5 Questions To Ask Before Digging at a Construction Site
Every job site has a moment where momentum builds, and everyone wants the first scoop of dirt out fast. That’s exactly when leaders earn their keep—by slowing down just long enough to remove avoidable risk. When you dig without clarity, you gamble with safety, budgets, schedules, and reputations. Below are some key questions to ask before digging at a construction site.
Question 1: What do we know is underground—and what are we assuming?
Teams frequently treat old drawings like they’re gospel. They aren’t. Utility lines shift, repairs happen, and undocumented installs appear.
Ask what evidence supports your current plan: as-builts, recent surveys, records from facility teams, and the results of any surface-level inspection. When people say, “It should be fine,” you’ve found a blind spot worth fixing.
Question 2: Who owns the risk if we hit something?
This is a leadership question, not a legal one. Get clear on who carries operational responsibility when something goes wrong: the GC, the owner, the subcontractor, or multiple parties. When accountability stays fuzzy, teams make rushed decisions and point fingers later. When accountability is clear, teams plan, document, and communicate better from day one.
Question 3: Have we verified utilities beyond standard markings?
Another question to ask before digging at a construction site is what lies beneath the surface. Public marking programs matter, but they don’t always cover everything on-site. Private lines can still exist, and assumptions about “not our scope” can turn into a costly surprise.
If your project involves complex sites, renovations, older properties, or tight tolerances, consider whether private utility locators are necessary for your site. When in doubt, enlisting their services to verify what’s underneath is always the safest option.
Question 4: What’s our stop-work plan when conditions change?
Digging rarely stays neat. Soil conditions shift, weather changes, and crews uncover inconsistencies. Define what triggers a pause and who can call it without pushback. A strong stop-work plan protects people and prevents schedule panic. It also signals a healthy culture: you reward good judgment instead of punishing it.
Question 5: How will we communicate in real time across teams?
Utility surprises become disasters when communication breaks down. Decide how the team will share updates, mark changes, and confirm handoffs between operators, foremen, subs, and site leadership. Keep the message simple: what changed, where it changed, and what happens next. When you treat bolded construction site utility locating as a shared responsibility, you reduce confusion and improve outcomes.
Leading a Safer Dig Starts with Better Questions
These questions don’t slow projects down—they keep projects from spinning out. With the right answers in hand, you and your team can proceed with the work efficiently and with confidence. When leaders consistently ask the right questions, teams protect margins, reduce downtime, and build trust across every stakeholder on site.
