Fire water, domestic water, sanitary sewer, gas and power each arrive from a different provider on a different timeline. On an industrial project the combined utility package often decides the date the building can operate, and the cost of getting it wrong shows up as a certificate of occupancy that waits for a final connection. We scope and build the full on-site utility package as one coordinated sequence under one superintendent.
The package includes the water service and meter vault, fire service line and backflow assembly, sanitary sewer service with sampling manhole where required, storm drainage connections into the detention and drainage system, natural gas service and meter set, electrical service conduits and transformer pad, and telecom conduits. We install them to the standards of each provider and the jurisdiction, and we schedule inspections and connections with each party.
We begin with a utility coordination plan that lists every connection, the owner of the service, the point of connection, the required deposit or fee, the design status and the lead time. A plan for the whole set avoids the common pattern where water is complete, power is waiting, and the only thing left on the critical path is a form no one has submitted.
Underground work in sequence
Underground utilities are installed after mass grading and before the slab. We stake lines from the civil plans, excavate with shoring where required, install bedding, set pipe and structures, test, and backfill in lifts. Under the building, sleeves and penetrations are placed to the architectural and process drawings before the slab is formed, because cutting a hole in cured concrete costs far more than casting it.
We coordinate crossings with the storm system and the electrical duct bank, which share corridors and often conflict. A utility coordination drawing shows elevations at each crossing, and we resolve conflicts on paper before opening the trench. Where an existing line must be crossed or tied into, we pot-hole to verify location and depth.
Provider capacity and extension costs
Growth areas test provider capacity. Aurora Highlands, a roughly 4,000-acre development southeast of Denver, gained a full E-470 interchange at Exit 22 for $87 million that opened June 28, 2024. In Lone Tree, RidgeGate's West Village holds about 10,000 jobs with more than $150 million of public infrastructure investment behind it. These examples show how much public infrastructure precedes industrial and employment development, and how far apart a developer's main and a user's building can be.
For a user in Johnstown, where the Ridge at Johnstown is a 265-acre master-planned site with 90 acres of I-25 frontage, or in any growth corridor, the first question is where the nearest main is and what size it is. We request availability letters from each provider early and carry the line extension costs, easement needs and oversize reimbursement terms in the budget.
What drives utility cost
Distance to the main, pipe size, depth, soil conditions and traffic control decide the underground price. Fire service lines are large, often 8 inch or more for industrial sprinkler demand, and they come with backflow assemblies and vaults. Electrical service for a large plant can include a new pad-mounted transformer, medium-voltage cable and a utility inspection.
Provider fees are separate from construction cost. Tap fees, system development charges, meter fees and electrical service deposits can be substantial, and they differ from one provider to the next. We list them, with the source of each figure and the date it is due, so the owner's budget does not hold a gap.
Where the schedule is won
Utility timelines are partly outside our control, so we work on the parts that are in it. We submit applications as soon as the building plan is stable, we schedule pre-construction meetings with each provider, and we sequence installation so that the building has temporary and permanent power and water when each trade needs them. We also stage the dry utilities, since conduit installed early can be inspected and covered while waiting for the provider's own work.
Power is the usual long pole. The Fort St. Vrain station near Platteville, which operated as Colorado's only nuclear plant from 1979 to 1989 and was converted to natural gas in 1996, is now a combined-cycle plant of roughly 965 MW operated by Xcel Energy. It is a reminder that the grid serving northern Colorado industrial parks includes large generation in the same area. For utilities and power projects, we coordinate directly with the engineering groups on the owner's side.
Trench, locate and test discipline
Trench safety is a daily item. Excavations are sloped, benched or shored per the competent person's determination, with ladder access and spoil set back from the edge. Utility locates are requested before digging, and we pot-hole to confirm the location of existing lines. When a line is struck, we have a response plan and the owner of the line is notified immediately.
Testing protects the owner. Water lines are pressure and bacteriological tested, sanitary lines are air or mandrel tested and televised where required, and fire lines are flushed and hydrostatically tested before being connected to the building system. We keep the test records as part of the turnover package. A data center or similar high-value building adds chilled water or redundant services, and we extend the same testing to those lines.
Map the utilities before you commit
Send us the parcel and the building load. We will return a utility coordination plan, with connection points, lead times and fees.
Common Questions
How early should we apply for utility service?
As soon as the building load and location are reasonably known, usually in preconstruction. Providers need load data, a site plan and a service request, and their design and permitting can take months.
Who pays for a main extension?
It depends on the provider and the rules of the jurisdiction. The owner often pays the extension and may be reimbursed through oversize or latecomer agreements. We identify the likely cost responsibility in the utility letter and carry it in the budget.
Can you do the fire water loop as part of this package?
Yes. We build the fire water loop and hydrant systems together with the site utilities, which keeps the trench, bedding and inspection schedule consistent.
What if an existing utility is not where the drawings say?
We locate and pot-hole before excavating. If the line is in conflict, we notify the engineer, propose a reroute and price the change. Early investigation reduces the number of conflicts that appear after the trench is open.
Do you coordinate with the electric utility?
Yes. We submit load data and the site plan, coordinate transformer pad and conduit details, attend utility meetings and schedule inspection and energization with the utility's field crew.