cost of locate

**KrazyK** · August 2nd, 2010, 08:38 PM

This might sound like a stupid question, but how much does a company get paid for like a normal house locate?? j/w

**locator00566** · August 2nd, 2010, 09:22 PM

Depends on the utility. I know Duke power pays 4.95 per locate

**paintitnow** · August 2nd, 2010, 09:43 PM

catv they pay like $5 a locate, from what i hear they justify it but shear volume of tickets. I think the gas, power, phone were around $15-20 a locate per company. but do not put that in stone, I once heard theat the phone in kansa paid a good price

**FiosKing** · August 2nd, 2010, 10:23 PM

phone pays $15 per in most states

**Reece** · August 3rd, 2010, 07:39 AM

It depends! Are you working for Consolidated or USIC?

**Mke** · August 3rd, 2010, 09:34 AM

Like everyone said, It depends on the contract price negotiated by the company. I once had a contract that charged 55 for a single locate..... that was high even for 10yrs ago.

The way the companies see it, if they get 5 bucks a locate and have to mark for 4 utilities that means they get 20 a locate. You guys are supposed to do 3 an hour wich means they should get 60bucks an hour out of you guys, and that should cover your wage, supplies, and overhead and still bring home a little bit of proffit.......I think thats what they are hoping for.

mke

**yahoo** · August 3rd, 2010, 07:21 PM

all questions are good questions!!!! just ask! I agree with all answers up top!!!

**AULupstate** · August 4th, 2010, 12:52 PM

I have seen contracts that are more like $2 to $3 a locate and STILL have the utility companies bitch and complain about the cost. Not to mention dipping their greedy fingers in the pot to CONTROL how and when things get done with ridiculous clauses in the contracts.

**GWJ_CAS** · August 4th, 2010, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by AULupstate

I have seen contracts that are more like $2 to $3 a locate and STILL have the utility companies bitch and complain about the cost. Not to mention dipping their greedy fingers in the pot to CONTROL how and when things get done with ridiculous clauses in the contracts.

ANY company that is doing locates for $2 to $3 a ticket is CRAZY. The liability alone is worth more than that. How do you pay a tech $16, $18, $20 per hour with ticket prices like that? At $2 per ticket, the tech would have to do 8 - 10 tickets an hour just to cover his hourly wage, now add benefits, taxes, liability insurances, vehicle, equipment....This is exactly what is wrong with our industry today, companies that are willing to work so cheaply and then expect to extract the profit from their techs in the form of lower wages and increased productivity goals.

I have to stop or I will get on the soap box and go off on a rant....

**AULupstate** · August 4th, 2010, 05:03 PM

THAT IS THE PROBLEM........

This how a 4 way or 5 way shows up in someones box. This is WHY production IS 8 to 10 locates an hour. This is WHY techs make $10 to $11 an hour (I know your in Florida but those wages you said don't apply to very many places). This is WHY turn-over and burn-out are THROUGH THE ROOF. This is WHY there are GPS units in EVERY TRUCK (exept management, they can f*ck the clock ALL DAY)....This IS WHY these companies SUCK to work for.

I feel for the majority of contract locators, it's a shitty deal all the way around. This is EXACTLY why I am a private locate guy now. I STOPPED being abused work wise and pay wise. No one else was going to do it for me. Now I get paid better, treated better, left alone to do my job THE RIGHT WAY and my stess level is ALMOST NON EXISTANT..............

**ProfessionalLocator** · August 8th, 2010, 02:51 AM

Originally Posted by AULupstate

THAT IS THE PROBLEM........

This how a 4 way or 5 way shows up in someones box. This is WHY production IS 8 to 10 locates an hour. This is WHY techs make $10 to $11 an hour (I know your in Florida but those wages you said don't apply to very many places). This is WHY turn-over and burn-out are THROUGH THE ROOF. This is WHY there are GPS units in EVERY TRUCK (exept management, they can f*ck the clock ALL DAY)....This IS WHY these companies SUCK to work for.

I feel for the majority of contract locators, it's a shitty deal all the way around. This is EXACTLY why I am a private locate guy now. I STOPPED being abused work wise and pay wise. No one else was going to do it for me. Now I get paid better, treated better, left alone to do my job THE RIGHT WAY and my stess level is ALMOST NON EXISTANT..............

Consider locates on the new fiber optic phone system. You have the old copper wire system in place and active plus the new fiber optic is at the same location. This breaks down into doing two locates, one for the copper wiring and one for the fiber optic. This easily doubles the time it takes to do what is logged as a single locate.

Unless the firm could bill for the additional locate of fiber optic, also bill for just copper or fiber optic where only one is present, I would not take a phone locate contract. In any business there are some customers that are so much trouble it is best to refer them to a competitor.

**headcipher** · August 9th, 2010, 11:47 AM

I remember some phone catv locators saying that years ago, they got paid by each hook up, not visit to a site.

**4Q2** · August 9th, 2010, 03:10 PM

Originally Posted by ProfessionalLocator

Consider locates on the new fiber optic phone system. You have the old copper wire system in place and active plus the new fiber optic is at the same location. This breaks down into doing two locates, one for the copper wiring and one for the fiber optic. This easily doubles the time it takes to do what is logged as a single locate.

Unless the firm could bill for the additional locate of fiber optic, also bill for just copper or fiber optic where only one is present, I would not take a phone locate contract. In any business there are some customers that are so much trouble it is best to refer them to a competitor.

Here we do bill individually for copper and fiber or fios.