Searching And Hiring An Underground Cable Locating Provider

According to recent statistics, there are at least 20 million miles of buried utilities in the United States; one underground utility line is damaged every 5-6 minutes because of negligence.

Buried cables and other utilities are really everywhere, even in places where you do not suspect their presence. This is why digging without consulting a cable locating specialist can be dangerous and expensive; you put your life and property at risk, you can affect an entire community by destroying electric lines, you can disrupt communication or water supply and the repairs or replacements will be very costly.

You have the option to purchase a tool and do the locating job yourself, but locating underground cables (especially those installed many years back) can be difficult and require different types of equipment, as well as trained and experienced technicians to use it.

Make the right call

You can benefit from professional Colorado utility location services by calling 811, a federally designated number, free and available in every state, or by visiting call811.com.

Underground cable locators can deliver good services, but there may also be exceptions because, as much as we desire to deal exclusively with reliable service providers, there are also contractors that take your money without providing quality in return. Therefore your part of the job is to ensure that you hire genuine specialists.

Things to look for in a professional underground cable locator

Calling 811 is a guarantee that you will be assigned to certified and trained specialists. However, it is up to you to find out more about the contractor that is going to scan your area, just to be sure that things will go smoothly.

Ask about the company`s background experience and make sure that it has been around doing this business for several years. Check its reputation with the Better Business Bureau and also make sure that it has modern equipment and properly trained technicians to use it according to local project development regulations.

Verify if the contractor has good communication network and, not least, ask about the method of calculating the price; it is important to estimate how much you are going to pay for your project. Some companies charge their clients according to the number of utilities found in the scanned area. This means that you will pay nothing if there is no buried cable in the area, or you will pay quite a lot if utilities are buried all over the place. Other contractors prefer to charge their clients according to the size of the project, which will not generate unexpected costs. Either way, paying for locating underground cables is better than damaging utilities and paying for repairs, replacements and legal problems with authorities that may leave you bankrupt.

Choosing the right specialists for a project is never easy and finding a good underground cable locator makes no exception. However, your effort will ultimately translate into making your money worth and getting the most out of them – all in your best interest, as well as for your own safety and peace of mind.