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Choose a utility-detection service by the decision your project must make, not by the equipment a vendor advertises. A field mark-out for imminent excavation, a private-utility survey, and a design-grade subsurface utility engineering (SUE) investigation answer different questions. Define the risk, area, utility types, accuracy, verification and deliverables first; then compare providers on the same written scope.
For design and construction planning, use the quality-level framework described by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) and ASCE/UESI/CI 38-22. FHWA describes four levels of utility information, from Level D (least accurate) to Level A (most accurate). The right choice is the level and method mix that supports your decisions; it is not automatically the highest level everywhere.
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Start with the decision the investigation must support
Before requesting prices, write down what you need to know and what could go wrong if the information is incomplete. FHWA describes SUE as an approach that combines engineering, surveying and underground-detection tools to locate and map utilities early in planning and design. That information can be carried through design, construction and later project phases.
Excavation coordination
If crews are preparing to dig, the immediate need may be a current field mark-out, confirmation of the locally required one-call process and a plan for protecting facilities during excavation. This is a coordination task with a short validity window. It should not automatically be treated as a complete design investigation.
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Private-utility coverage
Public one-call services generally address facilities owned by participating utilities within the applicable jurisdiction. They may not mark privately owned lines on a building site, industrial campus, airport, hospital or development parcel. Water, sewer, electrical, communications, fire-protection, fuel, irrigation and process lines can remain the site’s responsibility. Ask for a separate private-utility locating scope when those facilities matter.
Design planning
A design team may need a mapped utility base, survey control, records research, geophysical locating and selected test holes so it can set alignments, grades, foundations or drainage without relying on assumptions. A structured SUE investigation is usually a better fit than a simple paint-and-flags visit when the information will drive design decisions.
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When a proposed structure, trench or roadway conflicts with a utility, the investigation must support a specific decision: redesign, relocate, protect in place or expose the facility for confirmation. State the conflict area, the decision date and the evidence required for approval.
Condition, embedded-feature or closeout work
Some projects need an assessment of existing utility condition, documentation of abandoned or unknown facilities, scanning of slabs and walls for embedded features, or records that show what was found after construction. Include those tasks explicitly; they are not automatic parts of every locating visit.
Set the quality level and limits of work
ASCE/UESI/CI 38-22, referenced by FHWA for investigating and documenting existing utilities, provides a common language for utility-information quality. FHWA states that the four levels run from Level D, least accurate, to Level A, most accurate. Treat a level as a documentation and investigation requirement, not as a promise that every utility will be found under every condition.
| Quality level | Relative position in the framework | How to use it in a request |
|---|---|---|
| Level D | Least accurate | Ask the provider to explain the records and other information that will be collected, its source and how gaps will be reported. |
| Level C | Higher than D, below B and A | Specify the additional field correlation or mapping expected and how discrepancies with records will be handled. |
| Level B | Higher than C, below A | Require the proposed geophysical investigation, surface indications, survey control and limits for each utility class or work area. |
| Level A | Most accurate | Identify the locations where exposed or otherwise directly verified information is necessary, the verification method and restoration requirements. |
The standard contains the detailed criteria. In your procurement documents, identify the level needed for each area rather than assigning one level to the entire site by habit. A roadway corridor may need a different treatment from a small excavation, and a known conflict may need direct verification while a remote portion of the site remains at a lower level.
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What quality level is 811?
There is no universal answer that turns every one-call mark-out into one ASCE quality level. One-call services follow the applicable state, provincial or local process, participating utility practices and marking rules. Their marks are useful for excavation coordination, but they do not by themselves establish the complete investigation, survey control, documentation or exposure evidence required for a project-specific SUE level. Ask the engineer of record and the authority having jurisdiction how the local process fits your scope, then procure any private locating or SUE work separately.
Write the boundaries clearly
- Define the limits of work by stationing, coordinates, parcel, drawing, corridor width or other unambiguous boundary.
- List the utility classes and facilities of interest, including privately owned, abandoned, temporary and site-specific process systems.
- State the requested quality level for each area or decision point.
- Describe access assumptions, traffic control, vegetation, paving, security, work-hour restrictions and areas that cannot be entered.
- Require a statement of how unknown, conflicting, inaccessible or low-confidence indications will be shown.
- Identify the design files, coordinate system, datum and survey control that the final information must use.
Compare methods against the site, not against advertising
No single instrument detects every utility in every soil, pavement, moisture, depth or congestion condition. A competent proposal explains which method is used for each target and what can limit the result.
| Method | Useful contribution | Questions and limitations to address |
|---|---|---|
| Records research | Collects utility-owner plans, as-builts, permits and other existing information before field work. | Which records will be requested, from whom and for what date? How will missing, obsolete or contradictory records be identified? |
| Electromagnetic locating | Can trace conductive utilities or conductors when a suitable signal path and access point exist. | How will the provider handle non-conductive lines, poor grounding, parallel conductors, signal bleed and inaccessible connection points? |
| Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) | Can help identify non-conductive lines and other subsurface features when site conditions permit. | What soil, reinforcement, moisture, depth, surface or congestion conditions could reduce penetration or create ambiguous responses? How will indications be classified? |
| Surveying | Places observed marks, points and exposed utilities into a controlled coordinate system for design and mapping. | What control, datum, accuracy and file formats will be used, and who is responsible for tying field observations to the project base? |
| Vacuum excavation or test holes | Exposes a utility for direct confirmation of horizontal and vertical position where the decision requires it. | How many locations are included, how are locations selected, what restoration and traffic controls are required, and how will unexpected conditions be handled? |
| Concrete or structural scanning | Looks for embedded features in slabs, walls or other concrete where penetrations or cuts are planned. | Is the requested area accessible and free of finishes that block scanning? What deliverable identifies scan coverage, exclusions and confidence? |
Ask the bidder to provide a method-by-utility matrix. For example, a non-conductive plastic line may require GPR, records correlation and an exposure point; a metallic line may be traceable electromagnetically but still need survey and verification at a conflict. The proposal should state what happens when methods disagree rather than silently selecting the most convenient result.
Specify deliverables that your team can use
A locating visit is not complete when paint is on the ground if the project decision will be made from drawings or a model. Describe the records needed at each phase.
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| Deliverable | Include in the scope when | Acceptance questions |
|---|---|---|
| Field marks and labels | Crews need to coordinate excavation or review findings in the field. | Are colors, labels, offsets, date and confidence recorded? How long are marks expected to remain usable? |
| Surveyed points and control | Designers or contractors will set work from coordinates. | What coordinate system, datum, units, control monuments and accuracy statement accompany the points? |
| CAD, GIS or model-ready data | Utility information must be integrated into design files, conflict analysis or an asset system. | Which formats, layers, attributes, symbology, metadata and revision conventions are delivered? |
| Photos, sketches and exposure logs | Test holes, unusual conditions or verification evidence support a design decision. | Do records show location, depth, dimensions, material, condition, date, restoration and unresolved observations? |
| Written findings and conflict register | Multiple disciplines need a common explanation of conflicts and assumptions. | Are conflicts tied to plans or coordinates, assigned an owner, and marked as resolved, pending or inaccessible? |
| Closeout record | Construction changes, abandoned facilities or final field conditions must be retained. | Does the closeout identify changes from the design, remaining uncertainty and the files needed for future work? |
State who owns the data, how revisions are issued and whether the provider will attend a coordination meeting. If your civil or structural consultant needs a particular CAD or GIS schema, attach an example rather than assuming the vendor’s standard export will import cleanly.
Build a comparable request for proposals
Send every candidate the same information and require a written response. A low price is not comparable when one proposal includes records, survey and test holes and another includes only surface marks.
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Scope and technical response
- Project description, phase and decision the work supports.
- Limits of work, site plans and utility classes.
- Requested quality levels and the basis for any alternative proposed level.
- Method-by-area matrix with known limitations.
- Verification or test-hole plan, including restoration and safety controls.
- Treatment of unknowns, abandoned lines, conflicts and inaccessible areas.
- Survey control, coordinate system, datum and file formats.
- Field marks, maps, reports, photos, conflict logs and closeout records.
Delivery and project management
- Mobilization date, field-work window, draft and final delivery dates.
- Named project manager, field crew qualifications and professional oversight where applicable.
- Access coordination, escorts, traffic control, work-hour restrictions and weather contingencies.
- Safety plan, excavation controls and responsibilities for permits or utility-owner notifications.
- Change-order process if the site differs from the supplied information.
Commercial terms
- Lump-sum or unit pricing tied to a defined area, number of test holes or other measurable quantity.
- Separate prices for optional quality levels, additional exposures, night work, traffic control and remobilization.
- Assumptions, exclusions, taxes, restoration and travel stated in writing.
- Insurance, licensing, bonding and professional responsibility requirements applicable to the jurisdiction and contract.
The available evidence does not establish a universal price, turnaround time, credential threshold or detection guarantee. Obtain project-specific proposals and verify procurement and legal requirements with the authority having jurisdiction.
Check qualifications without treating a logo as proof
Request examples of comparable work: similar utility density, terrain, private ownership, design phase, traffic exposure and required data formats. Ask who performed the field work, who reviewed the interpretation, and who is accountable for the signed or stamped deliverable when professional responsibility applies.
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One free scan finds every outdated or missing driver and matches the right update for your exact hardware.Free scan · exact hardware matchConfirm that the provider can work safely around energized, pressurized, contaminated or restricted facilities and can document limitations. Review insurance certificates, licenses and subcontractor roles against your contract requirements. A provider that owns advanced equipment may still be a poor fit if it cannot survey the results, explain uncertainty or deliver files your design team can use.
Use a step-by-step selection process
- Define the decision. Write whether the immediate outcome is excavation coordination, private-line coverage, design planning, conflict resolution, condition information or closeout.
- Map the risk. Mark proposed excavation, foundations, crossings, tie-ins and other locations where an unknown utility would change design, cost, safety or schedule.
- Set levels and boundaries. Assign the requested ASCE 38-22 quality level by area, list utilities and document inaccessible zones and assumptions.
- Prepare the bid package. Attach plans, coordinate information, available records, access rules, safety requirements, schedule and deliverable specifications.
- Solicit comparable proposals. Require each bidder to return the same method matrix, exclusions, schedule, staffing, verification plan and price structure.
- Resolve technical differences. Ask why a bidder selected electromagnetic locating, GPR, survey or exposure for each target and how conflicting indications will be reported.
- Evaluate data usability. Open sample files or drawings if offered, confirm coordinate systems and ensure the report supports your design and construction software.
- Confirm responsibilities. Assign who obtains one-call tickets, private access, traffic control, permits, utility-owner coordination and restoration.
- Approve a written scope. Incorporate the selected quality levels, area, methods, deliverables, schedule, assumptions, change process and acceptance criteria into the contract.
- Manage findings. Hold a kickoff, review preliminary conflicts promptly, document decisions and issue controlled revisions rather than relying on informal field conversations.
Match the service to common project situations
| Project situation | Likely service combination | What must be confirmed |
|---|---|---|
| Small excavation with a short lead time | Local one-call process plus targeted private locating where applicable. | Jurisdictional requirements, mark validity, private facilities, access and protection measures. |
| New roadway or site design | Records, geophysical locating, survey control and SUE documentation at levels selected by the design team. | Corridor limits, utility-owner records, coordinate system, conflict mapping and design deadlines. |
| Foundation or trench near a suspected line | Targeted locating followed by vacuum excavation or a test hole where direct confirmation is needed. | Exact conflict location, exposure depth, restoration, traffic control and safety responsibilities. |
| Dense campus or industrial site | Private-utility investigation using multiple methods, records correlation and a controlled GIS or CAD deliverable. | Owner access, process utilities, abandoned lines, security, shutdown constraints and data maintenance. |
| Penetrations through an existing slab or wall | Concrete scanning with marked exclusions and a documented scan record. | Scan coverage, reinforcement and embedded-service limitations, surface access and approval workflow. |
| Construction closeout or future maintenance | As-found or as-built survey, change documentation and a retained utility record. | Revision control, final coordinates, unresolved uncertainty and handoff format. |
Prevent the most common selection failures
Assuming public marks are complete
Public marks can leave privately owned or site-specific utilities unlocated. Put private facilities in the scope and verify the local one-call process separately.
Buying an instrument instead of an outcome
GPR or electromagnetic locating is a method, not a guarantee. Require the provider to explain site limitations, interpretation and verification.
Requesting “all utilities” without defining the area
That phrase does not identify the corridor width, depth, utility classes, access limits or quality level. Attach a plan and list exclusions and inaccessible areas.
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Leaving uncertainty out of the deliverable
Unmarked ambiguity becomes a field surprise. Require symbols or attributes for low-confidence, conflicting, abandoned and inaccessible indications, with notes explaining the reason.
Accepting a map without survey control
A drawing that cannot be tied to the project coordinate system may be unsuitable for design. Specify control, datum, accuracy and file format before field work.
Comparing only lump-sum prices
Normalize the scope first. Separate optional exposures, traffic control, remobilization, additional areas and higher quality levels so the commercial comparison reflects the same work.
Ignoring schedule and access dependencies
Security escorts, occupied facilities, weather, traffic control and utility-owner response can change the field window. Put these dependencies and the change process in the proposal.
Use recognized guidance when writing the scope
FHWA’s EDC-8 SUE material explains why early utility information reduces the risk of costly surprises and describes the D-through-A quality framework. ASCE/UESI/CI 38-22 is the relevant technical reference for investigating and documenting existing utilities when you need a shared basis for quality-level language. Neither source replaces a project-specific scope, local legal review or a qualified provider’s method statement.
“Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) helps solve this problem by using engineering, surveying, and underground-detection tools to locate and map utilities early in the planning and design process, reducing the risk of costly surprises later.” — Federal Highway Administration, EDC-8 SUE
Use that principle as the selection test: the service should produce information in the form, accuracy and time frame needed to make your project’s next decision. When a bidder cannot state the area, method, limitation, verification, deliverable and responsibility for each part of the work, the proposal is not yet comparable.
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