# SureTrace private utility consulting framework

Reusable engagement definition: scope, deliverables, and pricing.

## Document header

- **Document ID:** STC-FW-001
- **Revision:** v1.0
- **Effective:** 2026-07-24
- **Prepared by:** SureTrace Consulting & Training

## Scope of work

A SureTrace engagement moves through three phases. The activities below describe what is included in each phase, and the outcome the project team can expect to see when the phase closes.

### Pre-field intelligence

Outcome: A defensible project plan before boots hit the site.

Activities:

- Review existing as-built records, prior locating reports, and any private utility documentation already on file.
- Interview site contacts, facility managers, and previous contractors about known and unknown private assets.
- Identify high-risk zones: building entries, utility corridors, recent excavations, and historically missed segments.
- Establish 811 vs private demarcation so the field team knows exactly where the public ticket stops.

### Field detection sweep

Outcome: Ground-truthed private utility data on the ground.

Activities:

- Deploy complementary geophysical methods (GPR, EML, RF/EM induction, sonde tracing) wherever signal conditions allow.
- Mark findings using APWA color code with private-line indicators so the marks are unambiguous on plan and in field.
- Survey mark-outs to project coordinate system with handheld GPS or RTK where accuracy matters.
- Record depth estimates, signal confidence, and assumptions for every point.

### Diligence + verification

Outcome: A delivery the project team can act on without surprises.

Activities:

- Cross-check field findings against mark-out tickets, prior reports, and known utility owner records.
- Pothole or vacuum-excavate conflict points where horizontal accuracy is critical.
- Document assumptions, signal-strength notes, and limitations transparently.
- Hand off deliverable to client with a closeout briefing.

## Deliverables

Every closed engagement includes the deliverables below. Format and depth are confirmed in the scope boundary check during pre-field preparation.

### Marked and surveyed site

Field markings in APWA color code with private-line indicators; surveyed coordinates delivered in the project datum.

**Format:** On-site + GeoJSON / KMZ / shapefile

### Field report

Per-utility narrative of methods used, signal confidence, depth estimates, and limitations — written so a non-locator can read it.

**Format:** PDF with appended coordinates

### Findings map

Clean cartographic deliverable overlaid on the project base map, callable in the field by phone or tablet.

**Format:** PDF + interactive KMZ

### Recommendations memo

Prioritized list of follow-up actions: where to pothole, where further geophysics is warranted, and what to require of subcontractors.

**Format:** PDF, 1–3 pages

### Closeout briefing

Live walk-through with the project team to confirm they understand the deliverables, the limitations, and the path forward.

**Format:** 30–60 min, in-person or remote

## Pricing

Indicative starting pricing. Final pricing is set in the scope-boundary agreement before mobilization and depends on footprint, geophysical complexity, and access constraints.

| Tier | Best for | Starting at (per) | Includes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Targeted scope | Single trench, single building, or known corridor. | $1,800 (per site visit) | Up to 0.5 acre footprint; One geophysical method sweep; Mark-out + survey; One-page findings memo |
| Standard engagement | Pre-construction survey for a typical commercial or institutional site. | $4,500 (per site) | Up to 5 acre footprint; Multi-method sweep (GPR + EML + RF); Mark-out, survey, and field report; Findings map + recommendations memo; Closeout briefing |
| Program retainer | Owners with rolling capital work across multiple sites per year. | $12,000 (per quarter) | Up to 6 site visits per quarter; Standard engagement deliverables each visit; Quarterly program review; Priority scheduling |

## Field-tech assessment checklist

Use this checklist on every engagement. Items are confirmed before the field team leaves the site.

### 1. Pre-field preparation

_Before the GPR or EML comes out of the truck._

- [ ] **Existing utility records reviewed** — As-builts, prior locate reports, facility maps imported or printed for the truck.
- [ ] **Site interviews logged** — Facility contact, prior contractors, anyone with historical context.
- [ ] **811 ticket status confirmed** — Public utilities are a separate scope — verify the ticket is clear or expired before private work begins.
- [ ] **Scope boundary agreed in writing** — Footprint, depth-of-interest, accuracy tolerance, and exclusions confirmed with the client before mobilizing.
- [ ] **Site hazards walked** — Overhead lines, confined spaces, traffic plan, biological / chemical, lone-worker check.

### 2. Geophysical sweep (GPR / EML / RF)

_On the ground, working systematically across the footprint._

- [ ] **GPR grid spacing matched to target size** — 0.5 m for thin utilities, 1.0 m for larger targets; tighter where obstructions pull anomalies.
- [ ] **Active EML applied where conductors exist** — Direct-connect or clamp where accessible; inductive only as fallback.
- [ ] **Passive RF / broadcast-tuned** — Sweep for live power, CATV, telecom — distinguish from induced or rerouted signals.
- [ ] **Known target QC passed** — At least one known utility located on site as a sanity check before reading anomalies.
- [ ] **Anomalies logged with confidence rating** — High / medium / low — every anomaly gets a coordinate and a reason for the rating.

### 3. Mark-out + survey

_Translating detection into something the project team can use._

- [ ] **APWA color code + private-line indicator used** — Paint, flags, or whiskers per condition; "P" or dashed pattern for private lines.
- [ ] **Survey tied to project control** — Handheld GPS, RTK, or total station per the agreed coordinate system and accuracy tolerance.
- [ ] **Depth annotations recorded** — Numerical or categorical (shallow / medium / deep) — whichever the project team agreed to.
- [ ] **As-found sketch retained** — Pencil / tablet sketch of field conditions captured before leaving the site.

### 4. 811 vs private demarcation

_Closing the gap between public-ticket obligations and private findings._

- [ ] **Public utility response physically verified** — Do not assume the 811 locator has marked everything; walk the marks before cross-referencing with private findings.
- [ ] **Private utilities flagged distinctly** — Different paint, flag color, or symbol — anything that prevents a sub from confusing them with the public ticket.
- [ ] **Coverage gap noted on the deliverable** — Any zone between the public-ticket marks and the private sweep edge is called out, not implied.

### 5. Deliverables confirmation

_Closing the engagement cleanly._

- [ ] **Field report drafted before leaving site** — Notes from the truck, not a reconstruction three days later.
- [ ] **Recommendations memo reviewed** — Pothole list, follow-up geos, subcontractor requirements — drafted while the site is fresh.
- [ ] **Hand-off briefing scheduled** — Date, attendees, agenda confirmed with the client before the report goes out.

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_SureTrace Consulting & Training — Private utility detection, training, and damage prevention guidance._