When you’re planning to build something from the ground up, utility locating services are an important part of the construction process. If you don’t use them, you could run into some serious issues when it comes time to do landscaping or finish work like laying tile floors or painting walls. They’re also important for new businesses that need to bring in utilities like power, Internet, and cable television to their premises. Utility locators use modern equipment to detect and mark underground electrical, communication, and water lines so they can be avoided during building or remodelling projects.
The Benefits of Hiring a Locator Service
underground utility locating services can help you find hidden dangers in new construction sites before it’s too late. The majority of underground utility locate jobs occur in a three to four-week period, with locating activities taking place during non-business hours to minimize traffic disruption and business interference. A locator will work hard to verify all existing utility information while also pinpointing new utilities that were not previously identified by your surveying contractor. This data will be used to create a plot plan, which is then reviewed by you, planning and permitting officials, and other relevant stakeholders as required. These reviews ensure your project stays on schedule and budget.
The Role of Underground Utility Locators in Construction Zones
Most utility locators are also called locating specialists or simply locators. The term utility is broadly applied and includes, but is not limited to electricity, water, natural gas, and sewer lines. All of these utilities are legally required to maintain clear and safe pathways so that they can perform their functions without interruption during a new construction project. These paths will take utilities around trees, buildings, fences, and other obstructions that might be in their way. Although you may not notice them on a day-to-day basis, underground utility lines must be laid out with great care because they can play an important role in maintaining public safety as well as preventing bodily harm caused by normal wear and tear on old and decaying pipes buried below ground level.
Why It Is Important to Call an Expert When Going into A New Building Site
A new building site can be dangerous if you don’t know what you are doing. If you have any type of excavation being done, call a professional utility locator. This will make sure that all underground utilities (gas, water, and sewer lines) are located before any excavations take place on a building site. The fact is that utility companies want their property found before it is damaged or destroyed by someone digging in an area without the knowledge of their location. They also don’t want to see anyone injured because they were unaware of where these things were located. Many people think that when something has been buried for many years, there is no way for them to be located. This isn’t true at all! Many times, older items such as gas lines and even sewers from over 100 years ago can still be found today with just a little bit of research into old city maps. It doesn’t matter how long something has been buried, chances are good that it can still be found with a little bit of work!
Things To Look Out for When Using Locator Reports
It’s important to read between lines while looking over utility locator reports since they can’t give you a completely exact picture of what lies below your feet. The major potential issues or problems are highlighted by locators and reported uniformly on all locator reports, but what they don’t show is whether these problems will be directly under where you want to build. The best utility locators won’t make an absolute claim about what is under your proposed building site; instead, they leave it up to you to figure out which locations on their report warrant further investigation.
Why Hiring an Expert Makes Sense Even If You Are a Diyar?
It’s a scary thought but in many new construction areas, excavation can be a dangerous business. There are some things that even a skilled do-it-yourself shouldn’t try to tackle on their own, and utility locating is one of them. A professional locator can find what you can’t see because they are trained to understand how things work below ground. Not only will they uncover buried utilities before they become major problems, but an experienced locator will also ensure that you have all of your permits before doing any digging at all. A quality utility locator will have already checked local ordinances and reports from other professionals so that you don’t have to waste valuable time with these tasks when starting your project. An expert locator knows where to look for hidden dangers and how to help make sure that your new construction site is safe.
