I'm am thinking of moving to Florida.......

**billyboy2010** · June 4th, 2010, 09:35 PM

I currently live in the D.C. area and have been locating for 12 years now. My wife is possibly transferring to the Orlando area and I would like to stay in the utility locating field down there. Does anyone know what companies are down there? I did some research and it looks like USIC CLS has most of the contracts. Does anyone know if they are or if anyone else is hiring and how busy it is down there???? My locator friends up here are telling me I am making a big mistake!!!!!!!!!!!

**ProfessionalLocator** · June 4th, 2010, 11:14 PM

Many of the SUE firms are hurting down there. The one's that do okay are certified to work the State Highway Administration.

If you can get a locate job down there you will do okay, especially if your wife is working. The unemployment rate down there is almost twice of your area. There are few jobs to be had but if you are one of the lucky ones to get work the bad economy can work in your favor.

The pay can be lower but - no state income tax. So look at net pay, not gross pay.

I checked out the Saint Petersburg area and found rent can be found for much less than up your way. If you shop you can get an efficiency apartment or small one bedroom apartment for as little as $550 a month, and the neighborhood is passable.

Housing prices are low and there has been a drop in prices in the last 5 years. Property tax can actually be rather high if you live inside city limits. But people who live there year round qualify for 'homestead' status and pay about 40% less property tax.

There are many short sales in the area, pre-foreclosure sales where the bank has approved a sales price less than the money owed. There is a house near family down there for $89,900. Three bedrooms, two baths and an in-ground pool. You would have to check the condition as foreclosures often suffer from several years of unperformed maintenance. The two bedroom one bath homes is very common down there and can be found for around $110,000 to $125,000.

Check out this webpage for rentals and sales in the area. http://www.kw.com

Remember, do not think about gross income, think net income and cost of living.

Housing is

**billyboy2010** · June 4th, 2010, 11:30 PM

Orlando is where I am looking.....do you know if USIC CLS is hiring??? Which firms are certified to work the State Highway Administration??? I am also thinking of stepping away from the locating industry all together and doing something else.......

**UULC** · June 5th, 2010, 02:31 AM

I would really think twice about moving down here. Jobs in Locating, SUE, Utility Coordination are VERY SCARCE! I have been looking for over a year now. Last I heard USIC was laying off people in Central and West Coast Districts.

**ProfessionalLocator** · June 5th, 2010, 07:25 AM

Originally Posted by UULC

I would really think twice about moving down here. Jobs in Locating, SUE, Utility Coordination are VERY SCARCE! I have been looking for over a year now. Last I heard USIC was laying off people in Central and West Coast Districts.

Go to simplyhired.com which is a job search engine. Under "Location" put Florida and under KEYWORDS put "utility locator" and do not forget the quotation marks, makes it search for a phrase. It will show that seven days ago USIC advertised for utility locators in Orlando. It also shows that Utiliquest is looking for locators in Pensacola, USIC in Kissimmee and Miami.

Also check the area municipal government websites as some hire their own locators and do not contract out.

Also some firms will allow a transfer and openings may come up and not be advertised so if your employer has an office in the area you are interested in make a direct call and ask the manager down there. You may not like the firm you are working for but it's no worse being employed by them in another place.

Some of the phrases to search for are utility locator, line locator, utility designator, damage prevention tech.

It is June and most firms have hired their batch of noobies to train for the summer workload. If too many noobies fall out then they need more noobies or better yet experienced locators. Make direct contact with locate firms in your target area and find mangers there to talk with. Let them know of your interest to move to the area and you may find someone willing to hire an experienced locator.

Another option is to have the wife accept the job offer down there. Then daily take the one hour drive to either the east or west coast beaches while she works and makes the money.

**AULupstate** · June 5th, 2010, 03:00 PM

I did some contract work down there a couple years ago. Can't say I liked it very much. WAYYYYYYY to hot for this Yankee in the Summer time to be slinging paint on the asphalt.

Rent is pretty cheap during the summer though. Rented a 2 bedroom 'Condo' (that's floridian for Apartment) for $700 a month ALL included and it had a nice pool.