From Your Local Experts

Whether you’re at the acquisition, feasibility, design, or construction stage, knowing exactly what’s underground is essential for safety, compliance, and avoiding costly delays.

Cornerstone Projects provides underground utility searches in Cambridge, delivering accurate and compliant utility mapping services for construction, engineering, and development projects. Our experienced surveyors carry out PAS 128 utility surveys in Cambridge, helping clients identify buried services safely, reduce risk, and avoid costly delays.

Whether you require underground utility mapping in Cambridge for pre-construction planning or full utility searches for construction, we tailor our surveys to suit your project requirements.

Our team takes care of the process for you: we liaise directly with all the relevant Cambridge utility providers and compile a clear, comprehensive pack of plans and data for your site. This gives you the accurate information you need to proceed with confidence.

We regularly carry out underground utility surveys across Cambridge and surrounding areas including Ely, Huntingdon, St Ives, Newmarket, Royston, and St Neots. Our local knowledge ensures fast mobilisation and accurate results for commercial and infrastructure projects.

Get A Free Sample Pack

With our utility searches you will enjoy:

Free 24/7 instant quotes
24/7 online ordering
UK’s most comprehensive online utilities search
Fast response times

Professional pdf search reports
30-day payments on account
Free telephone support
Prices from £58+vat (plus disbursements)

Pricing

Our fee for this starts at £58.00 + VAT + disbursements per utility – we will confirm the cost with you by email before proceeding. The disbursements per search are typically £30 – £270 in total depending on the site location and your search requirements – the actual costs will be confirmed to you by email as soon as we process the enquiry. Searches over a large area (typically more than 200m x 200m) are not covered by our basic charge – we will confirm costs for these with you prior to proceeding with any searches.

We offer a full online solution that will take you less than 5 minutes to request a utility search. Simply register/login and provide the following information to place an order or receive a FREE quotation. The website will allow you to draw a site boundary using Google Maps

The website will allow you to double check you have the right location using Streetmap.
You have the option to attach a plan showing the marked area you wish to search.

Choose the search options you wish

Our basic search includes issuing plans as hard copies and .pdf files and this search covers gas, electric, water, sewer, BT and oil/gas pipelines.
There are further options for a more comprehensive search including searches for IU’s (Independent Utilities) and cable/fibre companies
We also offer a search to determine whether your site may be affected by historical mine workings. If it is, you will have the opportunity to purchase a Consultant’s report produced by the Mining Remediation Authority. Find out more about the search here.
You can also opt for a tailor-made search.
We also offer additional services such as utility connections quotes, disconnections/diversions quotes, capacity checks and Section 50 applications that you may wish to add to your order.
There are various help and information pages on the website form to explain the search options available.

Choose your payment options

Payment options are credit and debit card as well as 30 day “on account” payments.
By completing and submitting the website form, you will be provided with an estimated price on screen and the confirmed price will be emailed to you within 30 minutes.
If you have requested a quote only, we will wait for your approval before proceeding. On approval, we commence your search the very same working day.

PAS 128 Utility Surveys in Cambridge

Accurate, trustworthy reports are critical for ensuring the health and safety of workers and the public, as well as for preventing costly delays and disruptions. At Cornerstone Projects, we provide PAS 128 compliant utility searches — the current industry standard for underground utility detection, verification and location. Developed through a collaboration between the British Standards Institution (BSI) and the Institution of Civil Engineers (ICE), PAS 128 sets out a rigorous, consistent approach to mapping underground utilities. By complying with the PAS 128 specification, we ensure that the utility information we supply is accurate, reliable and consistent. This removes the element of uncertainty and interpretation often found in traditional utility searches and reduces the variable risk to contractors and project managers when referring to the data. PAS 128 defines four levels of survey category, each offering a different degree of detail and confidence:

PAS 128 Survey Category Type D – Desktop utility records search
PAS 128 Survey Category Type C – Site reconnaissance using visible utility features
PAS 128 Survey Category Type B – Detection using geophysical techniques
PAS 128 Survey Category Type A – Verification via safe excavation

By working to PAS 128 standards, Cornerstone Projects helps clients reduce risk, avoid unexpected underground hazards, and complete works safely and efficiently. To learn more about PAS 128 and what each survey type involves, please visit the official PAS 128 website.

What is a utility search?

A utility search is the process of locating and identifying underground services such as electricity cables, gas pipes, water mains, sewers, and telecoms. In Cambridge, where university expansion, science park development, and residential growth are ongoing across the city and wider region, this information is vital for safe and efficient project planning.

Why are utility searches important in Cambridge?

Cambridge has a dense and historic network of underground utilities, shaped by centuries of development around the city centre and rapid growth in areas like the Cambridge Biomedical Campus and surrounding science parks. Utility searches help prevent accidents, costly delays, and unexpected repairs. By knowing the exact location of buried services, contractors working on projects in areas like Cherry Hinton, Trumpington, Milton, Girton, and Fulbourn can avoid damaging them during excavation. This not only saves time and money but also helps keep workers and the public safe.

How much does a utility search cost in Cambridge?

The cost of a utility search varies depending on the size and location of the site, as well as the number of utility providers involved. Cornerstone Projects offers competitive rates for Cambridge projects, starting at just £58.00 + VAT (plus disbursements).

How long does a utility search take?

A basic search generally takes about 3-4 working days in Cambridge. For more complex or larger city-centre projects, we ensure all relevant providers are included for complete accuracy.

Why Choose Us?

With years of experience working across Cambridge and the wider Cambridgeshire region, we’ve built strong relationships with local utility providers. This allows us to carry out underground utility searches quickly, accurately, and professionally — helping projects move forward without unnecessary delays.

We know that time is critical for developments in busy areas such as Ely, Huntingdon, St Neots, and Newmarket, which is why we provide a single point of contact for all your utility surveying needs.

All results can be presented in the format that works best for your project, including detailed 2D AutoCAD drawings. These give you a clear, combined plan of all underground services on your Cambridge site, offering a complete overview before any work begins.

Our pricing for this service starts at just £58.00 + VAT (plus disbursements), and we’ll confirm the exact cost with you via email before proceeding.

For more information, download a free sample report today.

PAS 128 Compliant

We provide PAS 128 compliant searches, the industry standard for accuracy and reliability, reducing risk on your projects.

Fast & Efficient

Our streamlined online system and established relationships with utility companies ensure a fast, professional turnaround.

Single Point of Contact

Simplify your workflow. We manage all inquiries on your behalf, providing a single, expert point of contact for all your needs.

Local Stats & Insights

We have extensive experience working on projects across the UK.

A basic search is currently same day and a full cable and independent utilities search is roughly 8 working days.
We also have 170 commercial client users on our books currently based in the Cambridge area, some doing searches locally and others covering the whole of the UK.

Did you know we have completed over 77 searches with a Cambridge postcode in the last 12 months.
All in all we have everything covered in Cambridge!

Interesting facts about Cambridge

1.World’s Fourth-Oldest University:The University of Cambridge was founded in 1209 by scholars who had left Oxford, making it the fourth-oldest university still operating anywhere in the world.

2. A City of Nobel Laureates: More than 120 people connected to the University of Cambridge have won a Nobel Prize since the awards began in 1904.

3. Britain’s Cycling Capital: Around 55% of Cambridge residents cycle at least once a week, giving the city the highest rate of regular cycling in the UK.

4. Birthplace of Football’s Rules: A set of standardised football rules, drafted by students on Parker’s Piece in 1863, went on to shape the regulations later adopted by the Football Association.

5. Europe’s Leading Tech Cluster: The city anchors Europe’s largest technology cluster, with roughly 5,000 science and tech firms between them generating upwards of £15.5 billion a year.

6. Where DNA’s Structure Was Announced: Scientists James Watson and Francis Crick first shared news of their discovery of DNA’s structure over a pint at The Eagle pub in the city centre in 1953.

7. Home to Pink Floyd’s Founders: Syd Barrett, Roger Waters, and David Gilmour of Pink Floyd all grew up in Cambridge, and the band later referenced a favourite local spot in a track on their Ummagumma album.

8. A Major Legal Deposit Library: Cambridge University Library is one of just six libraries in the UK entitled to a copy of every book published in England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland, and now holds over 8 million items.

9. One of Europe’s Longest Outdoor Pools: Jesus Green Lido, a popular local swimming spot, stretches 91 metres, making it one of the longest outdoor pools anywhere in Europe.

10. Site of Europe’s Largest Air Museum: Nearby IWM Duxford holds one of the largest collections of aircraft and aviation exhibits in Europe and regularly hosts flying displays.

Utility Searches In Cambridge