When You Need Private Utility Locating

You’re working on private property.

Maybe it is a commercial site, parking lot, industrial facility, hospital campus, or inside an active building.

You called 811. They marked a few public utilities and closed the ticket.

But standing onsite, you already know there is more underground than what is painted out.

There are probably private power feeds, site lighting, irrigation, comm lines, secondary electrical, or owner-installed utilities running across the property.

None of that is marked.

Now your crew is about to trench or drill using incomplete information.

That is exactly where most utility strikes happen.

What Does This Cost?

Private utility locating on private property typically runs between $995–$1,200 for a half day.

Larger or more congested sites generally start around $1,800+ for full-day work.

Small targeted verification work may also fall under $200/hr with a 2-hour minimum.

Same-day or next-day mobilization is available in most cases.

Most jobs are completed onsite within a few hours with utilities marked immediately so crews can proceed safely.

What Affects the Price?

Pricing depends on how much infrastructure exists onsite and how difficult the work area is to verify.

An open parking lot is different from an active facility with dense underground utilities and limited records.

Other factors include:

Site size
Utility congestion
Amount of unknown infrastructure
Existing plans or as-builts
Interior versus exterior work
Traffic control or access restrictions
Active construction conditions

The more unknown conditions onsite, the more important proper locating becomes before excavation starts.

What You’re Actually Paying For

You are paying to locate utilities that 811 typically does not cover.

That includes private electrical, owner-installed utilities, site lighting, irrigation, communication lines, and underground infrastructure beyond the utility meter.

You are also paying to avoid shutdowns.

One utility strike on private property can stop the project immediately while repairs, investigations, and liability issues get sorted out.

Now the trench is open, the crew is waiting, and production stops while everyone figures out what got hit.

That downtime gets expensive fast.

811 is important, but it has limits.

811 generally covers participating public utility providers. It often does not include private property infrastructure, interior systems, or many owner-installed utilities onsite.

SiteTwin works where 811 is incomplete and where additional verification is needed before trenching or drilling begins.

What Happens Onsite?

A technician uses EM locating and GPR scanning to sweep the work area and identify buried utilities.

Utilities are marked directly on the ground in real time as the locate is performed.

Your crew sees the results immediately before excavation begins.

You may see private power lines, water services, irrigation, communication lines, crossings, and unknown utilities identified and marked onsite.

Conflict areas can also be flagged before digging starts so crews know where extra caution or potholing may be required.

Optional deliverables may include KMZ files, GPS/GIS data, photos, and reports depending on project scope.

Everything becomes visible before the first trench opens up.

Typical Scheduling

Same-day or next-day mobilization is available in most cases.

Most jobs take between 2–8 hours onsite depending on site size and utility congestion.

Utilities are marked immediately onsite so excavation can proceed as soon as locating is complete.

When You Need This

On private property where 811 coverage is limited or incomplete
At commercial sites, campuses, industrial facilities, and active buildings
Before trenching, drilling, excavation, or directional boring
When utilities are undocumented or unknown
When plans show more infrastructure than what 811 marked
In congested underground corridors where one strike could shut the job down
Anytime crews need verification before breaking ground
Verify Utilities Before the Trench Opens Up
If you are working on private property, do not assume 811 covers everything onsite.

Verify utilities before the trench opens up.

Send the address and scope and get it located before excavation starts.

Related Services
Utility Locating Services
GPR Scanning Services

If you do not have full underground visibility onsite, do not take the risk.

Get utilities located, marked, and verified so your crew can trench, drill, and excavate safely without shutting the job down.

Schedule Private Utility Locating
Send Address + Scope Here

For more excavation risk, utility locating, and underground infrastructure content, check out the The Damage Report Newsletter