Subsurface Utility Quality Level Checklist
Records the evidence behind each subsurface utility segment and the quality level a reviewer assigned, flagging labels the evidence does not support.
Project and review scope
An evidence record for subsurface utility segments: what records, surface features, detection and exposure support each one, and the quality level a reviewer assigned and why. The tool does not award quality levels or assert conformance with AS 5488 or any other standard.
Segment evidence worksheet
Orientation only
The conventional labels are usually read as: QL-D records only; QL-C records reconciled with surface features; QL-B detected with geophysical methods; QL-A exposed and measured. The exact criteria are in the standard and edition your project names — enter your own definition or clause reference for each label below. This tool never assigns a level.
Nothing recorded yet.
- Note: No segments recorded yet. Add one row per utility segment; a line with mixed evidence keeps one row per segment.
Review status: Not reviewed
Review progress 0 of 16 applicable rows verified (0%)
Outstanding critical findings
- Surface, detection and exposure evidence distinguished — Not started
- Reviewer assignment and rationale recorded — Not started
- Unknown or mixed segment quality retained — Not started
Review rows
Quality-level orientation
0/4 verifiedQL-D - existing records only
Orientation only. Record where your standard's definition was applied.
Optional
QL-C - records reconciled to surface features
Orientation only. Record where your standard's definition was applied.
Optional
QL-B - detected with geophysics (EML / GPR)
Orientation only. Record where your standard's definition was applied.
Optional
QL-A - exposed and measured (potholing)
Orientation only — detection without a verified exposure is not this level.
Optional
Segment identification
0/2 verifiedUtility type, size and material
Utility segment identified
Evidence stages
0/4 verifiedMethod and equipment recorded
Surface features tied in
Source records and limitations linked
Surface, detection and exposure evidence distinguished
Critical
Position and depth
0/2 verifiedHorizontal position captured
Depth captured (and to what - top/centre)
Reviewer assignment and limits
0/4 verifiedQL labelled per utility on the plan
Confidence / limitations noted
Reviewer assignment and rationale recorded
Critical
Unknown or mixed segment quality retained
Critical
Add your own row
Keep, share and print
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Before you rely on this: First-pass guide only. Verify safety-critical or regulated work against the relevant standards, your project requirements and a qualified professional.
How to use this calculator
- Record the project, the standard and edition you are working to, and the survey reference. Enter your quality-level labels with your own definition or clause reference for each.
- Add one row per utility segment with its record, surface-feature, detection and exposure evidence, who verified any exposure, and the quality a reviewer assigned with the rationale.
- Read the segment table and findings, then work through the review rows and export or print the record with its limitations.
How it works
The tool never awards a quality level. It shows which evidence stages are recorded for each segment — records, surface features, detection, and exposure once someone has verified it — and the level a reviewer assigned.
If a conventional label is assigned without the evidence it normally rests on, it is flagged: for example a segment assigned QL-A with detection but no verified exposure. Unknown and Mixed are allowed, and a line with mixed evidence keeps one record per segment.
The one-line level descriptions are orientation only; exact criteria come from the standard your project names, which needs authorised access and competent interpretation. No conformance with AS 5488 or any other standard is asserted.
Worked example
One water main, three segments. Line W1: segment W1-a has plan records and an EML trace; W1-b was potholed and the exposure verified by the site engineer; W1-c has records only. The reviewer assigns W1-a QL-A — flagged, because no verified exposure is recorded (highest recorded: detection). Reassigned QL-B, the finding clears. The table keeps W1-a QL-B, W1-b QL-A and W1-c Unknown as separate segment records.
Frequently asked questions
What has actually been checked?
Only what a person marked Verified, with the evidence they recorded — the worksheet records evidence and reviewer assignments; it does not judge the quality level itself. Everything else stays Not started, Action required or Unknown — the checklist never marks a row as checked on its own.
Can I use my own project requirements?
Yes. Enter your standard's labels and definitions or clause references; custom labels are recorded but not compared with the evidence. Add your own rows (they get stable IDs), and mark rows that do not apply as N/A with a reason — an N/A without a reason still counts as unresolved.
Does a complete checklist prove the work complies?
No. “Ready for reviewer” is your declaration that the applicable rows are verified and nothing critical is open. It does not certify a quality level or conformance with AS 5488 or any other standard; that needs competent interpretation of the current standard.
Is this official course material?
No. It is free study support mapped to surveying course levels — not official North Metropolitan TAFE content or advice. Always follow your lecturer and the official assessment brief, and check your own working.
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Cite this tool
Zerdly. (2026). Subsurface Utility Quality Level Checklist. Retrieved from https://www.zerdly.com/tools/subsurface-utility-quality-level-checklist/
Tip: Enter any known values to calculate the remaining results.
Designed to run locally in your browser. Tool inputs are not intentionally stored by Zerdly unless stated otherwise.