SDL Utility Locating – Private Utility Locating Company SDL Utility Locating, a division of Smart Digging LLC, is your trusted partner for safe and accurate utility locating.

Residential, Commercial & Industrial Projects

Accuracy starts below the surface.

“We See What Others Can’t. We Locate What Others Won’t.”

Residential Utility Locating

Protect Your Home, Your Family, and Your Investment

Before any digging begins on a residential property, knowing what’s buried underground is critical. SDL Utility Locating provides professional private utility locating services that go beyond what the 811 system covers – helping homeowners avoid costly damage, delays, and safety hazards.

What Homeowners Need to Know

Call 811 First  – It’s the Law
Illinois law requires homeowners to contact 811 before digging. Public utility companies will mark utilities they own -typically from the street to the meter.

What 811 Does Not Mark
The 811 system does not locate private utility lines on your property. These unmarked lines are where many residential utility strikes occur.

Private Utility Locating

After 811 completes public markings, SDL Utility Locating identifies and marks private utilities such as:

  • Electric lines to garages, sheds, or outbuildings
  • Gas lines for grills, fireplaces, heaters, or pools
  • Water and irrigation lines
  • Sewer laterals
  • Landscape lighting and control wiring

Residential Benefits

  • Prevent expensive utility damage and repairs
  • Avoid service interruptions and safety risks
  • Protect landscaping, driveways, and hardscapes
  • Gain peace of mind before any digging or drilling

By combining 811 public markings with private utility locating from SDL Utility Locating, homeowners ensure their entire property is properly marked – reducing risk and protecting their investment.

Commercial Utility Locating

Minimize Risk. Maintain Compliance. Keep Projects Moving.

Commercial excavation projects demand accuracy, coordination, and accountability. SDL Utility Locating delivers comprehensive underground utility locating services that help contractors, developers, and property owners avoid costly delays and dangerous utility strikes.

Comprehensive Subsurface Coverage

While 811 marks public utilities up to the meter, SDL Utility Locating locates private and customer-owned utilities, including:

  • Electrical services to buildings and site features
  • Private gas lines
  • Water and fire service lines
  • Sewer and storm laterals
  • Parking lot lighting and site power
  • Irrigation and control systems

Commercial Project Benefits

  • Reduce rework, downtime, and repair costs
  • Improve jobsite safety for crews and the public
  • Support compliance with Illinois excavation laws and OSHA standards
  • Enable confident trenching, coring, drilling, and excavation
  • Prevent project shutdowns due to unexpected utility conflicts

Beyond 811 Verification

SDL Utility Locating also verifies public utility markings for accuracy prior to excavation. This additional layer of protection helps identify:

  • Missing or incomplete markings
  • Conflicting or unclear markings
  • High-risk excavation zones

This verification process helps close critical information gaps before ground disturbance begins.

Remember:
Illinois law requires all underground utility lines on your property to be properly marked before any digging or excavation, whether you’re a homeowner or a contractor. This critical step helps prevent utility damage, service disruptions, and safety hazards – ensuring full compliance and peace of mind for your project. Call 811 before you dig  it’s the law and the first step in safe, worry-free work.

Energy & Industrial Utility Locating

Precision Locating for Mission-Critical Infrastructure

Energy and industrial facilities contain some of the most complex underground utility environments. SDL Utility Locating provides advanced subsurface detection services for projects where accuracy, safety, and accountability are non-negotiable.

Facilities Served

  • Power generation and substations
  • Renewable energy projects
  • Oil and gas facilities
  • Data centers
  • Manufacturing plants
  • Refineries and industrial campuses

Advanced Technology & Methodology

SDL Utility Locating employs a combination of:

  • Electromagnetic (EM) Locating for metallic and energized utilities
  • Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for non-metallic utilities, concrete encasements, and unknown subsurface features

This combined approach allows SDL Utility Locating to detect, trace, and map both metallic and non-metallic infrastructure with greater confidence.

Energy & Industrial Benefits

  • Reduce the risk of catastrophic utility strikes
  • Protect critical infrastructure and production systems
  • Avoid shutdowns, outages, and safety incidents
  • Support engineering, expansion, and maintenance planning
  • Improve documentation and operational accountability

SDL Utility Locating delivers clarity below ground—so industrial and energy projects can move forward safely and efficiently.

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At SDL Utility Locating, accuracy isn’t just our goal — it’s our commitment.