Private line locating
Electromagnetic tracing and surface markings for accessible, locatable customer-owned utilities and buried facilities.
Private utility locating · Central Minnesota
Know what’s below.
Plan with confidence.
811 does not mark every buried facility on a property. BelowMark helps investigate accessible customer-owned utilities before excavation, repair, or site work begins.
Start with Gopher State One Call / 811. Then ask before assuming every facility has been marked. A private locate can help protect people, property, schedules, and project budgets.
UTILITY RESPONSIBILITYThe handoff is site-specific
MORE MAY BE PRIVATE THAN YOU THINK
COMMON HOME EXAMPLES
A home can contain many customer-owned lines.
Landscaping, fences, decks, additions, and repairs can cross more than water and sewer.
811 / ONE CALLParticipating operators mark the facilities they own and operate
BOUNDARY MAY BE ATmeter · curb stop · pole · pedestal
PRIVATE LOCATECustomer-owned infrastructure beyond the applicable handoff
Private power and lighting
Irrigation and controls
Invisible dog fence
Private gas or LP
Communications and low voltage
Water, sewer, well, and septic
When the owner or route is unclear, ask. Ownership rules, records, agreements, construction, and access differ by property. The serving utility or municipality should confirm its ownership boundary when applicable.
Locating since 2009Field experience across Minnesota
SBA-certified VOSB100% veteran-owned small business
Works alongside 811Private locating does not replace the required notification
Why BelowMark exists
Built in the field.
Run with straight answers.
OWNER & LOCATORNickLocating since 2009 · 12 years U.S. ArmySBA-certified VOSB · Central Minnesota
I started on the utility side of locating and saw firsthand how easily the gap between utility-owned and customer-owned facilities can be missed.
That gap can lead to serious injury, outages, delays, repair costs, and financial burden. I started BelowMark to give homeowners, farms, contractors, businesses, schools, and public agencies a direct private-locating option—and a clearer understanding of what may still be unmarked after 811.
Years of locating different utilities and buried facilities across Minnesota, together with 12 years in the Army, shaped how I approach the work: plan carefully, communicate clearly, execute deliberately, and be honest about what the site will allow.
01Show up prepared.
Every site is different, so I come ready to investigate the requested facilities.
02Explain the picture.
Markings are more useful when you understand what was traced and what may remain uncertain.
03Make every reasonable effort.
If a line cannot be traced reliably, I will explain what I found, the limitation, and the next option when one is available.
Additional credential: FAA Part 107 certified. Any aerial use is considered separately and only when it is genuinely useful and site, weather, airspace, authorization, and operating requirements allow; it is not included by default.
Start with the project
What are you trying to do?
Choose the closest match. If you are not sure what is private, that is useful information too—BelowMark can help define the right starting point.
BEST STARTING POINT
Use this starting point
Private utility locate
Define the work area and identify suspected private facilities. BelowMark will review likely connection points, access, site conditions, and locating approach.
LIKELY SERVICEStandard private locate
HAVE READYWork area, project type, and known access points
Fault & trace support
Investigate damaged conductors, broken tracer wire, lost paths, and difficult routes when a standard connection is not enough.
RTK utility mapping
Create a reusable digital record of traced routes for planning, maintenance, or project documentation.
Non-metallic? Sometimes—with access.
A sonde or traceable rodder may help locate non-metallic pipe when a suitable, safe access point is available.
Clear scope: Feasibility depends on the system and site. BelowMark does not offer GPR or leak detection.
PRIVATE FACILITIES CAN INCLUDE
Power / electricParking-lot & athletic-field lightingLow-voltage lighting & signageCommunications / data / fiber / cableIrrigation & controlsInvisible dog fenceWater & well linesSewer & septicPrivate natural gas & LP
A private system may serve one yard feature or extend throughout a home, farm, school, golf course, campus, apartment property, or commercial complex.
A few details make a better quote
Tell BelowMark what you know.
You do not need every answer. Share the work area, possible utilities, access points, timing, and whether the project may need more than one visit. That is enough to start a useful conversation.
QUOTE DETAILS0 of 6 ready
Go to Quote Request
Your request goes directly to BelowMark.
Service area: Based in Central Minnesota and serving projects statewide. Larger projects across neighboring states and the Upper Midwest may be considered.
Request a quote
Give Nick the field details.
The form below goes directly to BelowMark. Share what you know about the work area, possible utilities, access, timing, and visit needs. I’ll review it and follow up to confirm the scope, pricing, and schedule.