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The Secrets to Successful Private Utility Locating

Finding the right private utility locator can make all the difference in your next construction project. Private utility locating, or sewer locating, is an art that requires patience and skill to be performed well. It’s not something that just anyone can do, so you’ll want to choose your locator carefully if you want a fast, reliable excavation with minimal costs or delays.
Here are some secrets on how to get great results from your private utility locating.

1: How to Choose a Private Utility Locator

Private utility locating

There are some factors that you need to consider when choosing an experienced and qualified private utility locator for your project. The first step is to make sure that you’re dealing with a legitimate professional. You can check for licensing and make sure that your candidate is a member of trade organizations. A private locator should also have experience locating water, gas, electric, sewer, and telecommunications services on private property. They also should be able to provide references and submit proof of insurance. Finally, it’s always a good idea to ask about how long they’ve been in business; staying in business after providing utility location service for many years or more speaks volumes about their level of professionalism and expertise.

2: How Much Does Private Utility Locating Cost?

Keep in mind that prices can vary depending on where you live and whether you’re working for a private company or a public entity, so it’s best to have a discussion with your client about their budget before beginning work.
For example, if your utility locating services will be performed for a private company, your client may not have much money available for paying locators. On the other hand, when your job is located by a municipality or state agency, funding may come from taxpayer dollars and some of those funds might be allocated to projects such as utility mapping. The only way to determine how much your job is worth is by comparing bids with other locators and service providers in your area.

3: What is Private Utility Locating Used For?

The process of locating utilities can be used for a variety of purposes, whether it is an individual digging their trench in their backyard or a construction company expanding utilities throughout an entire city. There are many reasons why someone may want to locate a specific utility and certain challenges that come with it. Regardless of what you use private utility locating for, however, you can take to make sure your project goes smoothly.

4: 3 Tips for Hiring the Best Private Utility Locating

There are a lot of companies that offer private utility locating services. But not all of them provide consistently high quality. Here are three tips for hiring and working with an established, trusted company.
  1. Verify That They’re Licensed: A good place to start is verifying that your potential vendor is licensed by your state’s public utility commission (PUC). You can easily do so online on their official website in most cases by doing a simple search for locates license number (or similar search terms) along with their business name; you should be able to find it within seconds.
  2. Make Sure Their Team Has Experience: Next, make sure they have experience locating utilities. All private companies dealing with locating utilities must be highly skilled in both locating technologies and knowing how to effectively work with utility companies.
  3. Ensure They Have a Good Reputation: It’s also important to check out a company’s reputation among other contractors or employees in your field (especially if you don’t already know them personally).
If you already know people who do what you do, ask around about your potential vendor—do they get good recommendations. Is it easy for them to find reliable people?

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