Design Utility Locates for Homeowners and Builders
At Know Before You Dig Locates, we help homeowners, builders, and contractors reduce surprises during construction by identifying and documenting buried utility lines on private property where possible before digging begins.
Whether you are installing a pool, adding a garage, building a backyard structure, or planning a full home addition, our goal is to help you understand what is known, what is uncertain, and where extra care is needed before work starts.
Why One Call Isn’t Enough
The free public locate system, called One Call or 811, is designed to support excavation safety, not design planning.
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If you are not working with an architect or surveyor, it may seem reasonable to call in locates and start planning. However, One Call does not identify privately owned utility lines such as irrigation lines, pool equipment feeds, gas lines to outdoor kitchens, secondary power, or undocumented site services.
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That is where design utility locating comes in.
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We provide design-phase private utility line locating for homeowners and builders working without a full design team. Our focus is to help identify both publicly owned and privately owned utility lines across the work area so you can plan with fewer surprises, avoid redesigns, and reduce the risk of line damage once work begins.
Why This Page Exists
Most of our clients come to us without a full design team—and that’s exactly who this page is for. You might be a homeowner planning a pool, a builder overseeing site prep, or a contractor trying to avoid costly surprises. You don’t need stamped drawings or engineered plans to benefit from a design utility locate.
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You just need to know what’s underground before construction begins.
We created this page—and our service—to support projects that often fall through the cracks of the One Call system. Our goal is simple: give you clear, field-verified utility data you can act on before breaking ground.
What You Get
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Underground Utility Locate Report – We mark and document buried lines across your work area
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Photo Documentation – Visual proof of markings and buried infrastructure
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Design-Safe Guidance – Clear recommendations for your contractor or installer
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Optional Record Research – We help uncover utility line routes that are not shown in available drawings or records
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Start-to-Finish Support – Need someone to explain our findings to your contractor? We’ve got you.
We do not provide stamped engineering deliverables. Where higher levels of investigation are required, we coordinate with qualified engineers or SUE firms as needed.
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Not Using an Architect or Engineer? No Problem.
You don’t need to hire a full design team just to stay safe or avoid cost overruns. Our Design Utility Locates give you the confidence to move forward without the risk of damaging power, water, gas, or data lines on private property. We work directly with property owners, pool builders, landscapers, fence builders, general contractors, and developers.
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Want to know why this matters? Read our blog: Why Every Project Needs a Design Utility Locate
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