I originally dug the trench by hand about 8" deep. My original intention was to run conduit around the base of the house and along the edge of the patio.
But then 3 things happened to change that.
1. The cost of the conduit and wire was going to be a little over $3 per foot. Now I'm going to use direct bury wire and save a few bucks.
2. Code requirements dictate that the trench must be 24" deep.
3. The storm we had washed a lot of the dirt back into the trench and what was 8" deep is now about 3".
To answer your question I didn't want to rent a trencher because of the close proximity to the house and there are some places where it wouldn't fit anyway. So I'll contribute to the local migrant labor force and get some physical help to re-dig by hand.
In this photo you can see the trench along the edge of the patio.
