The Associated General Contractors of America's (AGC) Underground Damage Prevention Survey offers a clear look at the challenges affecting the 811 system. Among its findings, response delays remain a significant concern. Telecom companies contribute to 49% of these delays, compared to 24% attributed to water utilities.
What do 811 response delays mean for damage prevention? Late or incomplete locate responses put excavators in a difficult position: wait and absorb project delays, or dig without complete information and accept the risk. Neither outcome is acceptable.
At KorTerra, we see these numbers as a call to action, not an opportunity to point fingers. Improving 811 response times requires a collaborative effort from every stakeholder in the damage prevention ecosystem: utilities, contractors, locators, and one-call centers. Better coordination and better tools are the path to making the system work the way it's supposed to.
Open, consistent communication between utility companies and contractors is the fastest way to reduce misunderstandings and speed up locate response times. When expectations around timelines, ticket status, and marking protocols are clearly communicated on both sides, fewer tickets fall through the cracks.
Comprehensive training ensures that utility operators, contractors, and locators are working from the same playbook on damage prevention and locate response procedures. According to the Construction Industry Institute, well-trained workers are 20-25% more effective in adhering to safety and procedural protocols, a difference that shows up directly in fewer damages and faster ticket completion.
How does ticket management technology reduce 811 response delays? The right software gives utilities and locators a centralized system for processing locate requests, tracking ticket status in real time, and coordinating across teams without the phone calls and manual handoffs that slow everything down.
The Common Ground Alliance's DIRT report notes that 26.23% of damages occur due to a failure to notify a one-call center. That statistic underscores how critical efficient ticket management and communication tools are to preventing damages at the source.
Regular coordination between utilities, contractors, and regulatory organizations builds a culture of shared responsibility. The organizations that reduce damages year over year aren't doing it in isolation. They're meeting regularly with their stakeholders, reviewing incident data together, and making adjustments before the next season hits.
The AGC survey provides a useful benchmark for understanding where the 811 system stands today and where it needs to improve. The takeaway is clear: utilities, contractors, and technology partners need to address response delays together, share what's working, and hold each other accountable for outcomes.
KorTerra supports the damage prevention industry with locate management technology built to help utilities and contract locators process tickets faster, respond on time, and document the work that keeps underground infrastructure safe. Better 811 performance isn't a single organization's problem to solve. It's an industry-wide effort, and the tools and processes exist to make real progress.
KorTerra is the leading provider of damage prevention software, protecting billions of dollars in underground infrastructure. For over 30 years, the leading stakeholders in gas distribution, pipeline operation, telecommunications, electric distribution, contract locating, and city, county, and state governments have trusted KorTerra as their damage prevention solution. KorTerra helps mitigate risk and ensure the safety of field personnel by providing secure software platforms for processing 811 locate tickets, tracking and reporting asset damages, meeting regulatory compliance, and more. Explore additional solutions at korterra.com and follow KorTerra on LinkedIn.
Media Contact:
Paige Nygaard – KorTerra, Inc.
952.368.1911
marketing@korterra.com