DOT and Highway ROW Permit Services
Draftech prepares encroachment drawings and files utility occupancy applications for fiber and electric distribution routes. One accountable team handles the agency package and coordinates the matching traffic control submission.
DOT and highway ROW permit services built for agency review
Draftech delivers DOT and highway ROW permit services with encroachment drawings built to each state DOT's and county's own format and client bond and insurance documents checked before filing. Our engineering is 100% in-house. For fiber ISPs, carriers and BEAD subgrantees, as well as electric utilities and cooperatives, we complete utility accommodation applications and submit them on the facility owner's behalf, with the matching traffic control submission coordinated by the same team.
The wrong drawing format can send a highway application back for rework. So can a missing bond document, an insurance certificate that does not meet the agency's requirements, or a traffic control submission that does not match or was not filed with the ROW application. A rejected application returns to the end of that agency's review queue, and construction on the route segments on either side of the road cannot proceed until that state or county permit is reworked and issued.
Within our Permitting & ROW services, this engagement addresses permission to occupy public highway and county road right-of-way. We prepare the required drawings and attachments before filing so the agency receives the material it needs to review the requested occupancy from the outset.
Longitudinal occupancy along the roadway
A facility running parallel inside the right-of-way needs a package that describes its use of the corridor along the full proposed alignment. A single crossing location does not explain that request.
For fiber or electric distribution, Draftech's longitudinal drawings show where the parallel occupancy begins and ends, the facility's position in the ROW, and the depth or clearance the agency requires. We organize those drawings around the reviewing office's submission standard and complete the corresponding utility accommodation or encroachment application.
Crossing occupancy under or over the road
Draftech defines the crossing occupancy in the drawings, including the proposed location, depth or clearance, and occupancy limits required by the agency. The application describes that specific use of highway or county road ROW. We prepare crossing packages for telecom facilities and electric distribution lines.
A route may follow one side of a highway, cross it and continue along the opposite side. In that situation, we identify the longitudinal and crossing portions within the requested occupancy and prepare the application materials to the highway or county office's drawing format, with occupancy limits shown for the parallel run and the crossing.
Drawings formatted for the receiving agency
An engineering drawing can describe the route accurately and still arrive in a format the permit office cannot accept. Our highway encroachment permit services build the drawing package to the receiving state DOT's or county highway department's submission standard.
The delivered package addresses:
- The proposed facility's location within the highway or county road right-of-way.
- Longitudinal occupancy limits and roadway crossing locations applicable to the request.
- Depth or clearance information required for the proposed occupancy.
- An engineer's stamp where required by the reviewing agency.
We establish the required drawing format before producing the submission set. That way the client does not pay to redraw a package the permit office returned for the wrong format.
State highway and county road applications on the same route
Our telecom ROW permit application services cover utility accommodation and encroachment applications for both state highway and county road ROW. We review the proposed route against its highway and county segments, identify the applicable agency process, and prepare the forms and supporting materials for each request. County applications receive their own preparation effort, including the county's drawing, bond and insurance requirements.
A state highway filing and a county road filing may concern adjoining sections of the same facility, but each needs the materials required by its receiving office. We handle those submissions within one engagement.
Our permit matrix tracks each submission through the issued permit, including state DOT, county and any municipal layer affecting the same route. It gives the client a record of which occupancy applications remain under review and which permits have been issued. The agency retains the approval decision; Draftech carries the application work through that review.
Client bond and insurance documents checked before filing
A missing required bond or a non-conforming insurance certificate can send an encroachment application back for rework. Draftech collects the client's required documents and checks them against the requirements of the office receiving the application.
If a document is missing or needs correction, we identify the issue for the client to resolve with the responsible provider. We include the required client-supplied documents with the application. This gives the client a specific list of the documents needed to file, instead of discovering the omission after the package has entered review.
The permit, bond and insurance belong to the facility owner or its contractor, as applicable. Draftech prepares and submits the application on the facility owner's behalf. We do not post bonds, provide insurance or hold the permit ourselves.
Traffic control submission coordination included
The ROW application and its required traffic control submission need to reach review as coordinated parts of the same occupancy request. Draftech handles that connection with our traffic control team, which owns preparation of the traffic control package.
For this service, we coordinate the matching submission with the highway or county road application. We track the occupancy application alongside that submission until the ROW permit is issued, so the client knows which package is holding the occupancy request. The client has one accountable team managing the connection between the packages, without having to arrange a separate handoff after the encroachment application is already in review.
What to send for a highway and county road scope
List the state highway and county road segments the route touches, noting where the facility runs parallel within the ROW and where it crosses the roadway. Name the facility owner of record for each application and provide the bond and insurance documents the client already holds. These details establish which occupancy packages the engagement needs and whose supporting documents must meet each receiving office's requirements.
For corridors with repeated highway segments, our long-haul fiber route engineering connects the broader alignment work to these occupancy packages. Routes with other crossing types can also use our railroad crossing permit services and waterway and pipeline crossing permit services. Those services address their respective applications while this engagement stays focused on state highway and county road ROW.
DOT and Highway ROW Permit Services FAQ
Does Draftech prepare the drawings and submit the application?
Yes. Draftech prepares the encroachment drawing package, completes the applicable utility accommodation or encroachment forms, and files through the agency's process on the facility owner's behalf. All engineering is performed in-house.
Can one engagement cover parallel occupancy and road crossings?
Yes. We review the alignment for both longitudinal occupancy and crossings under or over the roadway. The drawings and application materials describe each requested use according to the receiving agency's requirements.
Do you handle county roads as well as state highways?
Yes. We prepare and submit county road ROW applications alongside state highway applications when the route requires both. Each package follows its own agency's submission standard.
Who provides the bond and insurance?
The facility owner or its contractor provides the required bond and insurance. Draftech collects and checks the supporting documents against agency requirements and identifies missing or mismatched material for correction. Draftech does not post the bond, provide insurance or hold the permit.
Is traffic control included in the ROW permitting engagement?
Coordination with the matching traffic control submission is included. Our traffic control team prepares that package under its own service scope.
Put your highway occupancy packages in motion
Send Draftech your route and the highway or county road segments that need permits. You get a package for each agency, client bond and insurance documents checked before filing, and a coordinated traffic control submission. Request a highway permit scope to keep the filings with one team rather than splitting the route between a state DOT ROW permit company and a separate county filer.