PRIVATE UTILITY LOCATES
Understanding Private Utility Locates
What Is a Private Locate
A private locate identifies buried infrastructure located on private property that is not typically covered by public locate systems such as One Call or 811.
Public locate services are designed to mark infrastructure owned by utility companies up to the public demarcation point. Beyond that point, responsibility for identifying buried infrastructure often shifts to the property owner or the party performing ground disturbance.
Private locates help bridge this gap by identifying buried facilities on private property so planning, design, and ground disturbance decisions can be made with a clearer understanding of subsurface conditions.
Why Private Utility Locates Are Necessary
Buried infrastructure on private property is often undocumented, incomplete, or inaccurately recorded. Over time, site modifications, expansions, repairs, and ownership changes can result in buried facilities that are not reflected in available records or public locate information.
Relying solely on drawings, assumptions, or public locate markings can introduce significant risk during planning, design, and ground disturbance. Unknown or misidentified buried facilities can lead to service interruptions, property damage, project delays, and safety incidents.
Private utility locates provide additional subsurface awareness by identifying buried facilities where public locate services typically end. This allows property owners, designers, contractors, and project teams to make informed decisions before work begins, reducing uncertainty and helping prevent avoidable incidents.
We help identify every type of private buried utility service including:
Gas, Water, Sanitary, Electrical, Telecom,
Rebar, Post Tension Cables, Grade Beams, and more!
How Private Locates Differ From Public Locate Services
Public locate services are designed to identify buried infrastructure owned by utility companies, typically up to a defined public demarcation point. Their scope, methods, and responsibilities are limited by regulation, ownership, and access.
Private locates focus on buried infrastructure located beyond the public demarcation point, where responsibility often shifts to the property owner or project proponent. These facilities may include privately owned services, internal distribution lines, laterals, abandoned infrastructure, or undocumented installations.
Unlike public locates, private locates are performed to support planning, design, construction, and risk management decisions on private property. The objective is not simply to place marks on the ground, but to improve subsurface awareness, identify uncertainty, and reduce risk before ground disturbance begins.
Our Approach to Private Utility Locating
A Structured Private Locate Process
Our private utility locates follow a structured, methodical process to identify buried infrastructure on private property. The focus is on clearly communicating what is known, what is uncertain, and where additional investigation may be required.
Unlike public locate services, private locating is not a one size fits all process. Each site presents unique conditions, access limitations, materials, and historical factors that influence how buried infrastructure can be identified and verified.
Private utility locating uses a combination of investigative methods selected based on site conditions and the type of buried infrastructure present.
These methods typically include electromagnetic locating, CCTV cameras, ground penetrating radar, visual inspection of surface features, access point verification, and records review. No single technology locates everything, and results depend on applying the right tools with a clear understanding of their capabilities and limitations.
Locate Methods and Technologies
Not all buried utility lines can be confidently located. Materials, depth, interference, congestion, abandoned facilities, undocumented modifications, and site conditions such as weather, vegetation, or clutter can limit the ability to obtain definitive results.
A professional private locate does not eliminate uncertainty. It identifies and communicates remaining unknowns so risk can be managed before ground disturbance begins.
Limitations and Uncertainty
Clear Reporting and Communication
A private utility locate is only as effective as how the results are documented and communicated. Clear reporting ensures all identified facilities, limitations, and areas of uncertainty are understood by everyone involved.
Our reports translate field findings into practical information that supports planning, coordination, and safe decision making before ground disturbance begins.
Standards, Best Practices, and Professional Alignment
Our private locating approach aligns with established industry best practices for risk management, subsurface investigation, and damage prevention on private property.
Where applicable, our methods reflect principles found in emerging private locate standards, damage prevention guidance, and professional best practices promoted through organizations such as the North American Private Utility Association (NAPUA).
This alignment ensures our work prioritizes safety, transparency, and informed decision making rather than assumptions or incomplete information.
