Setting control and locate survices

I'll be interested in answers to your question, because when I asked several surveyors around here during an informal meeting, all I got were shrugs and side-eyed glances around the room.

I think RADAR posted something several months ago about a One-Call rep coming to a LSAW meeting to "explain" more about the new requirements. :-/ :-S

I have a current project where the client and architect have been trying for two months to get the site BlueStaked for water and sewer. They have called repeatedly. As soon as the powers that be hear it is for a survey they lose interest.

In Pennsylvania you are only required to call if you are "using powered equipment" so a stake and a hammer wouldn't qualify. The farming community has an exemption to 16 or 18 inches. Also if I am one of 5 contractors working, and excavating, on the same site, all 5 of us are required to make a call, now that's crazy

If you are breaking the surface you are an excavator! Setting control points is excavating. They should be out there ASAP!

Do not call and say, "I need the locates for mapping purposes".

joe

In most cases, there is a minimum depth that service lines are to be buried.

Locally, I have mowed telephone lines that were hidden in deep grass.

When they wind up too close to the surface, you are not entirely responsible.

My understanding is that in Texas we are allowed 16"± before being responsible for any damage.

At least it was an irrigation line. That is easily fixed with a union.

😉

> If you are breaking the surface you are an excavator! Setting control points is excavating. They should be out there ASAP!
>
> Do not call and say, "I need the locates for mapping purposes".
>
> joe

All good, but...this case illustrates that if I were intending to breakdown a section, I would have to request perhaps 40,000 linear feet, say 5' wide, for 200,000 sqft over 4 miles of road, just to be able to go out and traverse and set points at random.

That doesn't seem like it will work for anyone.

In Florida, they specifically excluded surveyors from the requirement, meaning that surveyors don't have to call, and "sunshine" (our utility location hotline) doesn't have to mark for us ... ever. We are excluded from liability if we damage a public utilities at less than 18" of depth, which happens to be the minimum length of a property corner monument. But, that only applies to public utilities. An irrigation line would not be marked, anyway, and you'd likely be responsible for repair. I once broke a lady's "invisible dog fence". I didn't even realize I broke it. She called and complained and I paid her $75 cost of repair. I suspect her dogs got shocked all day long before she came from work, too...

I don't know about your state & utility location services, but in Virginia a private irrigation line would not be located by Miss Utility. Just public utilities.

And yes in Virginia surveyors are technically covered for even putting a 60 penny spike in the ground for a traverse station.

Yes, it is insane. I don't know the answer. But, trying to get them to come out and mark every place I might dig or drive something into the ground on a job to breakdown a section, then set corners to a few large tracts, then set line stakes at reasonable locations along the long sides, etc. would be beyond comprehension.

It would be bad enough on an in-town job where it might be necessary to not only mark every conceivable area where I might search for an existing monument but in the adjoining blocks, as well.

:good: :good: :good:

When I worked for a city no one cared about sprinkler lines. They are so cheap to fix that when hit the hitter just fixes them, usually $2 worth of parts.

I'd just be happy if they showed up!

> When traversing down a road, what are you supposed to do?
>
> The law seems to say I have to get a locate any time and any reason for breaking the surface of the ground.
>
> Should I attempt to show the insanity of this by requesting a locate along both sides of 2000' feet of roadway, in case I need to set control? And repeat for every job I do?
>
> The current situation seems to be that there should be a complete locate of any area that I am headed to for almost any part of any field work that I do. Can you imagine the expense to OneCall?
>
> How do others deal with this?

Perhaps this is a situation where the State Society should meet with the 'one call' people, explain the absurdity of the current regulations, and work to have the regulations revised. An uphill battle for sure.

Ken

There is right and there is wrong. Having to call locating services for surveying work is just plain "goofy". Every year life gets more complicated. Goofy regs. is why.
Every time one new reg. is created another one should be abolished

Apparently this is becoming a bigger issue in Kentucky. The past few state society meetings I have attended, it has been discussed. Apparently there were some 2012 changes to the legislation which have brought the subject more to light.

I can certainly see the need for powered excavation to need utility locates.

Part of the law for 811 in Kentucky is an exemption for:

"(4) Excavators excavating on private property, using nonmechanized equipment, if there is no encroachment on any operator’s right-of-way or easement;"

If there is no recorded documentation of a deeded r/w or easement and no visible evidence of a prescriptive easement - is a surveyor free to poke the ground with a shovel or set a pin? Or does the shovel or hammer make the action 'Mechanized'?

From what I am hearing, it might be wise to call every lot survey I do in. Seems like a lot of work for someone marking utilities may be coming up.