Coastline Utility Services vs All Private Utility Locating: Which Is Right for You in 2026?

June 11, 2026

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If you need private underground utilities found before digging on California’s Central Coast, two local locating companies may come up. Coastline Utility Services is a Morro Bay company that locates, pothole-locates, and inspects utilities for homeowners and contractors on the Central Coast and in the Bay Area. All Private Utility Locating is a Central Coast locating company, launched in 2013, that offers utility locating, GPR scanning, concrete scanning, pipe inspection, and backflow valve inspections from Monterey County to Santa Barbara County.

The core tradeoff is locating plus excavation against locating plus inspection and compliance services. Coastline Utility Services pairs its locates with air and hydro potholing that produces GPS-documented results, adds leak detection, and confirms most requests within 24 hours. All Private Utility Locating adds utility fault finding, metal detecting, backflow valve inspections, and pre-construction consulting, and lists coverage that reaches Monterey County, Bakersfield, and Fresno.

For Central Coast homeowners and contractors who need lines located and then exposed or documented before digging, we lean toward Coastline Utility Services. The risk is real: excavation damaged buried utilities 196,977 times in 2024, according to the Common Ground Alliance DIRT report as summarized by Utility Contractor.

Quick Verdict
Best for Coastline Utility Services: Central Coast and Bay Area homeowners, contractors, and property managers who need a private locate, potholing, a sewer camera inspection, or leak detection scheduled quickly.
Best for All Private Utility Locating: Property owners, contractors and municipalities from Monterey to Santa Barbara County, or in Bakersfield and Fresno, who need locating, GPR, fault finding or backflow valve inspections.
Decision rule: If you need lines exposed by potholing with documented positions, choose Coastline Utility Services.

Coastline Utility Services vs All Private Utility Locating at a Glance

	Coastline Utility Services	All Private Utility Locating
Base	Morro Bay, CA	Central Coast; no street address listed
History	California corporation since December 2010	Launched January 2013, per its site
Service area	Central Coast and 10 Bay Area counties	Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties; Bakersfield and Fresno
Core services	Utility locating, GPR, air and hydro potholing	Utility locating, GPR scanning, concrete scanning
Inspection services	CCTV drain and sewer inspection, leak detection	Video and pipe inspection, backflow valve inspection
Other services	Concrete scanning for post-tension cables	Utility fault finding, metal detecting, pre-construction consulting
Potholing	Air and hydro, with GPS-documented results	Not listed
Customers	Homeowners and commercial contractors	Homeowners, contractors and municipalities
Scheduling	Confirmed within 24 hours; scheduled in 1 to 3 business days	Booked by phone or email; timing not stated
California license	Not published on its site	#324751, per its site
Public reviews	No reviews on Yellow Pages	None found

Overview of Coastline Utility Services

Coastline Utility Services is a private underground utility locating company based in Morro Bay and incorporated in California in December 2010. It serves the Central Coast, including San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Paso Robles, and Santa Maria, and 10 Bay Area counties from Sonoma and Napa to San Mateo and Santa Clara. It locates gas, water, electric, communication, sewer, storm, and irrigation lines with electromagnetic locators and ground-penetrating radar, and it offers air and hydro potholing with GPS-documented results. It also provides CCTV drain and sewer inspection, concrete scanning for post-tension cables, and leak detection. It confirms most requests within 24 hours. Its main differentiator is quick, local scheduling for residential and commercial jobs.

Overview of All Private Utility Locating

All Private Utility Locating is a private utility locating company on California’s Central Coast that says it launched in January 2013, founded by a team with prior locating experience. It serves Monterey, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara counties, plus Bakersfield and Fresno, for homeowners, contractors, and municipalities. Its services include utility locating, GPR scanning, concrete scanning for rebar and post-tension cables, video and pipe inspection, utility fault finding, metal detecting, backflow valve inspections, and pre-construction consulting. It lists California contractor license #324751 and says its field team is trained in locating, GPR, and backflow inspection standards. Its main differentiator is a mix of locating, inspection, and compliance services across a wide Central California area.

Locating and Potholing Compared

This is the clearest difference between the two companies.

Coastline Utility Services locates lines with electromagnetic tools and GPR, marks them using the APWA color code, and then can expose them by air or hydro potholing. It says its potholing produces ASCE 38 Quality Level A documentation with GPS coordinates and includes surface restoration.

All Private Utility Locating locates traceable lines and uses GPR for non-metallic pipes and unknown features. Its FAQ is candid that standard locating can miss non-metallic pipes, private laterals, and abandoned lines, and it recommends GPR for older properties. It does not list potholing or vacuum excavation.

Why it matters: marks on the ground show where a line probably runs, while potholing confirms its exact position and depth before excavation near it.

If you need lines exposed and documented, Coastline Utility Services fits. If you need locating and GPR without excavation, All Private Utility Locating fits.

Inspection and Specialty Services Compared

Both companies scan concrete before coring and inspect pipes by camera. Their other services differ.

Coastline Utility Services inspects drains and sewers with CCTV cameras, says it has NASSCO-certified pipe inspection capability, and uses acoustic tools for leak detection.

All Private Utility Locating adds utility fault finding for damaged electrical and communication lines, metal detecting to find valve boxes and tracer wires, backflow valve inspections for potable water compliance, and pre-construction consulting on utility risk.

Why it matters: backflow testing is a recurring compliance need for many commercial water services, while leak detection and sewer inspection solve problems on a single property.

If you need a leak found or a sewer inspected, Coastline Utility Services fits. If you need backflow inspections or fault finding, All Private Utility Locating fits.

Coverage and Scheduling Compared

Coastline Utility Services covers the Central Coast from Paso Robles to Santa Maria and 10 Bay Area counties, including Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Sacramento. It confirms most requests within 24 hours and schedules them in one to three business days.

All Private Utility Locating lists Monterey, Salinas, Seaside, and Marina in Monterey County; San Luis Obispo County; Santa Barbara, Goleta, Lompoc, and Santa Maria in Santa Barbara County; plus Bakersfield and Fresno. Its site does not state turnaround times.

Why it matters: locating is often the last step before digging, so a nearby crew with a stated booking window helps a project stay on schedule. Both companies serve San Luis Obispo and northern Santa Barbara counties, so compare availability on your dates.

If your site is in the Bay Area, Coastline Utility Services fits. If your site is in Monterey County, Bakersfield, or Fresno, All Private Utility Locating fits.

Where All Private Utility Locating Wins

Wider Central California list. It names Monterey County, Santa Barbara, Bakersfield, and Fresno.
Backflow inspections. It inspects backflow valves for potable water compliance.
Fault finding. It pinpoints faults in buried electrical and communication lines.

Where Coastline Utility Services Wins

Potholing. It exposes lines by air and hydro potholing with GPS-documented results.
Quick scheduling. Most requests are confirmed within 24 hours and booked in one to three business days.
Bay Area coverage. It serves 10 Bay Area counties in addition to the Central Coast.
Leak detection. It uses acoustic tools to find water leaks.
Longer corporate record. It has been a California corporation since December 2010.

Pricing Compared

Neither company publishes prices. Both quote by project.

Coastline Utility Services takes quote requests through its site and says a standard residential locate takes one to three hours, a single pothole two to four hours, and congested corridors a full day.

All Private Utility Locating offers free quotes by phone or email.

To compare fairly, ask each company which methods it will use for non-metallic lines, what you receive (paint marks, a written report or GPS data), whether potholing or restoration is included, and how travel or minimum charges work.

What Users Say

All figures are as of 2026.

Coastline Utility Services says on its site that it holds five-star ratings on Google, Top Rated Local and Facebook, which we could not check directly, and its Yellow Pages listing shows no reviews. Site testimonials praise a locate that found three unmarked lines before digging and quick, clear service for a homeowner’s pool project.

All Private Utility Locating shows a testimonials section on its website with no reviews displayed, and we did not find a public review profile with a rating.

Neither company has a readable public review score, so ask each for references from projects like yours.

Which Should You Choose?

Choose Coastline Utility Services if:

You need a line exposed by potholing before you dig.
Your site is in the Bay Area or near Morro Bay.
You also need a sewer camera inspection or leak detection.
You want a booking within a few business days.

Choose All Private Utility Locating if:

Your site is in Monterey County, Bakersfield, or Fresno.
You need backflow valve inspections.
You need a fault found on a buried electrical or communication line.

Public feedback is limited for both, and Coastline’s site testimonials praise finding unmarked lines and quick service. We found no public complaints for either company.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where does Coastline Utility Services work?

Coastline Utility Services is based in Morro Bay and serves the Central Coast, including San Luis Obispo, Atascadero, Paso Robles, and Santa Maria. It also serves 10 Bay Area counties, from Sonoma and Napa to San Mateo, Santa Clara, and Sacramento.

Where does All Private Utility Locating work?

All Private Utility Locating serves California’s Central Coast, including Monterey, Salinas, San Luis Obispo, Paso Robles, Santa Barbara, Lompoc and Santa Maria, and lists Bakersfield and Fresno. It offers locating, GPR and concrete scanning, pipe inspection, and backflow inspections for homeowners, contractors, and municipalities.

What is potholing?

Potholing digs a small, careful hole, usually with high-pressure air or water and a vacuum, to expose a buried line and confirm its exact position and depth. Coastline Utility Services offers air and hydro potholing with GPS-documented results. All Private Utility Locating does not list potholing.

What is a backflow valve inspection?

A backflow valve inspection checks the device that stops used or contaminated water from flowing back into the drinking water supply. Many water agencies require these devices to be tested regularly. All Private Utility Locating lists backflow valve inspections among its services on the Central Coast.

Can a private locator find plastic pipes?

Often, but not always with standard tools. Electromagnetic locators trace metal pipes and cables, while plastic and clay lines usually need ground-penetrating radar, a tracer wire, or a camera. Both companies use GPR. Ask how they will find non-metallic lines on your site.

Do I need to call 811 if I hire a private locator?

Yes. California law requires a call to 811 before digging, and member utilities typically mark their lines within two working days, according to the California Dig Safe Board. A private locator then finds the private lines that 811 members do not mark.

Author Profile

Millard Davis

Along with leading the team, Millard also works alongside different Fortune500 companies as their management Consultant/Financial Analyst, which shows his passion in helping other businesses grow.