CivilGrid Frequently Asked Questions

Looking to learn more about CivilGrid? The best way is to see it firsthand by signing up for our weekly webinar or speaking with our sales team for a personalized demo. Read on to see answers to our most frequently heard questions.

What is CivilGrid?

CivilGrid is a software platform for desktop and mobile that helps you complete project design, scoping, and planning more effectively and accurately. Core features of CivilGrid include:

1. Sourcing all relevant data for a project with a single click: gas, electric, water, sewer, and telecom, land rights and parcel ownership, zoning, and more

2. Consolidating everything into one layered map with commenting and markup features

3. Facilitating design work directly onto the shared map: laying out proposed routes, alignments, and linework

4. Exporting maps in common file formats to load into CAD and GIS tools

5. Streamlining surveying with the field-ready CivilGrid mobile app

6. Optimizing your cross-project portfolio by surfacing conflicts and bundling opportunities

Where does the data in CivilGrid come from?

CivilGrid sources data directly from its owners: we procure the latest, most accurate maps and data from utilities, municipalities, and public agencies. We do not extrapolate from satellite imagery, repurpose out-of-date sources, use AI to make inferences, or use any other unsubstantiated sourcing or creating method. Every piece of data in CivilGrid is provided alongside a chain of ownership, custody, and accountability. This means our data meets QL-D standards, allowing you to confidently use it as the basis of your surveying plan and the foundation for your design.

Where does CivilGrid have coverage? Does CivilGrid work in my state?

CivilGrid can help you with project scoping and planning in every US state and city. In many places, we have pre-existing relationships with local data owners, allowing for seamless access to the latest data (over 35,000 such relationships, with more added continually).

In places where we haven’t established those relationships, we can still handle the process of data procurement for you, turning what is typically months of manual requesting and reviewing into a one-click solution with a minimal processing wait.

What happens if I need data that CivilGrid doesn’t have?

If we don’t have it, we’ll get it for you. When we go live in a state, we start building relationships with all the data owners. We’re consistently bringing in new data and also handle bespoke requests. We have a dedicated team that handles the requesting, reviewing, and uploading into CivilGrid; all you need to do is make a one-click request.

How long does it take for CivilGrid to source data?

It depends on if we have live data or not. If we have live data from an agency in CivilGrid, you’ll be able to work with it right away. If we don’t, it can vary based on the type of data, the providing agency, and other factors. However, we find that we can generally have data back within 14 days, which is drastically faster than timelines without CivilGrid. We can do it faster because we have dedicated teams focused entirely on data fulfillment, rather than needing project designers and civil engineers to juggle it alongside many other tasks.

Is CivilGrid secure? Can I use CivilGrid for sensitive projects?

Yes, CivilGrid is SOC 2 Type II certified and securely manages all your data, including CEII data exchanged with utilities. Our data centers are all based in the US and our platform is built with role-based permissions so sensitive infrastructure data is only visible to the people you choose. We understand that cybersecurity is paramount in construction, and that cyberattacks on utility infrastructure are a very real threat.

Does CivilGrid use AI?

CivilGrid does not source data using AI. Everything CivilGrid provides is human sourced and verified. We take advantage of AI with humans in the loop to help with processing of verified data: extracting data from PDFs, standardizing symbology and nomenclature, normalizing units and orientation for digitization, etc.

What data does CivilGrid provide?

CivilGrid provides every type of data you need to advance your project planning. This includes:

Utility data, up to QL-D standards, including:

• Gas

• Electric

• Water

• Sewer

• Stormwater

• Fiber

• Oil

• Fuel

Land parceling data, including:

• Ownership

• Land rights

• Zoning data

• Municipality boundaries

Conflict data, including:

• Paving moratoria (restrictions wherein any potholing/test holing, trench-digging, or other disruptions necessitates repaving the entire road)

• Right-of-way information

• Road and transit information

• Planned paving and other scheduled capital improvement projects

• Environmental restrictions

This list isn’t comprehensive, and we’re always expanding the types of data we can provide. If your project requires a type of mapping data that we haven’t incorporated yet, we’d love to hear about it.

How current is CivilGrid’s data? How does CivilGrid handle data staleness? How often does CivilGrid refresh data?

CivilGrid can update site data throughout your entire project lifecycle. We don’t just take a one-time snapshot of data. When you view your data in CivilGrid, you’ll see its age and source, so you can feel confident you’ve got an up-to-date picture.

We have our own data repository. Does CivilGrid replace that?

We don’t replace your own data efforts, we make them faster, cheaper, and more effective. CivilGrid can incorporate your in-house data, serving as an additional data layer underneath. We take your existing utility, as-built, ROW, and other data and correlate it with records we’ve acquired and verified from agencies and asset owners. We make the chain of custody comprehensive and documented, and help you keep things current across long timelines.

How is using CivilGrid different from calling 811?

811 is a necessary step to prevent damage when you dig, but it isn’t comprehensive. We cover substantially more agencies and data types than 811, incorporating data that may not be relevant to prevent line strikes, but is relevant to your designs, plans, and schedules. For example, 811 in California covers only 1238 agencies, whereas CivilGrid covers 3099 (and counting!), New York 811 has just 178 agencies compared to CivilGrid’s 5880, and Massachusetts 811 has 341 vs. CivilGrid’s 1967.

Without these additional agencies as data sources, 811 is only the starting point of a design resource. Although some 811 services offer design tickets, they generally lack the completeness and detail to actually plan around. To actually start planning, engineers have to spend hours researching their own sources, submitting data requests, digitizing and standardizing the data they receive and consolidating it onto maps, and doing many other intensive tasks that 811 doesn’t help with. CivilGrid provides this complete package, but does not provide a dig ticket or perform field locating.

As always, be sure to CALL BEFORE YOU DIG. CivilGrid does NOT replace calling 811.

What sort of people use CivilGrid?

CivilGrid is used in a wide variety of roles, including:

• Project managers

• SUE engineers

• Surveyors

• Civil engineers

• Portfolio planners

On top of those actively working in CivilGrid, other stakeholders, like upper management, contractors, and regulatory agencies can be given access to CivilGrid projects to review and track progress.

What sort of companies and agencies use CivilGrid?

CivilGrid is most commonly used by:

• Utility companies

• Departments of Transportation

• State Highway Administration departments

• Planning and engineering office

• Large AEC consultants

• Subsurface Utility Engineering (SUE) firms

• Civil engineering firms

We can handle the data intake, organization, and collaborative planning of any infrastructure construction company that needs to build.

Does CivilGrid provide QL-D data? Is it verified? Can we stamp deliverables based on CivilGrid data?

The data CivilGrid provides, including maps and as-builds, is aligned with ASCE QL-D guidelines with a documented chain of custody. It is designed to be used alongside other as-builts, survey data, and potholes/test holes for field verification. Your engineers stay in control of final validation. We make verification efficient, so you’re capable of stamping. We make verification and SUE level D qualification efficient for engineers by providing all necessary records and traceability of utility linework available in the platform.

Because we provide provenance records for every point of data, traceable back to their source, CivilGrid helps establish lines of liability that protects you. Rather than heading out on the field with guesses and risking dig-ins/line strikes, CivilGrid provides a foundation of confidence and efficiency for your surveying and QL-A validation.

Does CivilGrid replace our CAD software?

CivilGrid does not replace CAD software. We enhance your CAD drafting workflow by exporting the layered, collaboratively commented, and marked-up basemaps you’ve built in CivilGrid into your CAD and GIS tools. This gives you the best possible starting point for design. We export in all the common file formats, including DWG, DGN, SHP, and KMZ.

Does CivilGrid replace our GIS software?

CivilGrid does not replace your existing GIS software, such as ArcGIS, QGIS, or Appia, but makes it more useful with further data integration. All of the data we collect and format for you within CivilGrid can be exported into the GIS tools you’re already using. This allows you to do collaborative planning and surveying within CivilGrid with a comprehensive data foundation, then, when it’s time to start deploying crews and breaking ground, switch to your preferred GIS tool without losing any of that valuable information.

Does CivilGrid replace SUE or survey work?

CivilGrid does not replace the often essential steps of doing field surveys and enhancing data beyond SUE QL-D. Instead, we make that work more targeted, efficient, and comprehensive. We start you off with sourced QL-D level data that shows density and congestion. You’ll know where to run surveys that answer the most questions, use the fewest potholes/test holes, and require the smallest crew. Then, you can use the CivilGrid mobile app while in the field to efficiently feed everything you learn back to one shared map. This provides the most effective way of going from QL-D to QL-A, with some customers reporting that using CivilGrid is around 88% faster than their previous QL-A validation process.

Can we provide access to CivilGrid projects to contractors and clients?

Yes, you can manage external stakeholder access on an individual basis with our custom permissions: restricting editing, showing specific projects only, and preventing the exposure of sensitive data.

What does onboarding with CivilGrid look like? What support do we have once we’re using CivilGrid?

CivilGrid offers extensive guidance and support through initial onboarding and day-to-day use. Our customer success team will work closely with your users to ensure you know exactly how to get the most out of every CivilGrid project. And, as we’ve detailed before, we’re always available for your data requests. With a single request you can pull down all the data you need for a project, and have us standardize it and consolidate it into your CivilGrid basemap.

How much does CivilGrid cost? How is it billed? How many users can use it?

CivilGrid can bill on a project-by-project basis. Use us as much or as little as you need, on just the projects CivilGrid can help most with or your entire portfolio. Once you’ve built a project in CivilGrid, there’s no headcount limit: as many people as you want can work on it together. Get everyone, from designers to management to field crews, brought in and collaborating on one map.

Does CivilGrid charge extra for digitalization?

With our enhanced Project+ option, available for an additional cost, CivilGrid will digitalize your data, making it all consistent, aligned, and cross-compatible, while also loading it into your collaborative CivilGrid project map.

How does CivilGrid handle multiple projects? Can CivilGrid manage our entire portfolio?

CivilGrid can handle your entire portfolio at once, empowering multi-year scheduling and optimization. We surface relevant conflict data, like moratoria or capital improvement projects, making it easy to prioritize work, assign it to years, find bundling opportunities, and avoid costly delays.

However, CivilGrid won’t cause sensitive data from one project to spill over into work on other projects. We securely manage data on a per-project basis, and you can easily zoom in from the portfolio view to get back to scoping and designing each individual project.

How do I get the CivilGrid mobile app?

The CivilGrid mobile app is available for Android and iOS in their respective official app stores. It is free for any CivilGrid user.

What does the CivilGrid mobile app do?

The CivilGrid mobile app works as your in-field assistant, helping you handle surveying and SUE work more efficiently and accurately. Fill out forms to quickly gather everything you need without missing vital details. Use voice-to-text to quickly take notes on what you find as you find it without taking off your gloves. Take photos and readings and seamlessly integrate them into your other data. Everything you and your crew gathers automatically uploads into your CivilGrid project map, geotagged with location, for further planning and analysis.

For example, let’s say you’re doing potholing/test holing in the field. With the CivilGrid mobile app, you can quickly report your current location, what utilities you found at what depths, and any other relevant notes or pictures. Then the app automatically adds it to your central project map. It’s the quickest way to keep your maps current with everything you learn in the field.

Do I need cell coverage for the CivilGrid mobile app?

The CivilGrid mobile app can work completely offline for remote construction jobs. Take notes, photos, complete forms, and anything else you need while out on the field, and it automatically syncs back with your CivilGrid project as soon as you’re back in coverage.

Does the CivilGrid mobile app connect to Trimble?

The CivilGrid mobile app can connect to (pair with) a Trimble receiver to capture precise coordinates, antenna height, and satellite count.