Joint Trench Design & Dry Utility Consulting

Joint Trench · Dry Utility

Dry utility coordinated from day one.

Dry utilities coordinated with the site civil package from day one — applications managed, plans stamped, and every franchise utility on the same schedule as the rest of the job.

17 years · Since 2009 400+ projects · CA, OR & HI 4 offices · CA OR HI

Dry utility is its own discipline — and Calichi’s role in it is coordination. We sit between the design team, the franchise utilities, and the contractor: managing applications and submittals, producing the joint trench and composite utility plans, and keeping every provider moving on the same schedule. 17 years, 400+ projects, and direct working relationships with every major franchise utility across California, Oregon, and Hawaii.

Franchise utility fluency

Every franchise, every rule book.

California

PG&E

Northern and Central California. Greenbook electrical, service applications, transformer siting.

Rule 16 Rule 20A/B/C Rule 21 Form 79-980

SCE

Southern California Edison. LA, Orange County, Inland Empire service planning.

Rule 15/16 DCS

SDG&E · LADWP

San Diego and Los Angeles municipal. Service planning and conduit coordination.

Rule 15/16 LADWP SP
Oregon & Pacific Northwest

PGE (Portland)

Portland General Electric. Joint trench process and service extension coordination.

Joint Trench SEA

Pacific Power

Rural Oregon, Washington, and the Gorge. WRAP agreements and transformer placement.

WRAP Tariff 300

NW Natural · CenturyLink

Gas main extensions and telecom conduit coordination across Oregon jurisdictions.

Hawaii

HECO · MECO · HELCO

Hawaiian Electric on Oahu, Maui Electric, Hawaii Electric Light on the Big Island.

Service Planning Rule 21H

Hawaiian Telcom · Spectrum

Island telecom and CATV conduit coordination. Hurricane and tsunami zone equipment placement.

Hawaii Gas

Utility and SNG service extensions across all 4 island service territories.

Multi-Region

AT&T · Lumen · Verizon

Telecom service extensions and fiber handoff coordination.

Comcast · Spectrum · Cox

Cable conduit design and provider handoff.

SoCalGas · Puget

Gas main extension coordination beyond California core territories.

Working with a utility we haven't named? We probably still know them. Ask.

Selected work

Joint trench at every scale.

Net-zero campuses, transit-oriented parking structures, mixed-use infill, distribution warehouses. 400+ projects across California, Oregon, and Hawaii — each with a different franchise utility conversation and the same engineering discipline.

See the full portfolio →
The playbook

Pre-design through energization.

Hover any service for the full scope. Every item below is standard Calichi practice — not a menu, not an upsell.

Pre-Design

  • Will Serve LettersCapacity confirmation from each provider.
  • Service Extension ApplicationsPG&E, gas, telecom, CATV paperwork.
  • Joint Trench IntentsReserves trench alignment and timeline.
  • Service Requirements CoordinationTranslating the electrical program to the utility.

Design

  • Joint Trench DesignSingle coordinated trench, all providers.
  • Composite Utility PlansAll providers on one construction sheet.
  • PG&E Green Book CoordinationSite coordination to Greenbook requirements.
  • Rule 16 Service Line ExtensionsOverhead-to-underground conversions.
  • Rule 20 UndergroundingRule 20 A, B, and C undergrounding.
  • Transformer & Switchgear SitingPad locations and clearance routing.
  • Electrical Vault PlacementVault locations coordinated into the civil set.
  • Gas, Telecom & CATV Conduit CoordinationCivil conduit routing and separation.

Construction

  • Temporary Power ApplicationsPG&E 79-980 for construction power.
  • Pre-Construction CoordinationMulti-provider coordination before mobilization.
  • Field Conflict ResolutionField changes documented and approved.
Design and installation, working together

Dry utility works best when the design comes from engineers and the install comes from the trades.

Dry utility construction is skilled work. Contractors install the conduit, vaults, and service equipment — they know the crews, the schedule pressure, and the trade sequencing better than anyone. What they often need is a plan that is complete, coordinated, and submittal-ready before the excavator arrives.

That's where Calichi fits. We design the joint trench with the same discipline as site civil: integrated with grading and stormwater, submittal-ready for each franchise utility, stamped by a licensed PE. PG&E Rule 16, Rule 20A/B/C, SCE Rule 15, HECO Rule 21H, Pacific Power WRAP — we handle each tariff from application through approval.

The result is a plan set that developers, architects, and contractors can build from without guessing. Fewer RFIs in the field, fewer re-excavations, and a dry utility package that reaches energization on the same schedule as the rest of the civil work.

Tell us about your project.

Share the scope and schedule. We'll get back with a fixed-fee proposal within five business days.

We'll respond within 1 business day. Or call (510) 250-7877