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Civil Engineering

Utility Plans

Engineered plans for water, sewer, and storm drain connections and on-site systems — coordinating with public utility agencies for permit approval and construction.

What Are Utility Plans?

Utility plans show the routing, sizing, and connection details for water supply, sanitary sewer, and storm drain systems serving your project. This includes lateral connections from the building to the public main in the street, on-site piping layout, and any required public main extensions or relocations. Utility plans are required for plan check and must be approved by the serving utility agency before construction.

Moment Engineering prepares utility plans coordinated with the City of San Diego Public Utilities Department, the County of San Diego, local water districts and sewer agencies (Otay Water District, Padre Dam MWD, Irvine Ranch Water District, LA DWP, and others), and agencies throughout Orange County and LA County. We handle the agency coordination, will-serve letters, and plan check process so that utility approvals don't hold up your grading or building permit.

Water + Sewer

Domestic water, fire service, and sanitary sewer design in one plan set

Agency Coord.

Direct coordination with the serving water district and sewer agency

Will-Serve

Letters of service availability obtained from utility providers

Need Utility Plans? Get a fixed-fee proposal — typically within 24 hours.

Request a Proposal ✆ (619) 374-8677

Typical Investment

$3,000 – $8,000

Varies by number of utility connections and distance to public infrastructure.

Fees vary by site conditions, scope, and jurisdiction. Request a proposal for a fixed-fee quote tailored to your project.

Scope of Work

What's Included

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Water Service Design

Domestic water and fire service lateral sizing, meter selection, routing from the public main to the building, and backflow prevention device specification per the water agency's standards.

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Sanitary Sewer Design

Sewer lateral sizing, slope, material, and routing from the building to the public sewer main. Cleanout locations and connection details per the sewer agency's requirements.

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Storm Drain Design

On-site storm drain piping, area drains, catch basins, and connections to the public storm drain system or approved discharge point. Pipe sizing per the hydrology report flows.

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Public Main Extensions

When the existing public main does not front the property or is undersized, we design main extensions or upgrades per the agency's design standards and coordinate the plan review.

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Profiles & Details

Pipe profiles showing invert elevations, slopes, cover depths, and crossings. Standard and special connection details per the applicable agency standards.

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Agency Coordination

Will-serve letter applications, agency plan check submittal, response to correction comments, and coordination of inspections during construction.

When You Need Utility Plans

Any project that connects to or modifies public water, sewer, or storm drain systems requires engineered utility plans approved by the serving agency.

New Construction

New buildings require water and sewer lateral connections from the structure to the public main. Storm drain connections are required when on-site drainage cannot be managed with surface discharge.

ADU / Second Unit

ADUs typically require a new or upsized water meter and may require a separate sewer lateral — both requiring utility plans and agency approval.

Subdivisions

Residential and commercial subdivisions require public water main, sewer main, and storm drain extensions designed per agency standards.

Commercial Development

Restaurants, medical offices, car washes, and other commercial uses may require grease interceptors, backflow devices, or fire sprinkler service — all shown on the utility plan.

Main Extensions

When public infrastructure does not front the property, a main extension must be designed and constructed to reach the project site.

Upgrades & Relocations

When existing utilities conflict with proposed construction or are undersized for the new demand, relocation or upsizing plans are required.

Our Process

From Layout to Utility Connection

Agency Research

We identify the serving water, sewer, and storm drain agencies, obtain will-serve letters, and confirm available infrastructure (main sizes, locations, invert elevations) from as-built records.

Design & Sizing

We design water, sewer, and storm drain systems based on project demand, agency standards, and coordination with the grading and building plans. Pipe sizes, slopes, and materials are selected to meet code.

Plan Preparation

We prepare a PE-stamped utility plan set with plan view, profiles, details, and notes per the agency's submittal format. Plans are coordinated with the grading plan and street improvement plan.

Agency Plan Check

We submit to the utility agency, respond to corrections, and track the review through approval. We coordinate inspection scheduling during construction as needed.

Related Services

Often Paired With Utility Plans

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Grading Plans

Utility routing and trench locations are coordinated with the grading plan to ensure proper cover depths and avoid conflicts with other site features.

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Street Improvements

Utility connections in the public right-of-way are coordinated with street improvement plans and require pavement restoration after trenching.

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Hydrology Reports

Storm drain pipe sizes shown on the utility plan are derived from the peak flows calculated in the hydrology report.

Learn More →

Common Questions

Utility Plans FAQs

Yes. Water and sewer agencies typically have their own plan review and permitting process separate from the city building or grading permit. We submit the utility plans to the agency, respond to their comments, and coordinate the approval so it doesn't hold up your overall permit timeline.

A will-serve letter is a confirmation from the water or sewer agency that they have capacity to serve your project and that infrastructure is available (or what extensions are needed). Most jurisdictions require a will-serve letter before issuing a building permit. We apply for these on your behalf.

We design the fire service lateral from the public main to the building, including the backflow preventer and post-indicator valve. The internal fire sprinkler system is typically designed by a fire protection engineer or sprinkler contractor and coordinated with our fire service line.

If the public sewer main does not extend to your property frontage, a main extension will be required. We design the extension per the sewer agency's standards and coordinate the plan review. The cost of main extension construction is borne by the developer but the infrastructure is typically dedicated to the public agency upon completion.

Absolutely. Utility trench locations, pipe cover depths, and connection points must align with the grading design. We prepare both plans concurrently to ensure coordination — this avoids conflicts and plan check corrections from the civil reviewer.

Need Utility Plans?

Coordinating with the utility district? Tell us your project location and connection type and we'll scope the utility plan and send a proposal — typically same day.

Request a Proposal ✆ (619) 374-8677