New CGA Data Shows Utility Repair Cost Breakdown

The Common Ground Alliance (CGA) has released state-by-state estimates of the economic impacts of accidental utility line strikes on power, water, natural gas, and communications, among others.

Last month, the CGA estimated the line striking problem at $83.2 billion across the U.S., releasing an initial report titled ‘Between the Lines: The True Cost of Damage to America’s Buried Utilities.’ Released in August, the report finds that direct repair costs only represent about 5.9% of the total cost of utility damages nationwide. The rest is accounted for by business interruptions, property damages, emergency response costs, and community impact and its reverberating consequences.

“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. “State lawmakers, regulators and industry partners now have a local, data-backed case for investing in damage prevention – and every one of them can start by evaluating the strength of their legislation governing excavation as well as how effectively their enforcement programs hold stakeholders accountable.”

The new estimate applies a new model to data submitted to the CGA’s Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT), according to organization officials. The new figures account for damage that goes unreported in one way or another, and estimates the total cost of utility line strike damages nationwide.

Preventing further issues

The new report sports a “rigorous” modeling framework, combining 2025’s data from the CGA DIRT tool, as well as confidential interviews, public incident reports, and governmental data. The new report also includes 46 state-level compartmental reports, as well as one for Washington, D.C. States reporting less than 25 damage instances in 2025 have been excluded.

Most of the $82.3 billion total is made up of preventable damages, the CGA says. However, reversing the trend of rising utility line strike damages is going to require improvements at the construction industry’s most fundamental level.

“CGA’s Best Practices – developed and updated by the industry itself – offer a roadmap for excavators, facility operators, 811 Centers, locators and policymakers alike to close the gaps that lead to damage,” the association says. “As states and utilities invest in infrastructure, CGA urges stakeholders at every level to adopt and enforce these practices as a foundation for reducing damage.”

The complete report is available on the Common Ground Alliance’s website.