Complete the pre-dig checks
Contact the official local locate service, confirm permit needs, establish boundaries and review easements. Identify private services that public locating may not cover.
Prepare access and logistics
Measure gates and overhead clearance, identify weak pavement, choose spoil and truck areas, protect retained trees and plan for mud, dust, noise and weather.
Record and communicate
Photograph existing conditions. Share emergency contacts, work hours, exclusion areas and stop-work triggers with everyone involved. Never enter an unprotected excavation.
Safety note: Utility locating does not replace safe excavation practice. Requirements differ by location and conditions; use qualified professionals and follow the authority having jurisdiction.
Questions to ask
- What information or assumptions is this plan based on?
- Who is responsible for locates, permits, survey control and inspection?
- What site condition would stop or change the work?
- How are quantities, changes and disposal documented?
- What records remain when the work is complete?
Last reviewed: September 24, 2026. Educational information only.