Underground Utility Excavator Operator (Water, Sewer & Storm Specialist)
Company Name: Coastal Pipeline, Inc.
Location: Broward & Palm Beach Counties, FL (Home Office: Deerfield Beach, FL)
Job Type: Full Time, Permanent
Schedule: Full Time, Monday through Friday (8–10 Hour Shifts; occasional Saturdays as project schedules require)
Industry: Underground Utility Installation, Heavy Civil Construction, Wet Infrastructure (Water/Sewer/Storm), and Sitework
Pay Scale: $28.00 to $32.00+ per hour ($58,240.00 to $66,560.00+ base annual baseline) based on civil utility experience
Incentives: Weekly Pay Cycle, Overtime Opportunity, Comprehensive Health Insurance (after 90 days), Paid Vacation (after 1 year), 6 Paid Holidays, Ongoing Safety & Equipment Certifications
The Opportunity
Coastal Pipeline, Inc. is seeking an experienced Underground Utility Excavator Operator (Water, Sewer & Storm Specialist) to lead excavation, pipe placement, and trench operations on wet utility projects across Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
In this central field equipment role, you will take operational command of mid-to-large hydraulic tracked excavators—digging precision trenches to engineered grade, setting trench boxes and shoring, placing wellpoint systems, and safely exposing live existing infrastructure.Working for a premier South Florida underground contractor operating since 1995, you will coordinate continuously with pipe foremen, pipelayers, and ground spotters to install gravity sewer, pressure water mains, and storm drainage catch basins safely and efficiently.
If you bring 5 to 10 years of hands-on utility excavator operation, an understanding of South Florida soil conditions and high water tables, and a commitment to zero-defect safety, Coastal Pipeline provides competitive pay, dependable weekly hours, and long-term career stability.
Key Responsibilities
- Precision Utility Trenching: Operate hydraulic tracked excavators (mini to 30+ ton mainline excavators) to dig trenches to exact line, depth, and slope specifications for potable water, sanitary sewer, storm drainage, and fire service lines.
- Live Utility Avoidance & Potholing: Safely identify, pothole, expose, and maneuver around active existing infrastructure (gas mains, high-voltage electric, fiber/telecom, pressurized sewer) following Sunshine State 811 safe-dig protocols.
- Trench Safety & Shoring Management: Oversee and execute the safe placement, dragging, and retrieval of trench safety boxes, hydraulic shoring shields, and slide rail systems in strict compliance with OSHA Subpart P standards.
- Pipe Rigging & Placement: Rig, hoist, and lower heavy reinforced concrete pipe (RCP), ductile iron pipe (DIP), PVC conduits, precast manholes, and drainage catch basins using certified chains, slings, and shackles.
- Bedding, Dewatering & Backfill Operations: Assist with wellpoint dewatering installations, place aggregate bedding to grade, backfill trenches in balanced lifts, and monitor soil stability in dynamic water table conditions.
- Preventative Equipment Maintenance: Conduct mandatory daily pre-shift and post-shift machine inspections, lubricate pins/bushings, check fluid levels, verify track tension, and report mechanical defects promptly.
- Ground Crew Communication: Maintain continuous, coordinated communication with pipelayers and ground spotters using standard hand signals, radio systems, and clear line-of-sight awareness.
What You Need to Succeed (Qualifications)
- Required
- Heavy Operating Tenure: Minimum 5 to 10 years of verified hands-on experience operating hydraulic excavators specifically on underground wet utility installation or heavy civil infrastructure jobs.
- Underground Utility Mastery: Deep practical knowledge of deep sewer trenching, waterline installations, storm pipe alignment, and precast structure placement.
- Trench & Shoring Competency: Working knowledge of OSHA excavation standards, soil mechanics (Types A, B, C soils), trench box handling, and machine load charts.
- Safety & Rigging Fluency: Proven expertise in safe rigging protocols, signaling, and safe-digging practices around active high-risk utilities.
- Physical Endurance & Stamina: Capability to work outdoors in South Florida weather conditions, climb into equipment cabs, lift up to 50 lbs, and assist field crews outside the cab when necessary.
- Mobility Credentials: Valid Driver License with reliable personal transportation to commute to active job sites across Broward and Palm Beach Counties.
- Preferred
- Safety Certifications: Active OSHA 10-Hour, OSHA 30-Hour Construction Card, or OSHA Trenching & Excavation Competent Person Certification.
- Multi-Machine Capability: Proven versatility operating support equipment (skid steers, wheel loaders, backhoes).
- South Florida Field Experience: Familiarity with coastal soil conditions, sand/limestone excavation, and wellpoint dewatering systems.
Compensation & Benefits
- Competitive Hourly Earnings: $28.00 to $32.00+ per hour based on utility excavator experience and verified operator skill, with overtime potential.
- Health Coverage: Comprehensive group health insurance coverage available after 90 days of employment.
- Paid Time Off: 1 week of paid vacation after 1 year of continuous service.
- Paid Company Holidays: 6 paid holidays per year (New Year's Day, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas).
- Career Stability: Steady year-round local utility project assignments across Broward and Palm Beach Counties with no out-of-region travel required.
About Coastal Pipeline, Inc.
Incorporated in Florida in 1995, Coastal Pipeline, Inc. specializes in all phases of underground utility construction, including water distribution, sanitary sewer systems, storm drainage, fire suppression, and civil site work across South Florida. Our successful project delivery is built on strong working relationships with municipal authorities, general contractors, and consulting engineers. We believe our people are our greatest asset, providing modern equipment, elite field leadership, and a supportive, family-oriented culture where dedicated equipment operators build long-term careers.
Selection choices are guided strictly by job-related capabilities, technical operating skills, and verified utility field performance records.
