Frequently Asked Questions

beforeUdig is a referral service for information on underground infrastructure for an identified excavation site given. It puts those who intend to excavate in touch with underground asset owners who are Members of the beforeUdig service. The asset owners respond by providing information, in the form of plans and / or Locators, on the location of any underground pipes and cables, along with information on how to work safely and carefully whilst excavating in the vicinity of underground plant.

Anyone intending to carry out any excavation work should first lodge an enquiry before commencing: Builders, contractors, farmers, excavation companies, councils, landscapers, underground network maintenance workers, plumbers, home owners, and cable and pipe location companies. Even if you are planning any excavation activity in your own backyard, you should contact beforeUdig.

Enquiries can be lodged online anytime at www.beforeudig.co.nz or by calling 0800 248 344 during business hours. Upon completion of your enquiry lodgement you will receive a Confirmation Sheet from beforeUdig which provides details of the asset owners affected and enables you to ensure the recorded dig site is correct. The asset owners will then send you plans detailing the location of their underground infrastructure.
It is important to note that not all Asset Owners are registered with the beforeUdig service so it is important that you identify and contact any asset owners not listed.

Underground pipes and cables carry vital services such as water, electricity, communications and gas - damaging them can cause widespread disruption and in some cases isolate entire communities from these essential basic services. There is also the risk of personal injury and incurring significant financial penalties if you damage underground infrastructure. beforeUdig is your first step to safe excavation.

Whilst it is free to use the beforeUdig service to gather information on the possible presence of underground assets in and around your proposed excavation site, and to request plans and locate services, some Utilities and Local Government Organisations may charge to supply these services. Please check with the relevant asset owners listed on your confirmation sheet if you require more information on these possible charges.

Underground location plans provide information about plant presence only - they do not pinpoint the exact location of the cables and pipes. It is the excavator’s responsibility to visually expose the cable or pipe manually by using hand tools before any construction begins. This is usually completed using the potholing technique and by following the relevant utilities’ instructions. Utilities will provide contact details for further assistance.

There are many incidents of damage to underground networks throughout New Zealand each year, costing millions of dollars. Most of this damage occurs as a result of ignorance, carelessness or even blatant disregard for the networks. Individual and company liability for cable and pipe damage has been introduced by many utilities to make individuals take responsibility for avoiding such damage. Litigation activity may be commenced against individuals or companies where negligence can be proved.

Not yet. Presently, most companies with underground pipes and cables in New Zealand are part of the beforeUdig service, but not all. However, the service is actively recruiting new members all the time and the aim is to have all companies with underground networks on board in the near future.

We are keen to continue the expansion of the beforeUdig service with the addition of new members. To get started with the process of becoming a member, or even if you want to understand more about what beforeUdig membership can offer in regards to protecting your Organisations assets, go to Contact Us

Yes, click the Account button after logging into beforeUdig. Once you have made your changes be sure to click the "Update" button.

Yes, setting defaults for your enquiry will speed up your enquiry process. Click the “Settings” button after logging into beforeUdig. You can then select the different settings that you would like to set as your defaults, click the "Submit" button once you have made your changes.

Have you tried the other search options available at “Search Type”? (Coordinate, Postcode/Town, Road name)? You can also try entering the nearest town into the "Town" search method and then use the navigation tools to position the map precisely on the location you require.

When you perform a search the map will be automatically positioned with a circle at the centre of your map. If this covers the area you require information for, then you can continue to the next step. If you prefer to draw your site on the map, then you have three drawing tools available:

1) Line – the Line tool allows you to draw a line to represent your activity
2) Area (Polygon) – this tool is used to draw the outline of an area
3) Circle – at the centre of your site, lick and drag outwards. This will result in a circle being drawn to cover your site.

Important: when using the drawing tools, left click to change direction; to complete the drawing, left double click.

Yes, the size of an enquiry is limited for each specific drawing tool as follows:

Line – 5km

Area – 1kmsq

Circle – 25m to 1km (Diameter)

Details of your enquiry and your contact information will be passed onto all Asset Owners/Members who are protected by beforeUdig. You will be advised whether they have been “Notified” Asset Owners, in which case they will respond directly to you on whether you need to send additional information. Members (the Asset Owners) are requested to use their best endeavours to respond directly to you with either plans or a quote if they charge to supply plans, within two clear business days.

Important: Do not start work until you have written permission from all Asset Owners.

Once you submit your enquiry the information is automatically processed and passed onto our Asset Owners/Members. If you wish to cancel or amend your enquiry you need to contact support on 0800 248 344 to request the desired action.

All Asset Owners are requested to respond directly to you in regards to how they will require you to manage this dig site. Responses will vary from actual asset plans being sent, the Asset Owner informing you they don’t have assets in the area, or some Asset Owners will ask you to forward payment for the Asset Plans before they are issued. If critical underground assets are present in your intended dig site, the Asset Owner may choose to provide mark out services and / or stand over services during the excavation.

The Enquiry Confirmation is your record of the Asset Owners/Members who have had their Zones of Interest searched against your enquiry details. A Request has been sent to each Asset Owner with your contact details. When you receive correspondence back from the Asset Owners you should tick them off the list. In the case of Members, you may need to send further information to them and they will then respond once the information has been received. It is very important that you make sure you receive information from all Asset Owners/Members on the list provided before commencing any works. For contractors it is a good idea to always keep this confirmation page with your job site packs and use at pre start meetings to ensure you are aware of the utilities present.

You should contact any Asset Owners listed on your Caller Confirmation sheet who have failed to respond to your enquiry within two clear business working days of lodging your enquiry. Use the contact phone number provided against each asset owner and quote the relevant sequence number.

You can have the Enquiry Confirmation sheet re-emailed to you, go to the Home screen and click on the History button. Perform a search for your enquiry and click “Resend PDF” button. This will result in the same Enquiry Confirmation being emailed back to you.

Always check your Junk email box; you may need to change these settings so that future emails go to your inbox.

The information provided to you by Asset Owners/Members will normally explain how long that information is valid for. As validation periods can vary depending on the Asset Owners requirements, always check if you are not sure of the validation period. If your plans have expired, you must order a new set by submitting a further enquiry. You can select the original enquiry in the history screen and click resubmit.

In most cases Asset Owners & Members will use their best endeavours to contact you within two clear business working days with plans and / or instructions on how the site is to be managed. Under no circumstances should you commence work until you have written permission from all the Asset Owners listed on your Caller Confirmation sheet. In some cases where postage is required, plans may take longer to arrive.

Online Help is available throughout the service. Simply click on the orange question marks in each section. If you still require assistance, please use the help widget on the enquiry screen to contact support or call us about your query on 0800 248 344.

Yes, find the enquiry via the “History” button; this will then present to you an option to “Resubmit your enquiry”. Click the button and follow the prompts.

To view a list of previous enquiries, log on to the online enquiry service and from the “Home” screen click on the “History” button. This will allow you to search for specific enquiries.

Click the “New User? Register Here” link from the beforeUdig Homepage. Once you have submitted your contact details you will receive an email with further instructions on how to access the service.

Once you have registered you will automatically be sent an email from the service with instructions on how to validate your email address. The email contains a link that will confirm to the service that you have received the email. Once you validate your email address you can access the service immediately.

You cannot use the service if you do not validate your email address. beforeUdig needs to confirm that you have a valid email address so we can send you your Enquiry Confirmations via email. Asset Owners are provided with your email address so they can respond to your enquiry directly.

Within the login area on the beforeUdig Homepage you can enter your username and password to gain access to the service.

Passwords can be reset using this link. Simply type in your Username and Email address then click on “Send”. Your password will be reset and the details will be emailed to you.

Yes, Login to the application, Click the "Account" button and you will be presented with your details. Ensure you click the "Update" button once you have made your changes.

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Apple Safari version 5 and above
Google Chrome version 15 and above.

Yes. A valid email address is required to logon to the PelicanCorp services.

Yes. The device you are using (Mobile, Tablet or Desktop) will need to be connected to the Internet via a Broadband or mobile 4G service.

Yes. The PelicanCorp services are best viewed on a minimum screen resolution of 1024x768.

Yes you need Java.

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