Beneath the Surface
Beneath the Surface
A JR Ramco resource on underground utilities, excavation safety, water infrastructure and New Jersey regulations, from a union contractor that does the work.
Why we built this
Infrastructure is the foundation communities run on
Most people never see what's under the road. We see it every day. The water mains, sewers, storm drains and service lines under our streets bring clean water into homes, carry waste away and protect public health. When they fail, everyone feels it.
Doing this work right takes skilled people, careful planning and safe trenches. It means operating engineers and laborers who know what they're doing, crews that call before they dig, and a contractor that leaves the street better than it found it. That's why JR Ramco does the work, and that's why we put this resource together: to explain what's beneath the surface and the rules that govern it, in plain English, with links to the official sources.
— Justin R. Ramirez, JR Ramco
Start here
Our guides and service pages on the work we do across North Jersey.
Lead Service Line Replacement (LSLR)
What New Jersey's lead service line replacement (LSLR) law means for water systems and property owners, and how our crews do the work from the main to the building.
Read more →Underground Utilities
Water, sewer and underground utility installation and repair across North Jersey.
Read more →24/7 Emergency Services
Water main breaks, sewer failures, hydrant damage, and what NJ One-Call rules say about emergency excavation.
Read more →The Union Advantage
What a union shop brings to private work, public works and Project Labor Agreement (PLA) jobs.
Read more →SBE Certified
JR Ramco is a New Jersey State Certified SBE, which helps primes meet small business goals on public contracts.
Read more →Coming soon
Guides in the works
- New Jersey call-before-you-dig guide: how NJ One Call works and what the law requires before excavation.
- How water main replacement works: the stages of a job, from excavation to restoration.
- Trench safety: cave-ins, access and egress, water, atmospheres and the OSHA excavation standards.
Every regulatory guide will name the law or program, the agency in charge, the official source and the date it was last checked. See our Official Resources page for the sources we use.
Planning underground utility work in North Jersey?
JR Ramco works with general contractors, utility contractors, towns and owners on excavation, underground utility, site work and trucking scopes.