Keep the estimate separate from site approval
A measured length is an input to a quantity calculation, not proof that the proposed line is allowed or clear to excavate. The calculator has no property records, survey, permit database or utility-locate results. Treat its output as a planning estimate for the layout you supplied.
Resolve these checks before setting a final route
- Confirm where the boundary is. Check the documents and local process that apply to your property. Do not use the calculator's run length to infer a boundary or an easement.
- Ask the local authority about approvals. Rules can depend on the city, county, property and project. Contact the responsible local office about permits and any applicable restrictions before settling the line.
- Request a utility locate for the actual digging area. In the United States, 811 is the free national before-you-dig service. Use it or your state center website to request approximate buried utility locations; follow local instructions and timing, and wait for responses before digging.
- Check what the locate covers. Public utility marking may not cover every customer-owned or private line. For example, Colorado 811 tells residents with private utilities to arrange a separate private locate. Ask your local locate center what is included for your property.
- Only then finalize the measured run. If checks change the route, update the dimensions and submit the calculator again. Its counts describe the revised inputs, not an approval of the work.
For current U.S. instructions, the national 811 service explains how to request a utility locate through 811 or a state center website. Use the center that serves your area. These state pages illustrate why local requirements matter: Alabama 811 homeowner and locate information and Colorado 811 residential digging steps. Their state-specific timelines and procedures should not be applied to another location.
Turn a confirmed route into a quantity estimate
Once the route is settled, measure each run using the method your project requires and account for openings using the calculator's supported inputs. The single-run estimate guide explains what a straight-run result represents, while the gate-opening guide describes this tool's opening inputs. These pages explain software behavior; they do not replace a survey, permit decision or locate ticket.
Method and limits
This checklist draws a boundary around the tool's function: the calculator processes entered dimensions and options, while boundary status, approvals and locate results come from outside it. The Alabama and Colorado links are official examples for those states, not nationwide legal instructions. Follow the authority and utility-locate process for the place where work will occur.