Subsurface Utility Mapping: The Power of the Surveyor and Consultant Partnership
Alex Whitten, Groundhawk
When we talk about mapping utilities in civil engineering, SUE (Subsurface Utility Engineering) is the term that comes up most often. And don’t get me wrong – SUE, as standardized in ASCE 38.22, is extremely well thought out and a great practice.
However, SUE is largely geared toward DOT projects where the engineering is handled within a massive scope of work. But what about the rest of the industry?
For everything else in the Southeast – including Oil & Gas, Energy, Municipal infrastructure, non-DOT transportation, and design-build – we have seen a different option take over. It’s not about undermining SUE, but rather using a highly effective alternative: The combination of a Surveyor and a Professional Utility Consultant.
Why separate the two?
Let’s look at a real-world example. Say a county hires an engineering group to design plans for a waterline replacement in the public right-of-way.
That firm could hire a large multi-disciplinary firm that has both survey and SUE divisions in-house. But there is a risk there: that multi-disciplinary firm might be a competitor. They often have the capability to produce the plans in-house and could market directly to the municipality for future projects.
For the past two decades, I’ve seen engineering firms choose a second option that yields exceptional results. They pair a great surveying firm with a professional utility designating firm (note: I did not say a private utility locating company).
How the collaboration works
Using that same waterline example, here is how the workflow happens in unison:
- The Surveyor handles the surface: they identify rights-of-way, abutting property lines, topography, and all improvements along the route.
- The Utility Consultant (that’s us) handles the subsurface: we utilize geophysical methods to designate and mark the buried infrastructure.
- The Research: We research and coordinate with utility owners to collect all records – print, digital, and sometimes even a verbal history or hand sketch from the guy who has been in public works for 40 years.
- The Basemap: We report on our methods and results, helping the surveyor plot the utilities on the map.
The result is a basemap on one datum that accurately represents both the above-ground improvements and the subsurface utilities.
Going the extra mile
The job doesn’t stop at the map. Once the design firm places their proposed routing, we often return to perform vacuum excavation (test holes) along the route. This tightens up our initial findings and provides survey-grade coordinates to help avoid conflicts during construction.
The Groundhawk difference
While my background is in SUE, Groundhawk was formed in 2014 to serve this specific need. This method isn’t about cutting corners, and it isn’t always the cheapest option.
But it is about quality.
In 2025, we will perform over 1,000 projects across the Southeast using this exact method. We rely on highly trained technicians and state-of-the-art equipment to support our partner surveyors and engineering firms.
When projects go to construction without downtime due to poor planning, everyone wins. That is why we are the number one provider and experts in this field across the Southeast.