What is Utility Potholing?
Potholing is the excavation of a small test hole to expose a buried utility and confirm its exact location. It is used to verify the horizontal and vertical position of underground infrastructure before trenching, drilling, boring, or other excavation begins.
Because surface locates alone do not always provide enough certainty, potholing is one of the primary methods used to support utility locating when direct visual confirmation is needed.
Why Potholing is Used
Potholing helps crews reduce uncertainty in congested underground work zones. It is commonly used to:
- verify utility depth
- confirm field locates
- reduce the risk of utility strikes
- support safer excavation planning
In utility and construction work, potholing helps crews expose first and proceed with greater confidence.
Potholing with AirSpade
Potholing is a controlled test-hole excavation around buried infrastructure so crews can confirm utility position without unnecessary disturbance. AirSpade uses compressed air to loosen soil without the contact associated with mechanical digging methods, making it well suited to non-destructive utility exposure. Utility AirSpade was developed for this work and includes a dead-man trigger, non-sparking components for work around gas and other flammable utilities, and a non-conductive fiberglass barrel assembly for added protection around buried electrical lines.
When paired with AirSpade Vac, loosened soil can be removed efficiently from the test hole to support a clean, controlled excavation.
Potholing Detail
The diagram below, adapted from the AirSpade Utility Technical Applications Bulletin, shows a typical potholing layout, including the test hole, utility line, and tolerance zone. It reinforces the purpose of potholing in the field, which is to expose the facility directly and verify its location before excavation moves forward.
