Private Utility Locating

Discover Banning Engineering’s Private Utility Locating Services

Your Trusted Partner for Precision and Safety.

Within the engineering and surveying industry, we’ve built a reputation synonymous with quality, efficiency, and integrity. Now, we’re excited to be your go-to team for private utility locating. Whether you’re embarking on a new project, managing an existing site, or seeking clarity on your existing utility infrastructure, our private utility experts are here to assist you every step of the way. By harnessing Banning Engineering’s diverse market expertise, we gain an advantage that sets us apart from other locating companies. Our incredible inhouse resources allow us to create a comprehensive, high-quality product setting us apart from others within the locating community.

Why Choose Banning Engineering?

  • Accurate Locates: Our skilled technicians specialize in pinpointing and marking a wide variety of underground utilities. Using cutting-edge equipment and advanced technology, we deliver precise results.
  • Safety First: Our commitment to safety extends to both our team and our partners. We prioritize accuracy and safety, ensuring peace of mind for everyone involved.
  • Trusted Partnership: Banning Engineering is more than just a service provider; we’re your trusted partner. Count on us to tailor our expertise to your unique private utility locating needs.

Services – Private Utility Locating

Did you know that approximately 65% of all underground utilities are privately owned and remain unmapped? Banning Engineering bridges this gap. Let us help you navigate the privately owned underground landscape with confidence. Our experienced locate technicians and extensive market knowledge empower us to expertly tailor solutions to your specific requirements.

While calling 811 is essential and required by law it doesn’t offer a comprehensive view of the spider web of private utilities below the surface. Our private locating team will not only identify the private utilities, but help supplement the public utilities as well. Our process ensures no unforeseen surprises arise. This promotes safety and helps keep your project on schedule.

Public vs. Private Utilities

Understanding the Differences

While the design of utilities remains consistent, the distinction lies in ownership. Let’s explore the key differences:

Public Utilities

  • Ownership: Public utilities are owned by utility companies or service providers.
  • Locating Process: The locating process for public utilities is managed by the state’s one-call service (usually 811).
  • Regulations: Each state has specific rules governing requirements and regulations for public utilities.
  • Record Availability: Records for public utilities are accurate and readily accessible to locate technicians.

Private Utilities

  • Ownership: The majority of underground utilities are privately owned.
  • Risk Factors: Private utilities pose higher risks to designers and excavators due to limited information.
  • Call Before You Dig: The “call before you dig” service does not cover private utilities.
  • Record Challenges: There are often fewer accurate records for private utilities and sometimes no physical records exist.

Advanced Technology in Private Locating

Banning Engineering employs the most state-of-the-art equipment which is essential for accurately pinpointing the location of private and publicly owned utilities.

  • Inductive and Conductive Electromagnetic (EM) Equipment: By using these advanced tools Banning can accurately show the horizontal location of metallic or conductive utilities both public and private buried beneath the earth’s surface.
  • Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR): Using GPR allows us the ability to find or locate utilities that might not otherwise be found or located using conventional EM methods.

What to Expect?

At the completion of each project, our technicians will compile all the information we have collected and provide a Sub-Surface Utility Report detailing the aspect of the locate itself and giving better insight into what is underground regardless of if the utilities are public or private.

Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)

At Banning we can aid in your SUE efforts. By using our expertise within the utility industry, we can help provide information compliant with industry-recognized quality levels.

  • Quality Level-D (QL-D): QL-D is provided by using the most basic level of information about utility locations. It comes only from existing utility records or even sometimes personal recollections. Both alone should not be considered reliable, but we can use this information to help piece together the puzzle.
  • Quality Level-C (QL-C): QL-C is the most widely used level. It involves surveying any visible utility structures (e.g., pedestals, manholes, valve boxes, catch basins, etc.). This information should be compiled with information from QL-D. When compiled information from QL-D and C conflict, this also helps provide a more accurate depiction of what exists underground.
  • Quality Level-B (QL-B): QL-B is obtained by employing non-invasive locating techniques such as EM or GPR to verify the existence and horizontal location of existing utilities, both public and private. QL-B can aid in the preliminary design and engineering goals while not disrupting the site.
  • Quality Level-A (QL-A): QL-A provides the highest accuracy. It encompasses all SUE levels and uses safe methods to expose utilities, figuring out depth, size, and construction material. If QL-A is desired, Banning Engineering can partner with a daylighting service for the best results.

When to Utilize Private Locating Services?

  • Engineering/Design
  • Construction/Excavation
  • Pre-Construction
For more information, please contact:

Jordan Starkey
Utilities Coordinator
Email: jstarkey@banning-eng.com

Private Utility Locate Request Form