How to Fill Out and Submit TxDOT Form 1082: Drawings, Depth, and PE Seal

TxDOT Form 1082, the Utility Installation Request, is the form a utility owner or operator files before placing pipelines, power lines, fiber, water, sewer, or telecommunications infrastructure inside a Texas state highway right of way. Submit it through the Right of Way Utility and Leasing Information System (RULIS) or directly to the local District Utility Coordinator, and plan on at least 90 days from submission to an approved permit.¹ Do not start work until the district tells you to proceed.²

When Form 1082 Is Required

Any new utility installation on state highway right of way needs an approved Form 1082, whether the line crosses the road or runs parallel to it. Modifications to existing facilities and relocations driven by highway projects also require the form.²

Four situations fall outside the form’s reach and follow separate procedures: attachments to bridges, construction of utility bridges, utilities on right of way the utility owner already owns or leases, and relocations where the state is paying part of the adjustment cost.²

Filling Out the Notice Side

The applicant completes and signs the Notice side of Form 1082. The description has to be brief but technically complete. TxDOT’s Use of Right of Way by Others Manual requires every field below:²

Location of the proposed site, with GPS latitude and longitude.
Total length of the installation.
Orientation — parallel to the right of way or crossing it.
Whether the site falls inside or outside city limits.
Whether paving or riprap is involved.
Working pressure for any pipeline.
For sewer lines, whether flow is gravity or pressure.
Voltage for transmission lines.
Pipe type, encasement, and other material specifications.

Blanks get the form sent back. A rejected submission costs weeks against the 90-day review window, so verify every field before you send.

Extra Fields for High-Pressure Pipelines

High-pressure pipelines, generally 60 psi or greater, carry a longer list. The description must add pipe diameter, wall thickness, material specification, minimum yield strength, and maximum operating pressure. Project-level details are required for both cased and uncased high-pressure crossings: depth of cover, accurate GPS location, roadway crossing angle, pipeline marker placement, and vent stack details for cased installations. Uncased high-pressure pipelines also need cathodic protection information and a signed and sealed Barlow’s equation.²

The Drawing You Have to Attach

One copy of a drawing showing the proposed installation goes with every Form 1082. The sheet must be at least 8½” × 11″ and large enough to show details clearly, with the proposed installation in a different color from the rest of the drawing or otherwise clearly identified. At a minimum, the drawing must show right of way lines, frontage roads and ramps, control of access lines (on the inside edge of frontage roads when access control falls between frontage roads and main lanes), main lanes, the proposed utility location, limits of encasement, depth of cover where applicable, and a north arrow and scale.³

For rural sites, TxDOT recommends a separate vicinity map tying the location to permanent landmarks like highway junctions or river crossings, ideally with GPS coordinates pulled from an internet mapping source.

Underground Crossings

Underground crossings require a cross-section drawing showing the limits of encasement and the depth of burial. The drawing must also show the height of any overhead power or communications lines above the pavement, existing installations of the same utility, and whether the highway is proposed, under construction, or open to traffic. Anything the drawing cannot carry has to be written up as special provisions attached to the form.³

Manholes and Above-Ground Equipment

Manholes or above-ground housings need their own detailed drawing showing dimensions, and the structures must conform to Texas Administrative Code, Title 43, Chapter 21, Subchapter C. New manholes near existing ones have to be placed in line with the existing manholes; offset manholes take up too much right of way and crowd out future utility placements.³

Minimum Depth of Cover

Underground utilities must meet the burial depths in 43 TAC § 21.40. The district can require or authorize a different depth, but the defaults are the floor. Getting these wrong is one of the fastest ways to have a form rejected or a completed installation flagged for noncompliance, so match them to the specific conditions at your site before finalizing the cross-section.⁴

Low-pressure gas, encased crossing: 60 inches or half the pipe diameter, whichever is greater, below the lowest point of the crossed grade; 48 inches outside pavement; 60 inches under ditches.
Low-pressure gas, unencased crossing: 60 inches under the lowest point of the crossed grade, or 48 inches outside paved areas.
High-pressure gas and saltwater pipelines: 60 inches under the lowest point of the crossed grade for cased and uncased crossings; 48 inches for longitudinal installations.
Water lines: 36 inches longitudinal, 60 inches for crossings.
Non-potable water control facilities: 36 inches longitudinal, 60 inches for crossings.
Gravity sanitary sewer: 30 inches minimum, and at least 18 inches below any pavement structure. Pressurized sewer lines need 60 inches for crossings and 36 inches longitudinal.

Traffic Control Plan

Work that affects traffic flow requires a traffic control plan. TxDOT directs applicants to the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices and TxDOT Traffic Standards for TCP design.⁵ The plan has to show how drivers will move through or around the work zone with minimal delay and how hazards to both the traveling public and workers in the right of way, including contractor personnel, subcontractors, utility crews, TxDOT staff, and law enforcement, will be reduced.

Professional Engineer Seal

Design documentation must carry the seal and signature of a Texas-certified Professional Engineer. The title sheet needs the P.E. seal in the lower right-hand quadrant along with the engineer’s signed statement. Handwritten or superimposed annotations are not allowed on the plans beyond the P.E.’s own signature and stamp.⁶

Call 811 Before You Dig

Texas law requires excavators to contact 811 at least two full business days before digging, not counting weekends and holidays. The obligation applies to utility work in the right of way like any other excavation. Federal regulations at 49 CFR Part 196 also require excavators to protect underground pipelines, take specific actions if a pipeline is damaged, and report any leaks caused by excavation.⁷

How to Submit the Package

TxDOT processes utility installation requests through RULIS at rulis.txdot.gov.⁸ The completed form and supporting documents can also be delivered directly to the local District Utility Coordinator. Either route, the package includes the signed form, the installation drawing, the traffic control plan, P.E.-sealed design documentation, and any insurance or bonding documentation required under 43 TAC Chapter 21.

Allow at least 90 days to receive the permit.¹ Build that window into the project schedule from the start, because a complete, accurate first submission is the only way to keep it from stretching.

What Happens After You Submit

The district reviews the form, attaches any special provisions needed for a safe installation, and verifies technical details against safety standards. A field inspection may follow to confirm existing conditions match the plans.

The district engineer can approve most requests. Four categories go to TxDOT’s Maintenance Division with the district engineer’s recommendation and take longer than the standard 90 days:²

Installations that need a departure from standard accommodation rules.
Gas lines expected to operate above 60 psi.
Installations in areas of scenic enhancement and natural beauty.
Agreements for construction of utility bridges.

Approval comes as a notice that serves as legal authorization to proceed, along with any specific conditions or modifications required during construction. Keep a copy on-site; state inspectors will ask to see it. After construction, TxDOT may perform a final inspection to confirm the right of way has been restored.

Federal Permits That May Also Apply

A TxDOT permit covers the state right of way, not every federal obligation your project may trigger. If the utility line crosses waters of the United States, you may need authorization under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers issues Nationwide Permits for activities with minimal environmental impact, and Nationwide Permit 12 specifically covers utility line activities under the current 2026 Nationwide Permits, General Conditions, and Definitions.⁹ On federal-aid highways, Federal Highway Administration regulations at 23 CFR Part 645, Subpart B also apply; complying with TxDOT’s rules generally satisfies the federal requirement, but federal regulations control if a conflict comes up.¹⁰

1
Texas Department of Transportation. Frequently Asked Questions
2
Texas Department of Transportation. Use of Right of Way by Others Manual
3
Texas Department of Transportation. Use of Right of Way by Others Manual – Drawing for Utility Installation Request Forms
4
Cornell Law Institute. 43 Texas Admin Code 21.40 – Underground Utilities
5
Texas Department of Transportation. 7.4 Traffic Control Plan
6
Texas Department of Transportation. Utility Installation Review Permit Design Documentation Standards
7
eCFR. Protection of Underground Pipelines from Excavation Activity
8
Texas Department of Transportation. Right of Way Utility and Leasing Information System
9
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Nationwide Permits
10
eCFR. Accommodation of Utilities