Frequently Asked Questions
We get asked many questions when clients first make an enquiry. Below are some of those more frequently asked along with our answers.
Please do not hesitate to contact us should you not find the answer to your specific question here.
Q.
Why do I need utility plans?
A.
There are a number of reasons why you should know what’s below the surface; you may be planning to carry out excavation works, a feasibility study for land development or designing the route for new utilities to be laid. Without knowing what’s in the ground already, you are putting yourself or your employees at risk of serious injuries or even death, damaging or weakening the utility apparatus that’s already there, and harming the natural environment.
The HSE publishes a guidance document, HSG47 Avoiding danger from underground services, which covers this subject in detail.
Q.
How long will it take for my report to be ready?
A.
Our standard turnaround is twenty working days which allows us enough time to contact each utility owner, chase them if a response isn’t forthcoming and collate your report. We do offer a FastTrack Service if you have an urgent requirement, but always recommend our standard and most thorough service by default.
Q.
How large an area can I search?
Map Area
Sample Map area extracted from one of our Reports.
A.
You can search as large or as small an area as you need, but our default search covers an area of around 200m x 200m, printed on A4 at a scale of 1:1250. Please note that this can vary somewhat depending on the responses we receive from utility owners. If you need to search a much larger area, please contact us for a bespoke quotation.
Q.
What is included in the search report?
A.
Each report contains, as a minimum:
Our search for which utility owners have apparatus in the works area
Records of which utility owners we contacted and when
Records of the responses we received and when
The responses we received, including the plans provided, legends and covering letters
Your request and a marked up drawing of the works area
Q.
Can I search for a specific utility only, such as electricity cables or fresh water mains?
A.
Yes you can, but please consider whether or not you should! Utility apparatus may have been laid in unexpected locations and it’s better to receive a dozen negative confirmations than it is to miss one positive. We don’t charge per utility owner in the area, so there are no cost implications to having a complete search.
Q.
Why do some searches cost more money than others?
A.
We only charge for the search and report itself, any fluctuations in cost are due to payments we have had to make to utility owners. While the majority will respond for free, some utility owners do charge varying amounts – sometimes the same fee to search regardless of whether or not they own apparatus in the area! We pass these charges as disbursements, without any uplift or ‘administration’ charges.
Q.
How will my report be delivered?
A.
As standard we will provide you with your report by email, compiled into a single PDF file, with any associated guidance notes or other associated documents included as additional attachments. On occasion, usually due to a large number of positive responses, the compiled report may be of too large a file size to send by email. In these cases we will upload your report to our electronic document management system and provide you with a link for access. This link will remain available for 90 days.
We can also provide you with your report in a hard copy format, bound into a project file.
There is a small additional charge per copy for this service.
If you have any special requirements then please do not hesitate to contact us using the details below. We will be happy to discuss your needs further.