TL;DR:
Commercial properties in Boone County change over time, and utility records often fall behind. Northern Lights combines private locating, RTK GPS data collection, utility mapping, GIS updates and infrastructure documentation to give facility managers and property owners one usable record for maintenance, contractor coordination and future improvements.
When a contractor asks where a private utility line runs, how easy is it to find the answer? You might have an old drawing, photos from a past job and a maintenance employee who knows the property. Pulling all of that together takes time, especially when work is ready to start.
Northern Lights helps Boone County facility managers and commercial property owners build better utility records. Our services include:
We connect the information collected in the field with records your team can use for maintenance, contractor coordination and future improvements.
A property can change a lot over the years. A building gets an addition. A service line is moved. New equipment is installed.
If those changes never make it into the records, the next crew may be working from an old picture of the site.
Private locating and mapping help document the lines and utility features found in the field. RTK GPS gives us accurate position data to use in the map.
For your maintenance staff, that means a clearer reference when preparing for repairs or explaining the property to a contractor.
Think about a planned parking lot repair. Before the work starts, your team can review the mapped utilities in that area, share the information with the contractor and discuss what needs to be checked on site. Our mapping gives that discussion a clearer starting point and helps bring utility concerns into the damage prevention plan before crews begin.
GIS is a digital mapping system that holds location information and details about a property's assets. If your company uses one, utility information can be added or updated there so your team can find it alongside other site records.
You can use that map to see where documented utility routes sit in relation to buildings and planned work areas. It gives your staff and contractors the same information to review when discussing a job.
Before we start, we can discuss the system you use and what information you need. A useful record should show:
"A useful record should show what was collected, when it was collected, and where details still need to be confirmed."
– Northern Lights Locating
Your longtime maintenance employee may know the property better than anyone. But what happens when that person is off work or moves on? Having utility information written down and mapped gives the next person something to work from.
Infrastructure documentation is the record of the utility information collected for your site. At Northern Lights, we combine locating, mapping and documentation to help you carry that information from one job to the next.
Your team has a record to share with incoming contractors and can identify which details still need investigation. That supports better decisions as people and projects change.
When work adds or moves a utility, update the records. That way, the next project starts with the documented changes included.
Records are a planning tool, not a replacement for field work. Maps still need to be checked against current conditions, and crews still need current locating before excavation.
Need better utility records for a Boone County property? Contact Northern Lights to discuss utility mapping, GIS updates and documentation for your facility.
Infrastructure documentation is the record of utility information collected for a site. Northern Lights combines private locating, RTK GPS data collection and utility mapping to document lines and features so your team can carry that information from one job to the next.
GIS is a digital mapping system that holds location information and details about a property's assets. A GIS update adds or revises utility information in that system so staff and contractors can review it alongside other site records.
A useful utility record should show what was collected, when it was collected and where details still need to be confirmed.
Update the records whenever work adds or moves a utility. That way, the next project starts with the documented changes included.
No. Maps and records support planning, but they still need to be checked against current conditions. Crews still need current locating before excavation, starting with an Indiana 811 request and adding private locating for privately owned lines.
