Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE)
UES provides Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) services to help owners, architects, engineers, contractors, developers, municipalities, and agencies identify, classify, map, and manage risks associated with existing underground and aerial utility infrastructure.
Performed by licensed professionals, SUE provides a structured engineering process for collecting and documenting utility information at varying levels of accuracy and confidence. By incorporating SUE early in the design and planning process, project teams can better understand existing utility conditions, reduce conflicts, improve design accuracy, and support safer, more efficient construction.
What is Subsurface Utility Engineering?
Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) is a specialized engineering process used to identify, classify, map, and manage utility-related risks before design, excavation, or construction begins. UES follows ASCE 38-22, which establishes recognized standards for collecting and documenting utility data at defined quality levels.
SUE helps project teams better understand the location, condition, and potential conflicts of utilities such as water, sewer, stormwater, gas, electric, telecommunications, fiber optic lines, and other critical infrastructure. The process can also include aerial utility infrastructure where applicable.
By using a combination of records research, field observation, geophysical methods, and nondestructive vacuum excavation, SUE provides more reliable utility information than traditional record review or surface markings alone.
UES Subsurface Utility Engineering services may include:
- Utility records research and review of available as-built drawings, maps, and project documentation
- Field reconnaissance and correlation of records with visible surface features
- Identification and mapping of underground and aerial utility infrastructure
- Utility designation using surface geophysical methods, such as electromagnetic locating and multichannel GPR
- Quality Level A utility test holes using nondestructive vacuum excavation, where required
- Confirmation of horizontal and vertical utility locations in critical conflict areas
- Utility conflict identification and coordination support for design and construction teams
- Utility maps, reports, CAD files, GIS-ready data, 2D drawings, 3D deliverables, and other digital documentation
- Support for planning, design development, permitting, constructability review, excavation planning, and construction risk mitigation
Understanding SUE Quality Levels
SUE quality levels progress from the least to the most reliable sources of utility information, with accuracy and confidence increasing at each step.
Quality Level D is the most basic level of information. It relies on existing utility records, as-built drawings, maps, and verbal recollections. This level is useful for early planning, but it is limited in precision.
Quality Level C improves on Quality Level D by correlating existing records with visible surface features such as valves, manholes, utility poles, hydrants, meters, and other above-ground indicators. This provides a better general understanding of utility routes.
Quality Level B increases accuracy by using surface geophysical methods, such as electromagnetic locating and multichannel ground penetrating radar, to designate the approximate horizontal position of subsurface utilities.
Quality Level A provides the highest level of utility location accuracy. It physically exposes utilities through nondestructive vacuum excavation to confirm the exact horizontal and vertical location of the utility. This allows designers to make more informed decisions in critical conflict areas.
Why it Matters
Utility conflicts are one of the most common and costly risks in infrastructure, site development, transportation, municipal, and vertical construction projects. Incomplete or inaccurate utility information can lead to utility strikes, design conflicts, change orders, construction delays, safety hazards, and added costs.
Subsurface Utility Engineering helps clients:
- Reduce the risk of costly utility strikes
- Decrease unnecessary potholing and field uncertainty
- Minimize project delays and change orders
- Improve design accuracy and constructability
- Identify utility conflicts earlier in the project lifecycle
- Support safer excavation and field operations
- Improve coordination between owners, designers, utility owners, contractors, and agencies
- Make informed decisions in critical conflict areas using higher-confidence utility data
When incorporated early in design and planning, SUE provides measurable value. Industry studies often cite an average return on investment of more than $10 for every $1 spent on SUE services.
Why Choose UES for Subsurface Utility Engineering?
UES combines licensed professional expertise, advanced geophysical methods, utility locating experience, digital delivery capabilities, and practical construction knowledge to deliver reliable SUE solutions.
Clients choose UES because we offer:
- Licensed professionals experienced in utility engineering, geophysics, geospatial documentation, and construction risk management
- SUE services performed in alignment with ASCE 38-22 quality level guidance
- Advanced utility designation methods, including electromagnetic locating and multichannel GPR when appropriate
- Quality Level A vacuum excavation support for critical conflict locations
- Clear utility maps, reports, CAD files, GIS-ready data, and digital deliverables
- Practical understanding of design coordination, utility conflicts, permitting, constructability, and field execution
- Integrated expertise across professional utility locating, geophysical surveys, subsurface modeling, virtual design consulting, geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, and materials testing
With UES, clients gain more than utility data. They gain a technical partner focused on helping reduce risk, improve design confidence, support safer construction, and deliver better project outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Subsurface Utility Engineering?
Subsurface Utility Engineering, or SUE, is a specialized engineering process used to identify, classify, map, and manage the risks associated with existing underground and aerial utility infrastructure before design, excavation, or construction begins.
What are the SUE quality levels?
SUE quality levels range from Quality Level D to Quality Level A. Quality Level D relies on existing records, Quality Level C correlates records with visible surface features, Quality Level B uses surface geophysical methods to designate the approximate horizontal location of utilities, and Quality Level A uses nondestructive vacuum excavation to confirm exact horizontal and vertical utility locations.
Why is SUE important before construction?
SUE helps reduce utility strikes, decrease unnecessary potholing, minimize delays, improve design accuracy, and support safer field operations by giving project teams more reliable information about existing utility conditions.
What types of utilities can SUE help identify?
SUE can help identify and document utilities such as water, sewer, stormwater, gas, electric, telecommunications, fiber optic lines, conduits, and other underground or aerial infrastructure that may impact design or construction.
When should SUE be incorporated into a project?
SUE should be incorporated as early as possible during planning and design, especially when utility conflicts could affect alignment, site layout, excavation, permitting, construction sequencing, or project cost. Early use of SUE gives designers more time to avoid or resolve conflicts before construction begins.
If you need geotechnical engineering, environmental consulting, materials testing and/or inspection services, contact UES today to find out how we can serve as your trusted partner.
