Utility route setting-out
Setting out water, sewer, gas, power and telecom routes: angle points, manholes and trench invert levels staked from the design before excavation.
Licensed service · EL-845/2026
Utility route setting-out means marking the design line of an underground or overhead network on the ground. For water mains, sewers, gas lines and power or telecom cables we stake the start and end points, angle points, manhole and chamber positions and connection points. The excavator operator digs the trench by following these marks.
The service is used by utility contractors, developers connecting new buildings to municipal networks and private clients running lines across their property. A wrongly staked route can damage an existing cable or pipe, cross onto a neighbouring plot and lead to as-built records that do not match the design. For gravity sewers the critical requirement is correct gradient: an error of a few centimetres in level can leave water standing in the pipe.
Plan points are staked with SOUTH GNSS RTK or a total station, and manhole and trench invert levels are set by levelling. On sewer lines, level marks are placed at every manhole and at intermediate points so the pipe gradient follows the design along its full length.
We also recommend an as-built survey after the pipe is laid and before the trench is backfilled.
When you need it
- Connecting a new building to water, sewer and gas networks
- Construction of distribution and trunk networks
- Laying power and fibre-optic cables
- Gravity sewer and drainage lines
- Replacing old networks with new ones
What's included
- Preparing coordinates of the design route
- Staking start, end and angle points
- Marking manholes, chambers and connection points
- Setting trench and manhole invert levels
- Intermediate level marks for gradient control
- Indicating crossings with existing utilities
How we work
- Receiving the design and existing utility data
- Computing coordinates and levels
- Staking plan points on site
- Setting level marks
- Certificate handover and as-built survey if needed
Deliverables
- Plan and level marks fixed along the route
- Route setting-out certificate
- Table of point coordinates and levels
- Route diagram
