Excavation Permit Requests

Construction workers working on streets

If your work on university grounds involves any ground disturbance, you will need to request an excavation permit.

Excavation Permit Request

If you are unable to load your documents to the Google drive provided, please email Utilities at excavation.permits@ualberta.ca.

Process for U of A Excavation Permits

  1. Fill out a request for an excavation permit. Ideally, at least two weeks ahead of your scheduled start of excavation date.
  2. Include a sketch of the excavation area location and any construction drawings if they are available. Be as specific as possible.
  3. The project manager, contractor and permit requestor will receive a pdf copy of the excavation permit by email. Note: Utilities may require up to three working days to generate your excavation permit. 
  4. Once the permit is received, coordinate your utility locates by calling the appropriate U of A Department (North Campus, South Campus, Campus Saint-Jean) or by contacting a private locating company (all other campuses and properties). 
  5. Identify all buried utilities shown on the excavation permit drawings. If any differences are found between the work site and the drawings, submit redlines to excavation.permits@ualberta.ca so that utilities can update the primary record document. 
  6. Once all known utilities have been identified, you may start working. Excavation contractors must have a copy of the excavation permit on the work site and have reviewed the information before the work starts.
  7. Complete work before permit expiry (four weeks from the start date). If necessary, you can submit a request for a permit renewal one week before permit expiry. 
  8. Once the work is complete, close your excavation permit
    1. If there are changes to utility and/or civil infrastructure, submit red-lines or as-built drawings to excavation.permits@ualberta.ca, so that the primary record document can be updated. You will be required to confirm that the updates are applied correctly.
    2. If there are no changes to utility and/or civil infrastructure, email excavation.permits@ualberta.ca to advise of completion.
      1. If you are submitting for a renewal, submit an update to your permit using the excavation permit request and renewal form.

Note: You will be unable to apply for permits or renewals until your expired permits are properly closed in the system.

Contractor Responsibilities

  • Coordinate and confirm all utility locates are found and completed before work is started, as required. Receiving an excavation permit by email is not an authorization to start digging. 
  • Email red-lines and as-built information to excavation.permits@ualberta.ca.
  • Keep track of your permit expiry date. Renew your excavation permit one week before the expiration date on the permit.
  • Close out the excavation permit. Email red-lines or as-builts for any changes to underground or civil infrastructure to excavation.permits@ualberta.ca.

Additional Resources