Here’s a scenario that happens more often than you might think: A building project is getting ready to start. The excavator or trencher is on site and its operator says, “Have you marked out where all of your underground utilities are located?” If the property owner or general contractor hasn’t done so, the project usually comes to a screeching halt. Very few equipment operators will be willing to risk their own lives, or risk causing expensive damage to their equipment or the property by digging without knowing what’s underneath the ground’s surface.
If this happens to you, you need to get an underground utility locator to your property as soon as possible in order to keep your project moving forward. You can call 811 to have them come out and check for public utility lines such as phone, cable, electric, gas, sewer, and water lines, but it could take several days for each of the utility companies to send someone out to your property. And then, you still may not have all the information necessary to safely dig! For example, the representative sent out by your electrical company will mark where your power line is to the main structure on your property, but likely won’t locate electrical lines to any secondary buildings or parking lot lights. Those are considered private utility lines and are the responsibility of the property owner to locate.
Rapid Response Times for Private Utility Locating Services
When you have private utility lines, you need to call out a private underground utility locator like Enhanced Scanning. Here are some examples of private utilities:
- Septic lines
- Irrigation lines
- Propane lines
- Power lines to a detached garage, workshop, she shed, parking lot lights, electric fences, or electric vehicle charging stations
- Pool plumbing (as well as gas or electrical lines, if heated)
By the time you call us, your project may have already been on hold for several days, and you’re anxious to get it going again.
We will mobilize our team to your location as quickly as possible! Depending on where you are located, we can often get to your project within a day or two. Once on site, our team will work efficiently to give you the information you need about your underground utilities so you can safely proceed with your project in a timely manner.
Of course, you can always schedule an appointment with us ahead of time, and we highly recommend that you do if you know that digging will be required for an upcoming project.
We recommend that you schedule a private utility locator like Enhanced Scanning to come to your property at least a couple of days prior to the start of a project that requires digging.
However, we also understand that sometimes this step is overlooked until right before the digging commences. We’re not here to judge you for what you “should have done.” We’ll simply come out as quickly as possible to help get your project back on track!
Not sure if you need a private underground utility locator? Give us a call or contact us through our website. We are happy to help by answering your initial questions in order to get you the service you need!