# Website showing construction/utility symbols?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 23, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716 "2009-06-23T14:40:45Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@ratatoskK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ratatoskK)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716/1 "2009-06-23T14:40:45Z")
When preparing to do construction work on sidewalks, etc., they use spray paint to mark gas lines and a host of other things.
Is there a web site that shows pictures of these various symbols, and explaining what they mean?
My son thinks a sidewalk near us is full of gang signs, but (as far as I know) they are just constructions markings. I would like to show him something authoritative explaining what these symbols mean.
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### Author:  [@jarjarwang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jarjarwang)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716/2 "2009-06-23T14:57:06Z")
Doesn’t have much, but you could start [here…](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_location)
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### Author:  [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716/3 "2009-06-23T15:41:19Z")
I don’t know of any specific symbols used in marking out the location of buried utilities. Except perhaps for the rough arrows that will point the directions that, for instance, a given pipeline is going. Otherwise, the information generally indicates the type and ownership of the utility and perhaps the size if it’s a pipeline or something similiar. I should add that the color code is nice when it get’s followed, but that doesn’t happen 100% of the time.
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### Author:  [@TheMadHun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheMadHun)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716/4 "2009-06-23T16:32:20Z")
They use “temporary” paint, not the “striping” kind used for parking lot stripes.
But “temporary” means 5 or more years for anything not driven over a lot.
They mark for the hell of it because it’s fun, not really necessary for most projects.
Gives the younger helpers something to do to look important.
When you think they are done, say a week after the cones go down, it’s time to spray with paint stripper foam and use a soapy scrub brush to wash them away.
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### Author:  [@Mister\_Owl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mister_Owl)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716/5 "2009-06-23T17:18:04Z")
Actually, they mark it on the ground because it can be very expensive to hit and break a buried utility when excavating. For instance, the per minute cost of knocking out a fiber optic line can be incrediable. I tried to find a cite to back up the dollar amount I’ve heard, but cannot so I won’t give a specific amount. Details for Dig Alert in California can be found here, [http://www.digalert.org/index.asp](http://www.digalert.org/index.asp)
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### Author:  [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/website-showing-construction-utility-symbols/500716/6 "2009-06-23T22:21:33Z")
There are standard colors used to mark which type of utilities are buried underground; wikipedia has the list: [Utility location - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utility_location)