I live in a 25-year-old house in central Alberta, and after about 18 months of living here, we've run into some serious yard issues. In November, Telus began digging in our yard for new fibre optic lines, using hydro excavation for several days until about a foot of snow covered everything. They left some equipment and plywood under the snow and continued returning every few weeks, with some of that time seeing extreme cold temperatures of -25/-30. Now that the snow has melted, I've discovered major problems. My front door is sticking, the stucco near the door is chipping, and the door frame is visibly bowed. The yard has pulled away from the sidewalk and driveway, creating a 2-inch gap, and there are cracks in the sidewalk that have widened significantly. Inside, there's a 2.2-inch gap between the floor tiles and the door frame, and the driveway has also pulled away from the garage with a 4-inch gap. I've noticed spots in the yard where the grass is missing and large holes have appeared. None of these issues existed last summer. I've contacted several contractors and a geological engineer, but they won't be able to come until midweek next week. I'm really lost about what's going on. Could this all be linked to the digging by Telus, or is it something else?
2 Answers
Pictures are definitely essential to show just how bad the situation is. Once you have visuals, it'll help anyone assessing the damage understand what you’re going through. Good luck with the contractors and the engineer!
It sounds like you've got a serious problem on your hands! Definitely keep documenting everything and take lots of pictures. It's great to hear you've already started that. If it is related to the excavation, you'll want to follow up with Telus for sure. They might be responsible for the damage, especially if they did the work without notifying you. A geological engineer should provide insights on whether the digging caused your issues.
Thanks for the advice! I'm trying to keep everything documented. It’s frustrating because I never got any notice about their work beforehand.

Totally agree, photos are a must! Just shared a folder with all dated images. Hopefully, that helps clarify things.