The Permit & Locate Checklist is a 14-item list for a Calgary sewer replacement in five stages: before you sign, permits and permissions, locates, on the job, and closing out. Tick items as you complete them; each tick is saved in your browser with the date and time. A progress meter counts what is done, “Copy my checklist” copies the whole list with ticks and dates, and “Start over” clears it.
- Fourteen items in five stages cover the paperwork and proof a replacement needs, in the order a job usually runs.
- Public locates through Utility Safety Partners and a private locate for your own lateral are separate items, because both are needed.
- Several items say “confirm with the City” because permits, right-of-way work and City trees are the City's call.
- Ticks and their times stay in the browser you use; the counter says so: saved in this browser only.
- “Copy my checklist” produces plain text you can paste into an email to your contractor or keep with the house records.
Permit & Locate Checklist
01 /What does the Permit & Locate Checklist do?
It keeps the non-digging parts of a sewer replacement from slipping. Most problems on residential sewer jobs are not in the trench; they are a permit that was never pulled, a private line nobody located, a boulevard dug without a City permit, an inspection skipped before backfill, or a restoration promise nobody wrote down. The checklist puts all of those in one place.
- Tick items as they are done. Each ticked item shows “Done” with the date and time you ticked it, and your ticks are saved in your browser, so the list is still there when you come back on the same device and browser.
- Watch the progress meter. A bar fills as you go, and a counter reads, for example, “5 of 14 done · saved in this browser only”.
- Copy my checklist. One button copies every item as plain text, marked [x] if ticked, with the date you ticked it, or [ ] if not yet done.
- Start over. A second button clears every tick and time in this browser, for example after planning a job that did not go ahead.
It does not apply for permits, request locates, contact the City or judge whether a contractor is suitable. It is a structured list with reasons, built on the same sequence as the replacement process step by step.
02 /What are the 14 items, stage by stage?
The checklist groups its items into five numbered stages. The table lists them in the same order, with why each matters and who usually handles it.
| Stage | Checklist item | Why it matters | Usually handled by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Before you sign | Written scope: method, length and pipe material | Makes quotes comparable and defines what is permitted and inspected | Contractor, reviewed by you |
| 1. Before you sign | Contractor holds the required trade credentials and a City business licence where applicable — confirm with the City | Plumbing is a compulsory certification trade in Alberta; the City says contractors must hold a business licence to get trade permits | You check |
| 1. Before you sign | WCB clearance letter and liability insurance certificate received | Protects you from a contractor's unpaid premiums and uninsured damage | Contractor provides; you check |
| 2. Permits and permissions | Plumbing or other permits identified, and who applies (usually the contractor) — confirm with the City | The City lists replacing sewer lines as plumbing permit work | Contractor applies |
| 2. Permits and permissions | Permission or permit for any work in the City boulevard or road right-of-way — confirm with the City or 311 | Digging in the road right-of-way needs a City excavation permit | Contractor, with the City |
| 2. Permits and permissions | Tree protection checked if City trees are near the dig — confirm with the City | The City requires a tree protection plan for work within six metres of a public tree | Contractor or arborist, with the City |
| 3. Locates | Utility locates requested through Utility Safety Partners (Alberta's one-call) before any digging | Marks gas, power and telecom lines; at least three full working days' notice | Contractor requests |
| 3. Locates | Private locate arranged for private lines, including your own sewer lateral | Customer-owned lines are not marked by the public locate | Contractor or private locator |
| 4. On the job | Neighbours notified if access or shared lines are involved | Shared drives, side yards and shared laterals need agreement | You |
| 4. On the job | Before-video from the camera saved | Records why the work was done and the starting condition | Camera operator; you keep the file |
| 4. On the job | Inspection booked | Buried work must be seen before backfill | Permit holder |
| 5. Closing out | After-video and warranty in writing | Baseline of the new line and the terms that protect it | Contractor |
| 5. Closing out | Restoration scope and timing in writing | The item owners most often find missing after the crew leaves | Contractor, agreed with you |
| 5. Closing out | Invoices and permits filed for the house records | Proof for a future buyer, insurer or contractor | You |
03 /Which items need the City's confirmation?
Four items say “confirm with the City” for a reason: the rules are the City's, they change, and they depend on your address. The checklist tells you what to ask, not what the answer will be.
- Credentials and licence: the City of Calgary says contractors are required to hold a valid City business licence and offers a licensed trade contractor lookup; to pull trade permits, a business registers as a City Qualified Trade.
- Permits: the City's homeowner permit page lists replacing water and sewer lines in or around the home as plumbing permit work, and lists repairing a drainage leak and removing a blockage as work that does not need one. Ask how your specific job is treated.
- Right-of-way: the City's excavation permit applies to breaking or digging into the road right-of-way, which it defines to include the areas between the property line, sidewalk and curb. A street use permit applies to exclusive use of a street, sidewalk, lane or boulevard.
- Trees: the City requires a tree protection plan when construction happens within six metres of a public tree.
The detail behind each is in Calgary plumbing permits and working on the City side.
04 /Why are public and private locates separate items?
Because they are separate requests, done by different people, and missing either one is dangerous. Utility Safety Partners notifies the registered utilities, which mark their facilities. Its homeowner guidance says customer-owned utilities, such as water and sewer service lines, sprinklers and lines between buildings, are not registered with it, and that you need a private locator for them. Your sewer lateral, the pipe being replaced, is one of those private lines.
When digging within one metre either side of any locate mark, Utility Safety Partners tells homeowners to expose the line with hand tools first. Utility locates for a Calgary sewer dig covers both requests, notice periods and expiry.
05 /How should you use the checklist during a job?
- Start when you get the footage
The Before you sign stage belongs before any contract. A contractor who cannot help you tick those three items is telling you something.
- Tick only what is done
Tick the Utility Safety Partners item when you have seen the locate ticket number, not when someone says it will be requested. The saved date then means something.
- Copy the list before the start date
Use “Copy my checklist” and send the text to your contractor so both of you are working from the same list, open items included.
- Use it on site
The On the job and Closing out stages happen during and at the end of the work. Tick them as the crew hands each item over.
- Finish with the records
The last item is done when the file is complete. See keeping sewer replacement records.
06 /What are the checklist's limits?
- It is general information. It is not legal advice or an official City checklist, and the City's requirements govern.
- It does not verify anything. Ticking the credentials item does not check a licence; the City's lookup does.
- It is not exhaustive. Condominium approvals, lane access or unusual City-side arrangements can add steps.
- It keeps your ticks in this browser only. They are not sent to HAUSE Sewer, a contractor or the City unless you copy and share the text yourself.
For timing rather than paperwork, the Replacement Timeline Planner gives planning ranges for each step. When your checklist is well under way, request quotes and include the copied checklist so contractors can see what is already done.
FAQQuestions people ask
What permits do I need to replace a sewer line in Calgary?
A plumbing permit, since the City lists replacing sewer lines as permit work, plus a City excavation permit if digging reaches the road right-of-way, and a tree protection plan if work is within six metres of a public tree. Confirm with the City for your address.
Where are my checklist ticks stored?
Only in the browser on the device you use, together with the time you ticked each item. Clearing browser data or switching devices starts a fresh list.
What does “Copy my checklist” copy?
Every item as plain text, marked [x] with the date if ticked or [ ] if not, headed with the checklist name, so you can paste it into an email, a note or your house records.
Why does the checklist ask for a WCB clearance letter?
WCB-Alberta advises getting one before hiring and before final payment; without it, you may be liable for a contractor's unpaid premiums.
Is the checklist an official City of Calgary document?
No. It is general information from an independent network. The City's permit and right-of-way requirements govern, and several items tell you to confirm with the City.
NETWORKGo deeper across the HAUSE Sewer network
Sewer Backup Checklist
Sewer Backup Checklist: 24 steps in six stages, from making it safe to after cleanup, with a progress meter and a copy-ready summary for your insurer.
SewerInspector.caSewer scope inspections in Edmonton: what to expect and who to call
Sewer scope and sewer line inspection in Edmonton: what mature and newer neighbourhoods show on camera, cold and clay soils, elms, EPCOR and 311 checks.
SewerQuotes.comQuote comparison worksheet
Free sewer quote comparison worksheet: compare up to three quotes on price per metre, tax status, warranty and 10 key inclusions, with questions to ask.
