farm, we’ve done it, and we do it well.
Discover how we can work together.
We work to limit surface disruption and protect the environment
Equipment Fleet & Methods
We operate a wide range of plowing equipment to handle various terrains and installation types:
Equipment Includes:
- Vermeer SPX 25 Vibratory Plow – Ideal for small conduit installs on residential lawns
- Vermeer RTX 1250 & Renegade P185 – Used for telecom duct installations with 0.6–1.2m cover
- Bron 250 & Bron 450 Plows – Built for heavy-duty installs like electrical cables + fibre on renewable energy projects. Can handle loads of 40,000+ lbs and depths of up to 1.5m.
From compact urban lots to open prairies, we’ve got the machines and the crew to handle it.
Depth Control & Utility Avoidance
We don’t guess when it comes to depth or clearances. Our operators:
- Use hydraulic control systems to maintain proper depth
- Perform consistent daylighting at all crossings
- Maintain at least 1 meter clearance from other buried utilities
- Adjust blade configurations for multiple conduits in one pass
Surface Restoration
Plowing leaves a far lighter footprint than trenching. Most of the time, the only restoration required is compacting the soil back down along the plow line. For road crossings or sensitive areas, we standardly switch to directional drilling to keep restoration costs low.
As-Built Documentation
Need placement records? We’ve got you covered. Upon request, we collect:
- GPS coordinates
- Route maps with directional changes
- Vault, pedestal, or transformer locations
Duct or Cable Plowing Across Sectors
In the electrical sector, plowing is used to install power cables and supporting fibre with precision and speed, particularly in new or open right-of-way.
Applications:
- Burial of low to high voltage cables
- Utility duct/cable placement in open areas
Plowing is a preferred method for fast, clean installation of fibre and conduit. It enables long, continuous runs with minimal disruption to lawns and surface features, while smaller plows can efficiently handle short service drops on front lawns for quick, low-impact connections.
Applications:
- Fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) conduit installation
- Subdivision and rural network builds
Plowing supports high-volume cable installs in wind and solar projects, handling large reels and heavy loads while minimizing environmental impact.
Applications:
- High Voltage multi-cable burial for wind and solar projects.
- Fibre and duct placement on job sites
AVERTEX in Action
Featured Project
Niagara Fibre Deployment
AVERTEX played a key role in building out the Niagara Regional Broadband Network, installing hundreds of kilometres of fibre to bring high-speed internet access to tens of thousands of homes and businesses across the region. This large-scale deployment included fibre-to-the-home (FTTH) installations for multiple clients, ensuring reliable connectivity and future-ready infrastructure for the community.
Scope: Large-scale fibre network installation, including FTTH builds
Location: Niagara, Ontario
Location: Niagara, Ontario
Our Commitment to Safety & the Environment
At AVERTEX, we don’t cut corners, especially when it comes to protecting workers and respecting the environment and communities we work in.
Safety is built into everything we do.
We work to limit surface disruption and protect the environment
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What’s the main advantage of cable or duct plowing?
Speed and cost effectiveness. It’s faster and less disruptive than trenching, especially over long distances.
2. What types of ground can you plow through?
Most soils are workable with the right setup. We avoid plowing in bedrock, swampy areas, or slopes over 30°.
3. How many ducts can you install at once?
On average, 1 to 3 ducts per pass for telecom jobs, but we can install more depending on the size of the conduit and blade configuration.
4. What kind of restoration is required after plowing?
Very little. We typically compact the line post-install. For road crossings, we switch methods to avoid extra restoration costs.
5. How do you make sure you don’t hit other utilities?
We daylight all crossings, maintain 1m clearance, and adjust our route or depth if needed. Safety and precision come first.
6. What’s your daily production rate?
In typical Ontario soils, for example, we can plow 1–2km per day, depending on the layout and number of ducts.
7. When would you choose trenching over plowing?
Trenching is better for short, complex runs or areas with lots of turns, obstacles, or deeper cover requirements.
8. Who decides the clearances or ROW widths?
The utility owner or municipality sets these. We follow their design specs and make sure the job meets all local requirements.
Let’s Talk About Your Next Project
If you’re planning a utility installation and want a method that saves time, limits surface damage, and keeps costs under control, duct or cable plowing is your answer, and Avertex is the contractor to do it right.