Your aerator snags an unmarked private cable. The client swears it was never there — or worse, swears you were warned. Without a signed disclosure dated before the job, it is your word against theirs, and you pay. The Landscaper Utility Line & Irrigation Head Damage Disclosure is an 8-page protection system built for that exact moment: the client discloses every private line they know about, you map and flag every irrigation head together, both sides sign BEFORE any machine touches the ground — and if something is still hit, you have a same-day incident and repair log ready instead of an argument.
What it is
This is a printable packet, a fillable phone version, and a tracking spreadsheet that work together as one pre-work sequence:
- Protect Before You Dig — how to use the kit, in order, plus the one rule: no sign-off, no start
- Utility Marking Checklist — the public locate ticket record PLUS the private lines public marks never show: landscape lighting, pet fence, private electric, water, drainage, and shallow cable drops
- Disclosure, Sign-Off & Liability Release — the core one-page form: the client initials each disclosure, lists exceptions and no-go areas, and signs the plain-language release before work starts
- Irrigation Head Map — a grid map of the yard plus a zone-by-zone head log, including heads that were already broken before you arrived
- Pre-Work Walk-Through & Photo Log — walk it with the client, photograph marks and pre-existing damage, and write it down
- Damage Incident Log — stop-work steps (including when to move people away and call emergency services) and a same-day record for up to 2 incidents
- Repair & Cost Resolution Log — item, who repairs, who pays, by when — agreed in writing
- Crew Field Rules & Job Close-Out — truck-ready rules for the crew and a final sign-off for every job
The fillable PDF version is included — open it on your phone at the property and tap-type into every field, including the sign-off. No printing is required.
The Job & Damage Tracker (.xlsx, for Excel and Google Sheets) carries the record past job day: a Job & Disclosure Log with auto counts for jobs logged, signed disclosures, and total incidents; a Damage & Repair Log with estimated versus actual repair costs and an open-item count; and an Irrigation Head Log totalling heads found, flagged, and already broken per zone. A How to Use guide with demo data shows it working in about a minute.
Why it was created
Public locate marks only cover public utilities. The lines that actually get hit on residential jobs — landscape lighting wire, invisible pet fences, private water and drainage runs, shallow cable drops the homeowner had installed years ago — live in the client’s memory, not on any map. This kit was created to move that knowledge onto paper while the client is standing in the yard with you, before the aerator, trencher, or stump grinder starts. The irrigation head map solves the twin problem: heads that were already cracked or buried get blamed on the crew unless both sides noted them first. Sign first, then aerate.
Who it’s for
- Landscaping and lawn-care crews who aerate, overseed, trench, or dig on residential properties
- Solo operators who are the crew, the office, and the person who pays when something breaks
- Companies whose clients have sprinkler systems, landscape lighting, or pet fences
- Any contractor who has paid for one cable or head repair that was not their fault
How to use it
Start before the truck is unloaded. Record the public locate ticket, walk the property with the client, and work through the private-line disclosure line by line — initials, not just a signature at the bottom. Map and flag the irrigation heads together, noting the ones already damaged. Photograph the marks and the pre-existing damage. Both sides sign. Only then does work start. If something is still hit, stop, make the area safe, and complete the incident log the same day while the facts are fresh — then agree the repair and who pays, in writing, on the resolution log.
This kit is a documentation and communication tool, not legal advice — consult an attorney about your situation, your state law, and any release you sign or ask a client to sign. Public locate services and marking rules vary by area — follow your local requirements, including calling your local locate service before you dig where required.
Companion guide: Landscaper Utility Line Disclosure: Software, Devices and Tools That Work With It
Get the kit
PROTECTION IS CHEAPER THAN ONE CABLE REPAIR. Get the Landscaper Utility Line & Irrigation Head Disclosure for $9.95, or find DealShore on Etsy.
Get free sample pages + new kit alerts — email contact@dealshore.com