Utility Survey in San Antonio, TX
Know what's in the ground before design starts. Alliance surveys the utility marks placed by Texas 811 and private locators, plus visible features like manholes, valves, meters, poles, and overhead lines — mapped in CAD on the same control as your boundary or topographic survey and sealed by an RPLS.
Utility Survey Quote
Include the site address and project limits.
What a Utility Survey Is — and What It Shows
A utility survey puts the utilities on a site onto a map. Before an engineer designs a driveway, a drainage system, or a building pad, they need to know where the water, sewer, gas, electric, and communication lines run — and what's visible on the surface that ties to them.
The underground lines themselves are marked by others. When a Texas 811 request is placed, participating utility operators send locators to paint or flag their lines. Where private lines matter, a private utility locating firm can mark those too. Alliance then surveys those marks and the visible utility features, ties them to the same control as the rest of your survey, and drafts everything into one CAD file.
The result is the utility layer your civil engineer, architect, or contractor needs — on the same coordinates as your topographic or boundary survey, so nothing has to be stitched together later.
A utility survey from Alliance can include:
811 and locator marks — paint and flag marks placed by utility operators or a private locator, surveyed and drawn by utility type.
Visible utility features — manholes, inlets, cleanouts, valve boxes, meters, fire hydrants, pedestals, vaults, and transformers.
Overhead utilities — power and communication poles, guy wires, and overhead line routes.
Recorded utility easements — from recorded plats and easement documents, shown alongside the field data.
Clear data labeling — each line identified by utility type and by where the information came from, so field-surveyed data isn't confused with record data.
RPLS seal — reviewed, signed, and sealed by one of our Registered Professional Land Surveyors.
What a Utility Survey Can and Can't Tell You
A utility survey is a design and planning tool, and it's only as complete as the marks and features available on the day of the survey. Being clear about that up front helps your design team know where to dig deeper — figuratively, before anyone does it literally.
The most common gaps aren't surveying errors — they're things that were never marked. 811 covers participating operators' lines, but private service lines past the meter, irrigation, site lighting, and lines between buildings typically aren't included. Some water and sewer operators may not participate in 811 at all. If those matter for your project, a private locator can mark them and we'll tie them in.
Good to Know Before You Order
Horizontal, not depth. Paint marks show approximate horizontal location. Depth is only known where a utility is physically exposed by a qualified excavation provider — which we can then survey.
As marked, on the survey date. The survey shows marks and features as they existed when the crew was on site.
Not a substitute for 811. Anyone excavating still needs to contact 811 before digging. Current requirements are at Texas811.org.
Where a Utility Survey Fits in SUE Quality Levels
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) projects describe utility information using ASCE 38 quality levels. A utility survey supplies the surveyed positions — the designating and exposing are done by qualified locating and SUE providers. Here's how the pieces fit together.
| Quality Level | What It Is | Alliance's Role |
|---|---|---|
| QL-D | Information from existing records — plats, easements, and available utility records | Records research, shown and labeled as record data |
| QL-C | Surface-visible features surveyed and correlated with records | Field survey of manholes, valves, meters, poles, and other visible features |
| QL-B | Underground lines designated with electronic locating methods and marked on the surface | Survey and map the marks placed by the locating provider |
| QL-A | Utilities physically exposed by potholing or vacuum excavation and measured | Survey the exposed utility once the SUE provider exposes it |
On projects that call for formal SUE deliverables, we coordinate with your SUE or locating provider so their work and ours land on the same control. See also our civil surveying support for engineering firms.
What the Utility Paint Colors Mean
Those paint lines and flags on the ground follow a standard color code. Here's what each color represents.
| Color | What It Marks |
|---|---|
| Red | Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables |
| Yellow | Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or other gaseous materials |
| Orange | Communication, alarm, or signal lines |
| Blue | Drinking water |
| Purple | Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines |
| Green | Sewer and drain lines |
| Pink | Temporary survey markings |
| White | Proposed excavation area |
Pink is the one surveyors use. If you see pink paint or flagging on your site, a survey crew has likely been there.
Who Orders Utility Surveys
Civil Engineers
Utility data on the same control as the topo, ready for drainage, grading, and utility design in Civil 3D.
Architects
Know where service connections, easements, and overhead lines affect the building footprint before the design is set.
Developers
Early utility mapping during due diligence shows where service is available and what existing lines may constrain the site.
Contractors
A mapped record of existing utilities for planning site work alongside construction staking.
Commercial Sites
Utility locations are a common optional item on ALTA/NSPS surveys for commercial properties.
Large & Energy Sites
Utility and pipeline features mapped across larger tracts — see our solar and easement survey services.
How a Utility Survey Works
Scope the Project
Send the site address, project limits, and what the survey is for. We'll confirm whether it should be combined with a topographic or boundary survey and what deliverables your design team needs.
Utility Marks Are Placed
A Texas 811 request is placed so participating operators mark their lines. If private lines matter for your project, a private utility locator can be brought in to mark those as well.
Records Research
We review recorded plats and easement documents so utility easements can be shown alongside the field data.
Field Survey
Our crew surveys the marks and visible utility features — manholes, valves, cleanouts, meters, poles, pedestals, and overhead lines — on the same control as the rest of the survey.
Mapping & RPLS Seal
Utility data is drafted in CAD with your topo or boundary data, labeled by utility type and data source, then reviewed, signed, and sealed by a Registered Professional Land Surveyor.
Combine Your Utility Survey With Other Services
Utility surveys are rarely ordered alone. Combining them with related surveys keeps everything on one coordinate system and saves a separate site visit.
Utility + Topographic
The most common pairing. Contours, site features, and utilities in one CAD file — exactly what civil design starts from.
Utility + Boundary
See where utilities and easements sit relative to the property lines and how they affect the usable area of the site.
Utility + Site Planning
Boundaries, topography, trees, and utilities in a single coordinated package for architects and planners.
Utility Survey FAQ — San Antonio
Alliance Land Surveyors surveys and maps utility markings and visible utility features. Alliance does not perform utility designation or excavation, and a utility survey does not replace an 811 request before digging.
Request Your Utility Survey Quote
Starting design on a site in the San Antonio area? Send the address and project limits, and we'll scope a utility survey — usually alongside your topo or boundary — so your design team starts from one consistent file.
Get Your Free Quote
Include the site address and project limits.
Utility Surveys for San Antonio Design Projects
Marks and visible features mapped in CAD. Sealed by an RPLS.
