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Pole & Site Assessments

Ultrasonic Pole Testing

Know what's happening inside your light poles — before one of them comes down. Built for property management groups, retail owners and ESCOs.

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Light poles rust from the inside out. Water from rain and irrigation collects at the base of the pole, and corrosion works its way outward through the steel wall. By the time anything shows on the outside, the pole is often already past the point of repair.

Ultrasonic testing uses high-frequency sound waves to measure how much steel is actually left in the pole wall — no digging, no cutting, no downtime. We take a minimum of 12 readings around the base of each pole, compare them against the pole's original wall specification, and give every pole on your property a clear condition rating.

The result is simple: you find out which poles are fine, which ones to watch, and which ones need to come down now — on your schedule and your budget, instead of after a failure.

At a glance
  • A minimum of 12 touch points taken around the base of every pole
  • Non-invasive — no excavation, no site closure, no disruption to daily operations
  • Recommended interval: every 3–5 years, depending on site conditions and the existing condition of the poles
  • Nationwide coverage, delivered by in-house technicians and dedicated install teams
  • A typical crew tests 30–40 poles per day
  • Flat site-visit fee covering up to 20 poles, then a per-pole rate beyond that
Why property owners test

Safety & liability

A falling pole can injure people and damage vehicles and property. Testing shifts that risk off your balance sheet.

Hidden corrosion

Most of the damage happens inside the pole, where a visual inspection or a paint job will never reveal it.

Budget certainty

Planned replacement is a line item you control. Emergency replacement after a failure is not.

Insurance & compliance

Documented, routine testing demonstrates due diligence and strengthens your position on claims and renewals.

Asset longevity

Catching problems early means repairing poles you'd otherwise replace — more life out of infrastructure you already own.

A prioritized plan

You get an ordered replacement list, not a pass/fail sheet — so multi-year capital planning becomes straightforward.

Who we test for

Property management

Multi-site portfolios where a single pole failure becomes a claim against the property.

Retail & commercial owners

Parking lots and shopping centers where poles carry the lighting your customers park under.

ESCOs

Energy service companies who need pole condition data behind a retrofit bid — we test, you deliver the project.

How the inspection works
01

Visual survey

A technician documents anything visible — cracks, rust, leaning, base damage or impact.

02

Surface prep

Paint and surface corrosion are cleared at the test points so the readings are accurate.

03

Ultrasonic scan

Sound waves measure the remaining wall thickness at a minimum of 12 points around the base.

04

Data review

Readings are compared against the pole's original specification to determine how much steel has been lost.

05

Condition report

Every pole is rated and ranked, with a clear recommendation: sound, monitor, or replace.

What you receive

A full condition report

Wall-thickness readings and photographs for every pole tested, with each pole rated on a clear three-tier scale.

A replacement priority list

Poles ranked by urgency, so you know exactly what needs budgeting this year versus what can wait.

A retest schedule

A recommended interval for each pole based on its condition and site environment, so testing becomes routine instead of reactive.

How every pole is rated
SoundWall thickness within spec. No action needed — retest at the standard interval.
MonitorMeasurable loss, still serviceable. Retest on a shortened interval.
ReplaceBelow safe wall thickness. Schedule replacement rather than waiting.
Common questions
How often should light poles be tested?
Every three to five years for most properties, depending on site conditions and the current condition of the poles. Sites with irrigation, heavy fertilizer use or coastal salt air should test more frequently, since moisture and chemicals accelerate corrosion at the base.
Will testing disrupt my property or require closures?
No. Testing is non-invasive and done from ground level — no excavation and no need to take the pole down. Most sites stay fully open throughout. A typical crew covers 30–40 poles in a day, so even large properties are usually finished quickly.
What does ultrasonic testing detect — and what doesn't it?
It measures the actual remaining wall thickness of the steel, which identifies internal corrosion and thinning long before there's any outward sign. It assesses the structural integrity of the pole itself; it isn't designed to diagnose wiring or fixture problems, though we can address those separately as part of a maintenance program.
What does it cost?
Pricing is a flat site-visit fee that covers up to 20 poles, with a per-pole rate for anything beyond that. Every site is quoted individually — send us your address and pole count and we'll come back with a figure. Testing costs a small fraction of replacing a single failed pole, before you account for any claim that follows a failure.
Where do you provide this service?
Nationwide. We deliver testing through a combination of in-house technicians and dedicated install teams, which means consistent reporting whether you have one site or sites across several states.

Don't wait for a pole to fail.

Send us your site address and pole count, and we'll come back with a testing quote.

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☏ Call (478) 955-3471