Understand the evidence before the work.

Read the response, not just the ticket number

A request starts communication. It does not establish that every utility has responded. Compare the notified-operator list, individual response statuses, work limits and physical markings. Keep a record of unresolved questions and use the center’s follow-up process.

Sources: Kansas 811 — Kansas ticket status and excavator tools ↗ · Missouri 811 — Missouri excavator responsibilities and status lookup ↗

Build a usable job record

Suggested documentation checklist: ticket number and versions; work limits; scheduled start and expiration; operator responses; dated photographs; relevant conversations; changed conditions; and the reason for any follow-up request. This is an editorial checklist, not a statement of every legal record-retention duty.

Sources: Missouri Revisor of Statutes — RSMo 319.026 — excavation notices ↗ · Missouri 811 — Missouri One-Call enforcement contacts and forms ↗

Choose the right technical reference

Equipment guidance is model-specific. Read the manufacturer’s manual and complete appropriate training before selecting a connection or operating mode. A displayed signal or depth estimate needs interpretation; it is not an independent guarantee of facility identity.

Sources: Radiodetection — RD5100 cable and pipe locator user guide ↗

Treat radar depth as an estimate

Radar interpretation depends on survey conditions and calibration. GSSI’s handbook explains how scan density and the assumed subsurface properties affect target position and depth estimates. A blank scan is not proof that no utility exists.

Sources: GSSI — Utility locating with GPR handbook ↗

Field glossary

811

The notification service connecting a planned excavation to participating underground-facility operators.

Positive response

An operator’s recorded response to a locate request. The available statuses and follow-up rules vary by state.

Approximate location

The area indicated for a facility under the applicable state definition; it is not a survey-grade alignment.

BEAD

Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment. Research award evidence separately from construction progress.

GPR

Ground penetrating radar. Its interpreted reflections and depth estimates depend on equipment and ground conditions.

GIS

Geographic information system: tools and data for storing and analyzing spatial information. A map’s source and accuracy matter.

GNSS / RTK

Satellite positioning / real-time kinematic correction. Positioning quality does not by itself validate the identity of a buried asset.