Before You Dig

What Before You Dig does

Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) is a national not-for-profit organisation headquartered in Melbourne that operates Australia's single point of contact for utility damage prevention information. Founded in 1984 following a gas pipeline incident in Bibra Lake, Western Australia, and consolidated into a single national entity in 2022 (previously operating as separate state Dial Before You Dig / DBYD organisations), BYDA runs a free digital referral platform that allows anyone planning excavation work to submit a single enquiry and receive underground utility plans from all registered asset owners, supplemented by the Look Up and Live interactive map for overhead powerlines and native iOS/Android mobile apps.

The technology stack combines a web portal, mobile applications, a public API, and an emerging Digital Utility Portal (BDUP) pilot launched in June 2026 designed to replace legacy PDF-based utility plans with structured digital utility mapping. Member-facing services include Automate (automated referral response handling), Collaborate (cross-asset-owner information sharing), Locate (skilled locator referral), and the BYDA Damage Data Dashboard — the first national dataset tracking utility strikes across sectors. A public API exposes referral information for programmatic partner integration.

BYDA's business model is membership-funded: asset owners pay annual subscription fees tiered by referral volume ($200 base plus $0.64 per referral above 300), while non-asset owners (construction and excavation companies) pay a flat $200-$400 annual fee. End-user access to the referral service is free. A newer paid revenue stream was introduced in June 2025 via self-paced BYDA Online Courses offering CPD-accredited training to professionals. Membership is geographically distributed across all Australian states and territories, supported by a nationwide team of educators and dedicated Service Awareness and Damage Prevention Officers.

Name

Before You Dig

Legal name

Before You Dig Australia Ltd

Website

https://byda.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) is a national not-for-profit operating Australia's free single point of contact for underground and overhead utility safety information before excavation, serving asset owners, contractors, and homeowners across all Australian states and territories since 1984.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Utility Safety Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Oil and Gas Operations (213112)

SIC

Services-Help Supply Services (7363)

akta.pro primary industry

Instrumentation, Controls & Automation Engineering Consulting (BPAHAIAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Stakeholder Engagement, Indigenous/Tribal Consultation & Social Impact (SIA) (EUAHAAAH)

Keywords

• Underground utility mapping
• Excavation safety planning
• Asset protection services
• Damage prevention platform
• Utility referral service

Headquarters

HQ city

Blackburn

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Asset-Owning Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from infrastructure asset owners (electricity, gas, telecommunications, water utilities, councils, government agencies, private enterprises) who register their assets with BYDA. Fees are based on referral volume tier.
2. Non-Asset Owning Membership Fees: Annual membership fees from non-asset owning organizations (excavation and construction companies) who support the referral service and promote safe site practices.
3. Free Referral Service (User-facing): Free utility plan request service for anyone planning excavation work - builders, contractors, homeowners, etc. The core service is free to end users; revenue comes from membership fees rather than user fees.
4. Education and Training Services: Free awareness sessions and paid CPD online courses for professionals seeking continuing professional development hours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) operates a free national referral service that connects anyone planning excavation work with registered infrastructure asset owners, who then provide underground utility plans and safety information. The service is complemented by the Look Up and Live tool for overhead powerline safety, member services (Collaborate, Locate, Automate) for asset owners, and a formal education division offering Nationally Recognised Training courses and live excavation safety sessions.

Product overview

Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) operates a single unified national referral platform that serves as a free safety tool for the Australian community. The core product is the BYDA Referral Service — a single point of contact for requesting underground utility plans — supplemented by the Look Up and Live interactive map tool for overhead powerline safety, and the BYDA mobile app for on-the-go access. These are supported by a suite of member-specific services including Automate (automated referral response), Collaborate (collaborative information sharing), Locate (skilled locator referral), and the BYDA Damage Data Dashboard. Education offerings include free face-to-face and online sessions plus paid self-paced online courses with CPD hours. In June 2026, BYDA launched the Digital Utility Portal (BDUP) pilot as a new digital utility mapping system to modernise how Australia manages underground asset information.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Look Up and Live: Safety tool providing information on overhead powerlines, powerline voltages, exclusion zones, and safe working distances. Available on web, Android and Apple phone apps.
• BYDA Digital Utility Portal (BDUP)
• Damage Data Dashboard

Products and services

• BYDA Referral Service Free national referral service that connects anyone planning excavation work with registered infrastructure asset owners across Australia, who then provide underground utility plans and safety information at no cost to the enquirer.
• Look Up and Live (LUAL) Online safety tool that helps users plan and work safely around overhead powerlines by providing information about overhead electrical assets in the project area.
• BYDA Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android devices that allows users to lodge and track referral enquiries from any location, complementing the web portal experience.
• BYDA Digital Utility Portal (BDUP) Digital portal for asset owner members to receive, manage, and respond to referral enquiries, integrated with their internal systems.
• BYDA API Application programming interface that enables automated integration between BYDA and member asset owner systems for streamlined referral processing.
• Collaborate (Member Service) Member service enabling asset owners to collaborate on damage prevention activities and manage safety engagement with the excavator community.
• Locate (Member Service) Member service that supports asset owners in locating and managing their network assets in response to referral enquiries.
• Automate (Member Service) Member service that enables asset owners to automate the processing and response to referral enquiries received from BYDA.
• BYDA Damage Data Dashboard Dashboard that aggregates and visualises damage data across the BYDA network to support industry-wide safety analysis and reporting.
• Find a Skilled Locator Directory service that connects users with certified locators in their area to support pre-excavation and asset identification activities.
• BYDA Online Courses Online training courses covering utility safety, damage prevention, and excavation planning topics, delivered as a paid e-learning offering.
• BYDA Education Sessions Live education sessions delivered by BYDA Education covering damage prevention, utility safety, and excavation planning, including Nationally Recognised Training.

Quantifiable outcome

• Damage to underground utilities costs Australia $4.6 billion annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• iseekplantcoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 April 2025iseekplant is Australia's leading construction equipment and service supply marketplace with 30,000+ verified suppliers. Partnership streamlines the process of finding machinery and contractors after submitting BYDA plan requests. Users can receive fast, free quotes from local contractors.
• SafeWork NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBYDA partnered with SafeWork NSW to promote safe work practices around underground and overhead utilities. An incident is described as 'just the tip of the iceberg' - emphasizing the importance of prevention and awareness.
• Jim's GroupminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFree safety initiative partnership delivering BYDA's damage prevention message to Jim's Group franchisees and customers to promote safe site practices.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• PelicanCorp: Australian-headquartered commercial provider of utility data management, 'before you dig' services, and damage prevention solutions globally. Operates a for-profit equivalent of BYDA's model in multiple countries, including commercial offerings to asset owners.
• GPRS (Ground Penetrating Radar Systems): Largest US private utility locating and ground penetrating radar service company. Operates in adjacent damage prevention space with field-based utility locating services that complement the BYDA referral platform.

Direct peers

• Ontario One Call: Ontario's not-for-profit one-call centre for infrastructure and utility location requests. Mandated under Ontario law for excavation notification, similar to BYDA's NSW mandate. Direct equivalent in the Canadian market.
• BeforeUdig New Zealand: New Zealand's national 'before you dig' service, providing free utility plan referrals to anyone planning excavation. Direct trans-Tasman peer to BYDA with very similar service offering and member-funded model.
• BC 1 Call: British Columbia's one-call service for safe digging notification. Operates as a not-for-profit with infrastructure owner membership, providing the same referral service model as BYDA in western Canada.
• LinesearchbeforeUdig (LSBUD): The UK's leading online utility search service, providing a single point of access to utility asset records before excavation. Operates a similar asset-owner-funded referral model to BYDA in the UK market.
• Utility Safety Partners: Alberta's not-for-profit one-call service (formerly Alberta One-Call), providing infrastructure damage prevention services across the province. Direct equivalent to BYDA in the Canadian prairie market with member-funded model.
• 811 / Common Ground Alliance: The US equivalent of BYDA - 811 is the national 'call before you dig' number and Common Ground Alliance is the organization that promotes damage prevention. Same business model (referral service, asset owner membership) operating in the US market.

Others

• Radiodetection: Global manufacturer of cable and pipe location equipment used by utility locators referenced in BYDA's 'Find a Skilled Locator' directory. Adjacent infrastructure player serving the damage prevention ecosystem with locating hardware.

Emerging players

• Abaxa: Australian subsurface utility engineering firm led by CEO Tobi Lawrence-Ward (BYDA board member). Provides utility locating, surveying, and engineering services that complement BYDA's referral platform through professional field services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@beforeyoudigaustralia
• Facebookfacebook.com/BYDAustralia
• Instagraminstagram.com/beforeyoudigaustralia
• Xx.com/BYDAustralia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Before You Dig