Why You Might Need 8-1-1 AND a Private Underground Scanning Service

Underground scanning is an important part of any property improvement project that includes any sort of digging or excavation. You want to make sure you avoid hitting buried infrastructure such as utility lines, tanks, or other hazards. 

Typically, a contractor will call 8-1-1 to have someone come out for underground scanning prior to the start of a project. The 8-1-1 service is a free underground scanning service that is largely funded by utility companies. The fact that it’s free makes it an easy decision for most contractors to use the service. However, there are cases when it makes sense to also call in a private underground scanning company, and here’s why: 

Not All Utilities are Public Utilities

The 8-1-1 service will scan for public utility lines—and public utility lines only. They won’t check for buried items like propane tanks, water lines that come from private wells, propane lines, and things of that nature. To locate these types of items, and get a full picture of what is buried on your property, you will need to call in an underground scanning company that scans for private utilities. 

You Often Get What You Pay for When with Underground Scanning

The reality of the 8-1-1 service is that the scanning work they offer is often subcontracted out to the lowest bidder. When an underground scanning company is not being paid very much to do a job, they are likely going to do only the bare minimum. They aren’t going to spend the extra time to verify their findings, and may not even provide you with completely accurate information. It’s the unfortunate reality of this free service. 

If you want to guarantee that you can safely excavate in a certain area, you may want to have 8-1-1’s findings verified by a private underground scanning company.

Defer to Your Contractor

If your contractor recommends bringing in a private scanning company prior to the start of excavation, you should defer to his or her judgement. Contractors are often those who are most at risk of being injured if something like a gas line is hit. 

In addition, a contractor isn’t likely to recommend extra scanning unless they feel it is absolutely necessary. They may have concerns about the accuracy of the 8-1-1 findings, or they may just want to ensure that your project doesn’t incur any delays or additional costs if something is damaged during excavation. Either way, having a second underground scan completed is never a bad idea. 

Hiring a private underground scanning company will be an extra project expense, but it could end up saving you money in the grand scheme of things if they discover something that 8-1-1 missed.