Top 3 Things You Should Know About Utility Locating

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For any successful project, utility locating is very essential to avoid costly damages or accidents resulting from digging or excavation. Without proper locating, problems can arise that can be very hard to circumvent. This is why you need a reliable locating service regardless of how small the project is. You cannot rely on line of sight of utility trails. Looking for top-notch utility locating services will ensure that you don’t incidentally come into contact with underground infrastructure. Here are three things you should know about utility locating.

Utility Locating is a damage prevention control prior to excavating/digging.

There are many dangers that exist when you try to dig without proper locating. Underground gas lines pose a safety risk if they are interfered with. Fiber optic lines, water lines, power lines, sewer lines, and other utility lines are very expensive to replace or repair. You don’t want to run into buried lines when digging and cause a major inconvenience. Here at Util-Locate, we give you the confidence to dig knowing that you are safe. We use the latest high-resolution GPR units that guarantee accuracy and helps locate targets in a non-destructive way.

Utility Locating lets you know where your utility services are, which is vital to any pre-design project

Long before you start designing or digging, you can seek utility locating services to establishing the existing mains. This is an essential process that you cannot afford to overlook. No matter the scope of the project, a professional technician will accurately map out the utility locations and their depths. This information will be useful in the placement of structures, trees, foundations, and other necessary demarcations. There are two types of utility lines: private and public utility. For public utilities, you can call 811 for a free locating service. Despite this, only 33% of DIY homeowners call 811 for a free utility locating service. Calling a private utility locating company to mark utility lines is more often the better option. This is because not all utilities are owned publicly and or constitute public utilities. To avoid incidental damage to underground utilities, you will need utility locating done by experienced technicians with the proper tools for the job. Read more underground pipe locator services.

Utility Locating not only saves thousands in damages but lives

We all know how costly and labor intensive it can be to have to replace or repair damaged water lines, sewer lines and other infrastructure. Worse still, there exists the danger of electrocution in the case of cut power lines and dangerous explosions if a gas pipe is interfered with. This can lead to injury and loss of many lives, and cause property destruction worth a lot more money. Our highly trained utility locators are not only focused on damage prevention but also in ensuring no life is lost because of an avoidable mistake.

A single call can save you thousands of dollars and prevent disaster from occurring. We use state-of-the-art technology to improve accuracy and give you peace of mind for all your excavation and digging projects.

4 Reasons to Call In Private Underground Utility Locating Services

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You’re planning on building a new property. You were told to get help from a utility locating service. You’re not sure if you should. Is it worth the cost? Maybe you can just do the work yourself. This article will go through the reasons why you need help from a private utility locating service.

What is a Private Utility Locating Service?

Before we go through the reasons why you need help from a private utility locating company, we have to identify what this kind of provider is. It’s important to distinguish public utility lines from private utility lines.

Public utility lines are those provided and serviced by utility companies and include power, gas, sewers, communications, water, and other public utilities.

On the other hand, private utility lines are those that are installed privately by the owners of the property or someone else. For example, an electrical line going to a barn from the main house or a gas line going to a grill can be considered private utility lines.

Reasons to Get a Utility Locating Service

So, why should you get help from a utility locating service? Here are four of the reasons why:

They Specialize in Utility Location

You might suppose that it is best to go DIY with locating the conduit or the fiber lines under your property, but a mistake on your part can be costly. It can also be dangerous.

It is best to hire experts who are experienced at locating the buried lines under your property and have them mark those. Their experience and knowledge will ensure that building your structure is off to the right start.

They Have the Right Equipment

On top of the knowledge and experience, a team from a utility locating service will also have the right tools to do the job. For example, they can use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to locate communication and sewer lines that might not be detected by other methods.

They also have access to other sophisticated tools that can be used to identify everything that is underground.

They Provide Fast Service

You know that there is an electric line under your property but you’re not sure where it is located. You can try tracing it but that will take time. It can take days for you to identify its path on the ground.

Unfortunately, you don’t have the luxury of time to get it done. This is why you should ask for help from a utility locating service. They can get the job done quickly, so you can move on with your project. 

They Ensure Safety

For any construction undertaking, safety should always be the priority and when you have unknown gas and electrical lines on the job site, there is the risk of those lines being struck. It’s better to stay safe and sure than take chances. The cost of having someone injured because of striking an electrical line is a serious risk.

Choose a Trusted Utility Locating Service for Your Next Project

Util-Locate is an industry leader and the top choice for utility locating. We have been providing damage prevention for more than 20 years with our high-quality services and cutting-edge tools. Our team is highly trained and can ensure safe utility locating service.

For more details on how to get the best utility locating service and to get the best deal for utility locating, contact us at 888-885-6228 at Util-Locate today!

Private Utility Locating: What Homeowners Need to Know

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When do you need help from a utility locating service? Below, we’ll discuss what it is and what you need to know about it as a homeowner. Not all utilities are the same and it’s time for you to know the difference between private and public ones.

It’s also important that you learn about the value of private utility locating services. 

Private and Public Utilities: What are the Differences?

Public utility lines are provided by utility companies and they can define exactly where their lines start and end. By dialing 811, you can get information as to where public utility lines are located. Typical public utility lines include water, gas, sewer,  phone, cable, fiber, and others. Each state has its own guidelines regarding public utility lines.

On the other hand, there are private utility lines that have no state guidelines controlling them. In fact, there are more private utility lines than public ones. About 65% of all utility lines are private.

Examples of private utility lines include electrical lines going to a shed or a garage, a gas line connected to a grill, irrigation lines, and sewer laterals. Knowing where these lines are located is just as crucial to safety as knowing where public utility lines are. 

Utility lines, whether private or public, are all dangerous when they are struck during digging and can cause damage.

Private Utility Locating 101

If you are planning on digging around your property, then you need to call 811 or maybe visit the respective 811 website for your state and request that utility lines be marked properly so you don’t hit any line or pipe underground.

Keep in mind that 811 will only locate and mark public utility lines. For buried private utility lines, that would be your responsibility. And with that, you will need to get help from a utility locating service provider.

Technicians of utility locating service providers undergo extensive training to be sure that they can cover the entire ground and they can locate all lines, conduits, valves, pipes, and cables under your property.

They use Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) to locate where hidden lines are. GPR uses radio waves to detect and identify objects that are hidden. It’s inevitable that some lines cannot be identified by traditional methods. Without GPR, these lines would not be identified at all.

Just relying on the traditional methods of looking for lines is not enough, especially when there is a good chance that private utility lines have been buried on the job site.

Get Help from a Trusted Utility Locating Service 

So, if you are digging in your property and you are unsure if there have been utility lines buried there, it would make sense to get help from a utility locating service provider. 

If you need assistance in locating utility lines under your property, you may fill out our online form to get help from a top-notch private utility locating service, or contact us at 888-885-6228 at Util-Locate today!