Starting a private locating firm

[hawkeyejr]

I am thinking about starting a private locating business this winter, I'm just trying to gather all the info i need to get prepared, like what is the going rate and how do you have the contracts drawn up, insurance etc. any help would be greatly appreciated. PM me if you don't want it public.

[Mke]

No bites on information yet?

Not to be too nosey, but how long have you been doing privates?

Mke

[orangeboots]

around 45 to 55 bucks hr 2 hr min no contracts just sign a liability waiver which isn't worth shit but get it signed anyway. I hate to tell you but you will starve in iowa both cus and elm do privates and have way more equip.and people to throw at them. I know 2 guys that started privates with lots of backing and all brand new gear and went broke within a year. let me know what else you want to know.

[orangeboots]

oops quoted the wrong rates for joe blow that calls for private 95 hr 2 hr min UP FRONT

[Isotopes]

Sorry noob queston. Who would ever need private locating done? The only thing I can think that people would need is water lines.

[TheCableVine]

I've done privates for all sorts of stuff. Propane lines, power lines, private phone lines, football fields, fair grounds, race tracks... and that is just off the top of my head.

[Mke]

I was a private locator for 5+ years and it feels like everyone needs a private locator. I've done work for Tons of Public agencies (Cities, counties, states, schools, colleges, hospitals) Private companies (Boeing, intel, and the like) I've even done private locates for utility companies (NNG, Williams, PUD's, PP&L, WOE, Bonneville Power Admin.)

When it comes down to it, Public locates only take care of the basic needs of the Utilities, although these locates can get harry since the majority are in ROW's with other utilities, the utilities only care about their line up to the first termination point. If you are in a Semi-conductor campus with multiple bldgs. Each bldg is usually serviced off of utilities that are already metered or from a base communications room. So all the additional feeds to the other bldgs are important, but not under the responsibility of the Public One-Call System.

Some contractors actually use private locators to "double check" One-call marks. I have been called to more than enough sites to do this task. There is enough requests that I was constantly working a min of 12hr days 5 days a week for a good long time.

Mke

[BD2U]

Another reason to have a private locator, is for private utility lines for homeowners. Down here we only mark the gas and electric lines from the meter out to the primary source. If any lines are running from the meter going where ever inside the customers property, that is considered private and we just dont mark those. I knew a guy who only did private locates for the pool companies in the area and made a killing. Good luck with your new buisness.

[FiosKing]

id agree there is alot of private gas lines ect for pools as well... about $100 per job or hour