The Two Halves of Safe Digging
If you are gearing up for a digging project—whether it’s installing a sprinkler system at your Denver home or excavating a new commercial foundation in Aurora—you know you need to get your utilities marked.
However, one of the most common points of confusion in the construction and landscaping industries is understanding the difference between the free 811 service and a private utility locating company. Which one do you need?
The short answer: For a truly safe project, you almost always need both. Let’s break down exactly why.
What is 811 (Public Utility Locating)?
811 is the national “Call Before You Dig” phone number. In Colorado, calling 811 connects you to Colorado 811, a non-profit organization that routes your dig request to local public utility companies.
- What they mark: Publicly owned utilities like municipal water mains, main sewer lines, natural gas distribution lines, and primary electrical and telecommunications cables.
- Cost: Free.
- Is it required? Yes, it is required by Colorado law to contact 811 at least two to three business days before any excavation.
The Catch: Public utility companies will only mark the lines they own and maintain. Their responsibility, and therefore their paint marks, end at your service meter.
What is a Private Utility Locator?
A private utility locator, like JLP Tech, is an independent company hired to find everything that 811 legally cannot and will not mark.
Once a utility line passes through the meter and enters your private property or building, it becomes your responsibility. The city does not have maps of these lines, and 811 will not locate them.
- What we mark: Everything past the meter. This includes electrical lines running to detached garages, private septic systems, irrigation lines, propane pipes, and communication cables between office buildings on a commercial campus.
- The Technology: We use advanced Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) and Electromagnetic (EM) detection to find both metallic and non-metallic lines that aren’t on any public record.
- Cost: Paid service, but fundamentally cheaper than the cost of repairing a damaged line.
Why You Need Both for Complete Peace of Mind
Relying solely on 811 leaves a massive blind spot on your property. In fact, on many commercial and residential properties, over half of the buried infrastructure is privately owned.
If a landscaping crew relies only on 811 and subsequently strikes a private electrical line running to a pool heater, the property owner is entirely on the hook for the repair costs—and the safety of the crew is put in severe jeopardy.
The JLP Tech Approach
For maximum safety and project efficiency, the best practice is to make 811 your first step, and JLP Tech your second. Once the public locators have marked the right-of-ways, our expert Colorado-based technicians step in to scan your specific dig site, filling in the gaps and ensuring you have a 100% complete map of the subsurface.
Don’t guess with your property or your safety. Get the full picture before you break ground!