CGA Breaks Down $83.2B Utility Damage Cost by State
Common Ground Alliance has broken out its national $83.2 billion utility damage cost estimate into state-by-state figures, Trenchless Technology reports, giving excavators and utility crews localized numbers to back damage-prevention arguments.
Market Impact
The state estimates build on CGA’s national report, “Between the Lines: The True Cost of Damage to America’s Buried Utilities,” released last month. That report found direct repair costs make up just 5.9% of the true cost of utility damage nationwide. The remaining costs come from business interruption, emergency response, property damage and broader community impact.
The new figures apply CGA’s economic impact model to 2025 damage reports submitted to CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) from 46 states and Washington, D.C. Only states with more than 25 reported incidents in 2025 were included. Because DIRT reporting is voluntary and requirements vary by state, CGA is clear that these numbers understate the real cost. “The national $83.2 billion impact number is our best estimate of the full scope of this problem. The state numbers are a floor, not a ceiling, they reflect only damages reported in 2025, but the actual cost in most states is higher,” said CGA President and CEO Sarah K. Magruder Lyle. She added that state lawmakers, regulators and industry partners now have “a local, data-backed case for investing in damage prevention,” starting with a review of excavation legislation and enforcement effectiveness.
What It Means for Subcontractors
- Excavation, HDD and utility locating crews can now cite state-specific DIRT-based cost figures, not just the national $83.2 billion number, when pitching damage-prevention budgets to clients, GCs or insurers.
- Because reporting is voluntary and the state totals are described as a “floor,” subcontractors bidding in states with weak reporting requirements should assume actual local exposure is higher than CGA’s published figures suggest.
- CGA’s finding that direct repair costs are only 5.9% of total damage impact gives contractors a data point to push back on clients who treat locate/damage-prevention spend as an unnecessary line item, since business interruption and emergency response costs dwarf repair bills.
- Firms working across state lines should check whether their state was among the 46 plus D.C. included in this round (states under 25 reported incidents in 2025 were excluded) before citing figures in bids or safety plans.
- CGA is urging adoption of its industry-developed Best Practices for excavators, facility operators, 811 Centers and locators, worth reviewing now as states and utilities ramp up infrastructure investment and scrutiny of damage-prevention compliance.
