Utility Marking Services

The City is seeking proposals from qualified vendors to provide Virginia 811 (“Miss Utility”) markings in accordance with the terms, conditions, and specifications of this solicitation.

The City’s Department of Public Works currently maintains and operates 480 miles of underground stormwater pipes. In accordance with the Underground Utility Damage Protection Act (the “Act”), the City is required to locate and mark these lines when any entity or person is performing excavation work within the City, and the person or entity submits a ticket to Virginia 811. When requests are submitted, the City has 3 business days to mark the requested area or respond that they have no utilities in the area. This service is provided, free of charge to the requestor, to prevent service outages, property damage, legal consequences, injury or even death. If the ticket is submitted as an emergency ticket, the City has 3 hours to respond and perform markings in the requested area or respond that they have no utilities in the area. The number of tickets received monthly by the City ranges between 2,500 and 5,000, with an average of 1,500 tickets that require markings. Additionally, in Fiscal Year 2023 (“FY23”), the City reviewed 45,824 and marked 22,047. In FY24 the City reviewed 48,591 and marked 26,507. In FY25, the City reviewed 39,977 and marked 19,475. Previously, the City used internal staff to mark its underground pipes, however, due to the significant increase in required markings and shortage of staff, the City is looking for a Contractor to provide these services moving forward.