Let’s say you’re halfway through design development, planning documents are moving along, and then—boom. Your team discovers a conflict with a buried utility line that was never mapped. Now you’re facing delays, extra costs, and re-coordination with your engineer, designers, and utility providers.
Unfortunately, this scenario happens more often than it should, and more often than it needs to, creating significant risk.
At DFM Development Services, we believe one of the most powerful tools in a developer’s toolkit is timing, especially when it comes to dry utility studies.
What Happens When You Wait?
Dry utilities—like power, telecom, natural gas, and fiber—often aren’t as visible as water or sewer lines, but they’re just as critical as wet utilities. Waiting too long to investigate your site’s utility landscape can cause ripple effects across your entire project.
Design revisions may become necessary when unexpected infrastructure is discovered late in the game. Adjustments like demolition or utility relocation can add to your construction costs. Missed coordination windows with utility companies can throw off your entire timeline, and all of this adds up to lost time, money, and momentum.
When Should You Conduct a Utility Study?
The right time to conduct a dry utility study is early in the project, before your design is too far along to pivot. We recommend initiating studies during or even before the schematic design phase, particularly for complex sites like data centers and mission-critical facilities or in urban sites where utility conflicts are more likely.
Why Early Matters More Than You Think
Getting a head start ensures utilities are accounted for in your site layout from day one, not retrofitted after the fact. Early studies allow your design team to build around real-world constraints instead of working blindly and hoping for the best. It also gives utility providers more runway to respond, review, and approve service plans—steps that can quietly drag out timelines if not addressed up front.
With each passing project phase, the cost of revisions increases. A study done early gives developers the flexibility to adjust routing, utility room locations, and conduit paths before any major investments have been made. And when it comes to securing permits, having utility coordination underway makes a strong case for readiness in compliance with building codes, which can help move reviews forward more smoothly.
Incorporating dry utility coordination alongside civil engineering and wet utilities during the planning phase is recommended for a balanced and realistic construction plan. Considering both wet and dry utilities together helps streamline trenching, prevent conflicts, and reduce rework.
Red Flags That Signal You Need a Utility Study Now
If you’re unsure about timing, consider your site:
- Are you building in a dense urban environment with limited utility access?
- Do you have incomplete or outdated infrastructure records?
- Are easement boundaries unclear or potentially in conflict with your layout?
- Are you up against a tight permitting schedule?
- Has the site had previous utility conflicts or relocation issues?
- You’re still working off an allowance or preliminary budget figures.
These aren’t just headaches—they’re red flags. And they’re all indicators that now is the time to schedule a dry utility study. The earlier you get ahead of them, the more options you’ll have to resolve them efficiently.
Behind the Scenes: Utility Provider Timelines & Why They Matter
Even if your internal team is operating on a fast-paced schedule, utility providers tend to move at a different speed. Initial reviews, service agreements, and construction approvals can take weeks—or even months.
That’s why early engagement is essential to the overall process. DFM works ahead of these long lead times, ensuring key utility milestones align with your overall schedule. We coordinate with providers and agencies early, keep permitting on track, and avoid last-minute surprises.
Our deep familiarity with local utility processes—including timelines, permitting cycles, and documentation standards for providers like Dominion Energy, Pepco, NOVEC, and Verizon—means we know how to get in front of bottlenecks before they stall progress. Timing doesn’t just affect your project—it affects every team, timeline, and trade involved.
How DFM Helps You Stay Ahead
Our team doesn’t just identify problems—we plan for them before they exist. DFM’s dry utility services cover everything from early research and budgets to installation and final coordination, including:
- Utility research and designating (Subsurface Utility Engineering)
- Initial evaluations and budget-conscious cost estimates
- Coordination with electric, telecom, and gas providers
- Planning for demolition disconnects and infrastructure relocations
- Dry utility design-build
- Easement research and conduit plan development
Each service is designed to prevent delays before they happen, so your team can stay focused on what comes next. Our dry utility coordination process also ensures your installation process is aligned with the overall construction plan—reducing unexpected changes during final inspections.
If you need a clear, strategic approach to dry utility planning, contact DFM Development Services today—we’re ready when you are.
