Five logs every sitework and underground contractor keeps
Civil and utility work lives on paper that nobody wants to fill out: locate tickets, density tests, truck tickets, crossings and backfill sign-offs. They are also exactly what gets asked for after a utility strike, a failed proof-roll, a pavement settlement or a hauler billing dispute. This workbook keeps all five in one file per job, with the dates and pass/fail math done for you.
811 locate ticket log
One-call laws differ by state, so the log assumes nothing. At the top, enter:
- Wait period (business days) — the log computes legal start = WORKDAY(date called, wait days, holidays), skipping weekends and the holidays you list.
- Ticket life (calendar days) — expiration = date called + valid days, with days left counting down from TODAY().
- Renewal warning — how many days before expiration you want the RENEW flag.
List each operator on the ticket on the 811 Responses tab with its response (Marked, Clear — no conflict, Pending, Not complete, Unable to locate). The ticket log counts operators and positive responses and sets a single Dig status: WAIT (before legal start), HOLD (responses outstanding), RENEW (inside your warning window), EXPIRED, or CLEAR TO DIG. The responses tab also fills in the APWA uniform mark color for each utility type.
A ticket number is not a locate. Walk the site, confirm marks for every operator, photograph them, and hand-dig or vacuum-excavate inside the tolerance zone your state defines.
Compaction / density test log
Enter the default spec compaction (for example 95% of standard Proctor) and the moisture window around optimum. For each test, record location/station, offset, lift or elevation, material, method (nuclear gauge per ASTM D6938, sand cone per ASTM D1556), the lab maximum dry density and optimum moisture, and the field dry density and moisture. The log calculates:
- % compaction = field dry density ÷ lab maximum dry density
- Moisture vs. optimum = field moisture − optimum
- Result — FAIL below spec %, CHECK when moisture is outside the window, otherwise PASS
- Retest status — every FAIL shows RETEST REQUIRED until a later row names it in "Retest of #"
Type over the Spec % on any row that needs a different number, such as 98% for aggregate base under pavement. Most failed tests trace back to lift thickness or moisture — fix the lift, not the number.
Haul / truck ticket log
One row per ticket: truck and hauler, material, source pit and dump site, import/export, loads, unit (tons, CY, load or hour), quantity and rate, with the extension calculated. A summary by material totals tickets, loads, quantity and cost and flags any material logged in mixed units. Collect the driver's copy every day — haul tickets are money, and they are the backup for your own quantities on unit-price work.
Utility crossing log
Record every existing utility you cross: station, type and owner, size and material, how it was located (pothole, hand dig, exposed, or marks only), depth to top, the new work and whether it crosses over or under. Enter the measured separation and the required minimum from your plans, the utility owner or state rules (for example, many states require 18 in. vertical separation where water crosses sewer). The log flags any crossing that falls short and counts crossings made on marks only — that is where strikes happen.
Trench backfill & bedding checklist
Twenty-eight checks from trench bottom to restoration: protective system and competent-person inspection, line and grade, stable bottom and dewatering, bedding material and thickness, bell holes, haunching, pipe-zone lifts, tracer wire and warning tape, final backfill lift thickness and density testing, crossings, as-builts and restoration. Any Fail keeps the run NOT ACCEPTED until it is corrected and re-inspected.
Related tools
- Excavation & trench daily inspection checklist — OSHA competent-person inspection
- OSHA soil classification & sloping chart
- Equipment hours & fuel log
- Material receiving log
- Software for civil contractors
- Browse all free construction templates
From spreadsheet to the field
With Field PM, foremen log tickets, tests and crossings on their phone with photos attached, and the superintendent sees open locate tickets and failed tests without chasing paper. See daily reports and QA/QC inspections, or start a free 30-day trial — no credit card required.
State one-call laws, OSHA rules and project specifications control. Values in this template are examples — verify against your state law, your specifications and the edition of any referenced standard. This is a field record, not legal or engineering advice.
