Excavation homeowner tool

Dig Site Utility Locate Checklist

Use this before anyone digs. It helps homeowners document the dig area, utility locate status, site access, depth assumptions, known services, and questions to ask an excavation contractor.

Last updated Jul 11, 2026.

Before digging

Prepare the dig area before excavation starts

Dig type

Dig timing

Site complexity

Dig risk flags

No locate yetUtility locate status is unknown or not requested.Private servicesIrrigation, drainage, private electrical, wells, septic, or old services may be present.Tight accessNarrow gate, slope, overhead wires, finished landscaping, or limited staging.Near foundationDigging near footings, basement walls, retaining walls, or drainage.

Recommended next step

Clarify locate and access assumptions

There are buried service, access, or foundation questions that should be clarified before work is scheduled.

Priority

Soon

Flags

Prep before quotes

Photograph the dig area from multiple angles and mark the planned boundaries.
Write down target depth, length, width, backfill, compaction, haul-off, and restoration expectations.
Collect any old plans, surveys, irrigation maps, utility records, septic records, or previous contractor notes.
Mark start and end points, depth target, known services, utility locate status, and restoration area.
Collect existing photos, rough goals, property constraints, and must-have dates before asking for pricing.
Mark the work area and note any access limits, parking limits, pets, tenants, or work-hour restrictions.

Questions for the excavation contractor

Who requests and confirms utility locates before digging?
What private utility risks are not covered by public locates?
What is included for hand digging, shoring, backfill, compaction, haul-off, and surface restoration?
Who handles utility locates, hand digging near marks, bedding, backfill, compaction, inspection, and restoration?

Compare these assumptions

Locate and private-utility process
Excavation depth, width, access, equipment, and hand work
Backfill, compaction, spoil haul-off, and restoration
Trenching only, trench plus backfill, and full service coordination

Find excavation contractors

Why utility locates belong in the first conversation

Digging can hit buried gas, power, telecom, irrigation, drainage, sewer, or private services. This tool keeps the conversation focused on locate status, dig limits, hand digging, access, spoil, depth, and restoration.

The output is quote prep, not a permit ruling, engineering decision, health assessment, or final scope. Confirm technical and legal requirements with the relevant authority and qualified professionals before work starts.

Four details to settle before quotes

These are the assumptions most likely to make two quotes look similar while covering different work.

Locate status

Confirm public utility locate requests and ask about private utilities that may not be marked.

Depth and limits

Depth, length, width, setbacks, slope, and hand-dig zones all change excavation assumptions.

Access and spoil

Machine access, dump locations, haul-off, backfill, compaction, and surface restoration should be clear.

Active services

Gas, power, water, sewer, irrigation, drainage, and telecom risks should be discussed before digging.

Excavation Contractor tool FAQ

Should I contact BC 1 Call before a small digging project?

BC 1 Call tells homeowners to click or call before outdoor digging projects, including small projects such as posts, decks, retaining walls, patios, gardens, and residential construction.

Do utility locates mark every buried line?

Not always. Public locate processes may not identify every private line such as irrigation, private drainage, private electrical runs, or homeowner-installed services. Ask the contractor how private utilities are handled.

What should I send an excavation contractor?

Send photos, exact dig area, depth and size assumptions, locate status, known services, access limits, spoil plan, backfill needs, and restoration expectations.