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Locate Marks

OSP Map · Plan View

Locate Marks

APWA-colored paint and flags marking the approximate location of buried facilities.

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View

ProfilePlanPoleHandholeBore

Layers

Show or hide layersAE Plant, Solid blue lines: strand and lashed cableUG Plant, Dashed orange lineSplicing, Violet diamond, "SC"Drops, Dotted linePower, Thin solid red lineExisting Utilities, Dash-dot line with letter codeLocates, Short paint dashesAaLabels, text labels and keynote numbers

Legend

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Plan View. Schematic, not to scale. Clearances, depths and separations follow NESC, state law and owner specifications.

Keynote 1FDH and Splitter
Keynote 2Riser at Pole 1: Underground to Aerial
Keynote 3Aerial Crossing of MAIN ST
Keynote 4Bisect Guy at Corner Pole 2
Keynote 5Splice Closure and Slack Loop
Keynote 6MST and Aerial Drops
Keynote 7Riser at Pole 5: Aerial to Underground
Keynote 8Span Guy over the Driveway to Stub Pole 6
Keynote 9White-Lining on the Bore Centerline
Keynote 10Locate Marks on Every Existing Utility
Keynote 11Pothole Each Utility the Bore Crosses
Keynote 12Unmarked Sewer Lateral (Crossbore Risk)
Keynote 13Bored Crossing of MAIN ST
Keynote 14Micro-Trench to the Flowerpot

Locates

Locate Marks

Layer:: Locates
Views:: Route Profile, Plan View, HDD Bore
Also Called:: Utility Marks, Paint Marks, Flags, Markouts

What It Is

Paint and flags placed on the surface by locators in response to a one-call ticket. Each color stands for a type of facility under the APWA uniform color code: red electric, yellow gas and oil, orange communications, blue potable water, green sewer, purple reclaimed water, pink survey and white proposed excavation. In the drawings marks are short paint dashes on the surface line.

Why It Matters

Marks tell you roughly where a line runs so you can avoid it. Marks show approximate horizontal location only, never depth. Inside the tolerance zone, expose the line with the methods your state law allows (typically non-powered hand tools or vacuum excavation) before a bore crosses it. Notice periods, tolerance zones and ticket life are set by your state’s one-call law (State one-call law).

Materials and Specs

Marking paint and flags in APWA colors
Locate ticket number and ticket life per state law
Positive response from every member utility

Inspect For

Valid ticket covering the whole work area
Positive response received from every member utility
Marks visible and matching the ticket
Marks refreshed per state law if they fade or the ticket expires
Unmarked facilities (private lines, laterals) looked for

Common Mistakes

Digging on an expired ticket
Treating marks as exact position or depth
Assuming a missing mark means no facility
Destroying marks during work instead of preserving or offsetting them

SOP Steps

UG-02 Pre-Construction Survey, Staking and White-Lining
UG-03 One-Call Locates (811) and Ticket Management

Glossary

Locate Marks
APWA Color Code
Locate Ticket
Positive Response
Tolerance Zone

Standards

APWA uniform color code: Uniform Temporary Marking of Underground Facilities
State one-call law: State Damage Prevention Laws
811: Call Before You Dig
CGA Best Practices: Common Ground Alliance Best Practices Guide

Also on the Map

Route Profile
HDD Bore

FAHMY is a reference, not a substitute for owner specifications, the authority having jurisdiction, manufacturer instructions, training or qualified supervision. Follow your employer's safety program and all applicable laws.

FAHMYUnderstand. Build. Deliver.

FAHMY is a reference, not a substitute for owner specifications, the authority having jurisdiction, manufacturer instructions, training or qualified supervision. Follow your employer's safety program and all applicable laws.

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Operations

Aerial12 stepsMake-ready, anchors and guys, strand, lashing and slack storage.
Underground13 stepsLocates, potholing, boring, handholes and cable placement.
Splicing13 stepsClosures, trays, fusion splicing, testing and records.
LifecycleUnderstand. Build. Deliver. Six stages from plan to closeout.

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