What Is Private Utility Locating?

Private utility locating is a professional service that identifies and documents buried utilities that may not be covered by 811 markings. It is commonly used on private property, commercial sites, and design-phase projects where accurate verification is required before excavation, construction, or planning decisions are made.

If you have ever broken ground on a project and hit something nobody knew was there, you already understand why this service exists. Private locating fills the gap between what 811 covers and what is actually in the ground.

Why 811 Isn't the Same Thing

811 is a notification system that coordinates public utility marking before excavation. It is essential and legally required in Colorado, but it is not designed to locate everything underground. Specifically, 811 does not cover:

• Privately owned utilities beyond the meter or service delineation point
• Irrigation, landscape lighting, or site electrical on private property
• Abandoned or decommissioned infrastructure
• Utilities owned by entities that are not UNCC members
• Infrastructure on sites with no recorded as-built documentation

When a project requires knowledge of what exists beyond the scope of 811, private locating is the appropriate next step.

Common Projects That Need Private Locating

Private locating is not limited to one industry or project type. It is commonly required for:

• Commercial construction and tenant improvements: New buildings, parking expansions, and site grading on commercial property where private utilities serve the site.
• Residential renovation and additions: Homeowners adding pools, outbuildings, or new service connections where private lines cross the yard.
• Real estate due diligence: Property acquisitions, Phase I/II environmental assessments, and site evaluations where underground conditions affect value or buildability.
• Road and infrastructure projects: Road widening, sidewalk installation, and utility relocations where existing conditions must be verified before design is finalized.
• Fiber and telecommunications installation: Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) and trenching operations where utility conflicts must be identified before boring begins.
• Design-phase engineering support: Providing field-verified utility data to engineers during the design phase to reduce change orders and conflicts during construction.

What Private Locating Typically Covers

Private locating is used to identify infrastructure such as:

• Private electric and lighting circuits
• Water and irrigation lines
• Private storm and sanitary sewer systems
• Fire suppression and sprinkler lines
• Site lighting, gate controls, and low-voltage communication systems
• Undocumented or "unknown" lines on older sites
• Gas piping on private property (beyond the meter)

Technology Used in Private Locating

Professional private locating relies primarily on electromagnetic locating (EML) technology. A transmitter applies a signal to a target utility, either through direct connection to an accessible point, induction from the surface, or detection of passive signals already present on energized lines. A handheld receiver then traces the signal path and estimates depth.

The method used depends on site conditions and access. Direct connection provides the best accuracy and signal clarity. Induction is used when no access point is available. Passive mode detects power or radio frequency signals without applying any external signal. A skilled locator selects the right method for each utility and each site condition. There is no single setting that works everywhere.

In some cases, ground penetrating radar (GPR) may be used as a supplemental tool, particularly for non-metallic utilities like plastic or concrete pipe that cannot carry an electromagnetic signal. GPR sends radar pulses into the ground and reads reflections from subsurface features. It is useful but has limitations; soil type, moisture, and depth all affect results.

What You Get: Deliverables Beyond Paint

A good private locate is not just markings on the ground, it is clarity that lives beyond the day the work is done. Depending on scope, deliverables may include:

• Surface markings: Paint and/or flags following APWA color codes, showing the approximate path of each located utility.
• Marked-up site maps: Annotated maps or sketches showing utility paths relative to site features, buildings, or excavation areas.
• Written reports: Documentation of what was located, what methods were used, what could not be located, and any limitations or recommendations.
• GIS-compatible data: For projects that require integration into engineering or asset management systems, locate data can be captured with GNSS positioning and delivered as shapefiles, feature classes, or KML files.
• Photo documentation: Site photos showing markings, access points, and conditions relevant to the locate.

The level of documentation depends on the project. A residential locate may only require paint and a brief summary. A design-phase investigation for a commercial development may require full GIS deliverables and an engineering-support exhibit. A qualified provider will scope deliverables to match the project need.

Cost Considerations vs. Risk

Private locating is a professional service, and it has a cost. But that cost needs to be weighed against the alternative: hitting something you did not know was there.

A single utility strike can result in:

• Emergency repair costs ranging from a few thousand to over $100,000 depending on the utility type
• Project delays of days to weeks while repairs are completed and inspections are passed
• Regulatory fines and potential OSHA involvement for safety incidents
• Liability exposure for damage to third-party infrastructure
• Loss of reputation and future project opportunities

In nearly every case, the cost of a private locate is a fraction of the cost of a single utility strike. For high-risk excavations, especially in Colorado where dense utility corridors are common along the Front Range, the math is straightforward.

Colorado-Specific Context

Colorado presents unique challenges for utility locating. Front Range communities like Denver, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and their surrounding suburbs have experienced rapid growth, resulting in dense utility corridors with infrastructure from multiple eras. It is common to encounter utilities on Colorado sites that are not documented in any available records.

Additionally, Colorado's soil conditions vary significantly from clay-heavy soils along the Front Range to rocky conditions in the foothills and mountains. These conditions affect both locating accuracy and excavation risk, making field verification even more important.

The goal of private locating is simple: reduce uncertainty. When projects rely on assumptions, schedules slip and risk goes up. Field verification keeps work predictable. If you are unsure whether your project needs private locating, read more about when to hire a private locator or what happens during a utility locate.