Every day, directional drilling contractors, landscapers, fence builders, and excavation crews need to call 811 before breaking ground. The process is fragmented — submit tickets per state, track responses from multiple utilities, renew before tickets expire, re-request when paint washes away. A missed renewal means a delayed job. A missed utility response means a struck gas line.
DigLocate is a managed 811 ticket service that automates the entire lifecycle: submission → tracking → renewal → weather-aware re-mark. We handle it or they handle it through a dashboard. Built for how contractors actually work — from a truck, not an office.
Launch advantage: Tony's 12,000-member Facebook group gives us instant distribution to the exact target market. No ad spend, no cold outreach — launch day is day one.
| Issue | Impact |
|---|---|
| 53% of contractors | Say managing 811 tickets is their #1 administrative headache |
| Ticket expiration | 10–30 days depending on state — missed renewal stops work |
| Weather washout | Rain erases paint marks — causes re-mark delays |
| Admin time | 1–2 hours/day on 811 per crew |
| Lost revenue | $200–500/day when a ticket expires mid-job |
“Mandatory fields that are always wrong do more harm than good.”
“App crashes and I lost all my photos — had to drive 20 miles to retake them.”
“We have to print tickets on Friday to sort by due dates for Monday.”
“Double entry between the app and our accounting system.”
Source: 71 competitor reviews on Capterra, Software Advice, and App Store.
| Tier | Monthly | Per Ticket | Key Features |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter | $49 | $0.50 | Dashboard across all states, positive response tracking, SMS alerts, auto-renewal reminders, mobile PWA |
| Pro | $149 | $1.00 | Everything in Starter + AI-powered submission, auto-renewal, weather-aware re-marks, site intelligence, SMS & voice interface |
| Enterprise | $399 flat | Unlimited | Dedicated dispatcher, API access, HCSS integration, 5+ crews |
1. Weather-Aware Re-Mark Automation
Monitors NWS weather data and auto-submits re-mark requests when rain >0.25” washes away utility marks. BOSS811 users currently “print tickets on Friday to sort by due dates for Monday” — this automates that entire weekend workflow.
2. AI-Powered Full-Service Submission
811Assist offers full-service at $8/ticket — but it’s 100% manual (human staff call in tickets). Our AI engine reads dig drawings, extracts parameters, routes to the correct one-call center, and submits at $1/ticket — 8x cheaper.
3. SMS-First Field Interface
Text “RENEW” to auto-renew expiring tickets. Get a call: “Job #142 — all utilities cleared. Go ahead and dig.” Send a photo via MMS. No app install, works from the cab.
4. Cumulative Site Intelligence
Every ticket builds a knowledge base per address. “Last time you dug here, there was a 4” gas line at 3ft on the east side.” Creates switching cost — leaving means losing your institutional memory.
| Competitor | Type | Pricing | Mobile | Weather | SMS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 811Assist | Dashboard + manual full-service | $8/ticket full-service | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| BOSSDig/BOSS811 | Enterprise dashboard | Opaque subscription | Buggy | ✗ | ✗ |
| 811spotter | Dashboard | $100–200/mo + $1–2/ticket | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Excav811 | Dashboard + GC portal | Free? | iOS only | ✗ | ✗ |
| Irth Solutions | Enterprise utility platform | Enterprise | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| DigLocate | AI-managed + PWA + SMS | $49–149/mo + $0.50–1.00/ticket | PWA | Unique | Unique |
Launch offer for Clear Canopy and Tony's network:
| Month | Subscribers | Tickets | MRR |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tony's group launch) | 50 | 2,500 | $4,700 |
| 3 | 200 | 10,000 | $18,000 |
| 6 | 500 | 25,000 | $46,000 |
| 12 | 1,500 | 75,000 | $135,000 |
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Revenue per ticket (Pro) | $1.00 |
| Cost per ticket (API + SMS + server) | $0.06–0.27 |
| Gross margin | 73–94% |
| CAC | $0 (Tony's group = organic) |
| LTV (12 months) | $600–1,800 |
The US one-call system has ~71 centers on two major platforms (PelicanCorp OneCallAccess and Irth Exactix). No single unified API exists.
| Path | Coverage | Timeline |
|---|---|---|
| PelicanCorp partnership | ~40+ states via one API | 3–6 months |
| Exactix centers (direct REST API) | VA, IN, CO, ~15+ states | 4–8 weeks |
| Headless browser (portal automation) | All remaining states | 1–2 weeks per state |
MVP approach: Start with Texas (Texas811, largest center) via headless browser. Add 4 more high-volume states in weeks 2–4. Layer PelicanCorp partnership as volume grows.
| Layer | Choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Server | Caddy | Auto-TLS, gzip, fast |
| Backend | Python FastAPI | Async, fast, well-supported |
| Database | SQLite → PostgreSQL | Start simple, scale when needed |
| Queue | Redis | Ticket processing pipeline |
| SMS/Voice | Twilio | Already integrated |
| Weather | NWS API | Free, reliable |
| Maps | Leaflet + OpenStreetMap | Free, no API key |
| Frontend | Vanilla JS PWA | Zero-friction install |
| Phase | Timeline | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Week 1–2 | Tony's Facebook group (12k members). Locked-in pricing for first 100. Collect feedback fast. |
| Phase 2 | Week 3–6 | Texas + Oklahoma + Louisiana + Arkansas. Partner with directional drilling supply shops. Google Ads. |
| Phase 3 | Month 3+ | Full state coverage via PelicanCorp API. HCSS/Procore partnerships. Dealer referral program. |
| Advantage | Details |
|---|---|
| Distribution | Tony's 12k-member group = instant access to target market, zero CAC |
| AI automation | 8x cheaper than 811Assist ($1/ticket vs $8/ticket) |
| Weather intelligence | Zero competitors. Validated pain point from 71 reviews. |
| SMS-first | Zero-friction field interface, no app install barrier |
| Site intelligence | Creates switching cost — leaving means losing dig history |
| Infrastructure | Battle-tested ops on Core: Caddy, Twilio, backups, monitoring, DR |
| Risk | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| One-call centers block programmatic submissions | Headless browser layer maintains compatibility |
| State regulations change | Modular integration per state |
| Low conversion from Tony's group | Free first month, locked-in pricing, referral incentives |
| PelicanCorp partnership denied | Direct state API + headless browser as fallback |
| Regulatory liability | Clear TOS, insurance requirements, compliance-checked pipeline |
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Domain registration | $12 |
| Infrastructure (existing netcup) | $0 |
| Twilio credits (testing) | $50 |
| PelicanCorp API application | $0 (free to apply) |
| Total | $62 |
| Item | Cost |
|---|---|
| Server infrastructure | $25 |
| Twilio SMS (25k msgs) | $198 |
| Twilio Voice (critical alerts) | $35 |
| PelicanCorp API fees (est.) | $125 |
| Weather API | $0 |
| Total | $383 |
Breakeven: ~25 Pro subscribers (at 100 tickets/subscriber). Achievable month 1–2.
“Every hole starts with a call. We make it painless.”