Fiber Construction From Route to Customer Connection
Draftech builds aerial and underground fiber networks through Draftech-managed crews under our QA/QC and safety program. In-house engineering, permitting and construction give you a single point of accountability through closeout.
Put one accountable team behind the build
Draftech International is a fiber construction company delivering full turnkey construction for ISPs, electric cooperatives, municipalities and BEAD subgrantees. Draftech-managed crews place aerial cable, build underground conduit routes, install handholes and vaults, splice and test fiber, connect customer drops, and restore disturbed surfaces. Our utility construction program connects that field work with the engineering and permitting needed to build it.
A route can be ready on paper while a crossing, pole attachment or customer entrance remains unresolved. Crews then reach a section they cannot finish, leaving gaps between installed cable and usable network. Draftech keeps construction connected to the people who designed the route and prepared its permits. Engineering is 100% in-house, and Draftech-managed crews execute the build under Draftech's QA/QC and safety program.
Clients hiring us for construction receive the physical installation and its agreed completion deliverables. If you already have a contractor and need oversight of that contractor's work, see our fiber construction management services.
Establish a buildable route before placement
Construction starts with a clear picture of what crews can install and where. Our in-house team brings field survey, route design, conduit layouts, attachment details and splice plans into the construction package. We connect permitting with the planned work areas so access conditions, crossing restrictions and restoration obligations inform the build sequence.
For aerial sections, pole owner approvals and completed make-ready establish the conditions for attachment. For underground sections, utility locates and field verification inform excavation and bore planning. A conflict at a crossing needs an engineering resolution before crews commit to an installation that cannot follow the approved route.
We also define the endpoints of each construction segment: where placement starts and stops, where cable transitions underground, which enclosure receives the splice, and which terminals serve the drops. Those details turn route mileage into connected plant. When field conditions require a revision, our engineers resolve the design and permit implications with the construction team.
Aerial fiber placement and lashing
Draftech-managed crews install aerial fiber along the approved pole route, including strand and lashed cable or self-supporting cable where the design calls for it. Placement follows the specified attachment arrangement, cable handling requirements and planned slack locations. Crossings, corners and transitions receive attention because they determine how the installed cable fits the route.
Lashing is part of a complete installation. The work also includes the specified support hardware, cable storage, enclosure positioning and riser arrangements. Cable must reach the planned splice location with the slack needed to make and maintain the connection. A cable placed past an inaccessible closure location leaves the splicing crew with a problem that should have been resolved during placement.
Our pole loading and make-ready engineering supports attachment planning upstream. Before aerial placement proceeds, we confirm the relevant make-ready work and attachment conditions. Draftech carries the route through aerial-to-underground transitions within the same construction scope, including the connection to the buried conduit system.
Underground fiber construction services
Our underground fiber construction services cover trenching, directional boring and microtrenching where allowed, followed by conduit and cable placement. We select the installation approach around the approved route, existing utilities, available work space and surface restoration requirements. A route may need different methods at a roadway crossing, along a shoulder and through a customer entrance.
Trenching and directional boring
Trenching provides access for conduit installation along an open excavation. The scope includes the excavation, conduit arrangement, backfill and affected surface restoration. Work limits matter: a narrow conduit route can still require space for equipment, materials and safe access around the excavation.
Directional boring installs a conduit path between planned entry and exit points. We account for utility conflicts, equipment access and the space needed to handle the conduit. The bore must connect to usable structures at both ends. A completed crossing that leaves an impractical bend or inaccessible pulling point creates trouble during cable installation.
Microtrenching where the route allows it
Microtrenching is an option where the permitting authority allows the method and the route design supports it. The scope must address the cut, conduit or cable system, transitions and surface reinstatement. We establish those details before selecting the method, including how the installation reaches handholes and crosses changes in surface material.
Handholes, vaults and cable placement
Handholes and vaults provide access for pulling, splicing and maintaining the network. Draftech-managed crews install them at the designed locations with the specified conduit entries, enclosure space and cable storage. Position and finished grade matter because crews and future maintenance teams need practical access to the contents.
Before cable placement, we verify that the conduit path is ready for installation. Draftech-managed crews place cable within the specified pulling and bending limits, preserve the planned slack, and identify the installed cable. These steps connect the civil work to the splice plan and help avoid reopening a completed section to correct a placement issue.
Splice and test the installed network
Cable placement becomes a connected fiber route through splicing and termination. Draftech-managed crews prepare closures, complete fusion splices to the splice plan, organize trays and identify fibers and cables. Closure layout must preserve access to the connections while accommodating the planned fiber routing and slack.
Testing establishes whether the installed segment meets the project's acceptance criteria. The scope includes optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) testing and optical power loss testing, with results tied to the identified fibers and endpoints. We use the design loss budget and agreed specifications to evaluate the completed work.
When a result falls outside the acceptance criteria, the affected installation requires investigation, correction and retesting. The handover includes test records that correspond to the installed route and splice documentation, so the owner can identify what was tested and use those records during future troubleshooting.
Last mile fiber construction through the drop
Last mile fiber construction connects distribution plant to the premises it serves. Draftech-managed crews install aerial and underground drops, mount the specified network interface equipment, and complete the physical fiber connection included in the project scope. We establish the boundary between outside plant construction and customer equipment installation before work begins.
Each drop needs a usable path from the assigned terminal to the agreed building entrance. Property access, driveway crossings, landscaping and entrance details affect how that path is built. We plan these conditions with the distribution work so a completed mainline does not leave customer connections unresolved.
Draftech-managed crews identify the drop and its terminal assignment, protect the cable at exposed transitions, and restore disturbed areas. The completion record connects the installed drop to the premises and network records. For the operator, that makes the final connection traceable when service installation or maintenance teams take over.
Finish restoration and deliver the construction record
Restoration belongs in the construction scope from the start. Draftech-managed crews address disturbed pavement, shoulders, sidewalks and landscaping according to the approved work and restoration requirements. Temporary surface treatment, final reinstatement and remaining corrective work need clear completion points so excavation does not leave an unresolved obligation after cable placement.
Our as-built documentation records the installed route, structures, cable assignments and approved field changes. The closeout package brings those records together with splice information, test results, installation photos and applicable permit closeout records. We agree on the required formats and deliverables before field work starts.
For BEAD subgrantees, we align the construction deliverables with the documentation requirements supplied for the project. Field records need to describe what was installed and where, so the owner can reconcile completed work with its funded scope. Construction evidence is collected as the work proceeds, including details that will become concealed by backfill or restoration.
Fiber Construction From Route to Customer Connection FAQ
Can Draftech build a route that combines aerial and underground fiber?
Yes. We include aerial placement, underground installation and the transitions between them in a coordinated construction scope. The route design establishes where each method applies and how the sections connect.
Who performs the engineering and construction?
Draftech's engineering is 100% in-house. Construction is delivered by Draftech-managed crews under Draftech's QA/QC and safety program. You receive a single point of accountability for the agreed turnkey scope.
What determines the construction price?
The price depends on the actual installation scope, including placement methods, route access, utility conflicts, structures, drops and restoration. Splicing, testing and closeout deliverables also need to be defined. We develop the construction scope around these conditions rather than applying an engineering rate to the build.
What information should we provide to scope the work?
Send the route map, available engineering package, anticipated aerial and underground sections, and desired completion sequence. Include the status of permits and make-ready, customer drop requirements and known access constraints. We use those materials to identify the work included and the conditions that need resolution before construction.
Where is Draftech available for fiber construction?
Active in 24 states. Available across all 50 U.S. states. Share your project location and scope so we can address the route's construction requirements.
Scope your fiber build with Draftech
Bring us the route you need built, from distribution placement through customer drops. We will define the construction methods, engineering and permit dependencies, installation deliverables, testing and restoration needed for a complete scope. Contact our construction team to discuss your project.
info@draftech.com | 305-306-7407 | Miami Lakes, FL