Supporting Services

# Make-Ready Support

TLDR

Make-ready support is the survey, documentation and coordination work required before new aerial fiber can be attached to existing poles. Strilla identifies what must be moved or corrected, documents it so the pole owner can act, and reports clearly when make-ready is the constraint on a schedule.

## What is make-ready?

Poles carry existing attachments, and those attachments occupy specific positions with required separations between them. Adding a new fiber attachment often means existing facilities have to move, a pole has to be replaced with a taller one, or clearances have to be corrected first.

That preparatory work is make-ready. It is performed by the pole owner or by the existing attachers moving their own plant, and it has to be complete before new attachment can proceed.

## Why is make-ready the most common cause of aerial schedule slip?

Make-ready sits outside the fiber contractor's control. The pole owner sets the pace, existing attachers have their own priorities, and the process involves parties who have no stake in your completion date.

The failure mode is predictable. An aerial build gets quoted and scheduled as though make-ready were a formality, the survey comes back with more required work than anyone assumed, and the schedule moves. Treating make-ready as a real dependency from the start produces a less appealing initial schedule and a considerably more accurate one.

## What does a make-ready survey record at each pole?

A useful survey records what is on the pole today, measured in the field, rather than what old records say. The owner's process and the attachment application usually set the exact fields, but the core content is consistent from one owner to the next.

Clearance requirements come from the National Electrical Safety Code and from the pole owner's construction standard, which can be stricter than the code. The survey does not decide whether a pole passes. It gives the owner's engineers accurate field data to make that call quickly.

- Pole identification tag and location
- Existing attachments, their owners where marked, and their heights
- Lowest power facility and the space between power and communications
- Ground clearance over roads, driveways and other crossings
- Guys, anchors and any risers or equipment on the pole
- Visible pole condition and any obvious damage or lean
- Tree conflicts and access for a bucket truck

## What kinds of make-ready work are common?

Most make-ready falls into a few familiar types. Some of it stays in the communications space, such as raising or lowering an existing cable to open a position. Some of it reaches into the power space or requires a new pole, and that work is done by the electric utility or its qualified contractors.

Owners often separate simpler communications space work from more involved work that touches power facilities or replaces a pole, and each type follows its own approval path and timeline. Knowing which type each pole needs is what makes the schedule estimate honest.

- Raising, lowering or transferring an existing communications attachment
- Correcting an existing clearance problem before a new attachment is added
- Replacing a pole with a taller or stronger one
- Adding or replacing guys and anchors for the added load
- Tree trimming along the span, under the owner's or local rules

## What does make-ready support look like in practice?

Field survey walks the pole line and records what is actually there rather than what the records say is there. Existing attachments, their positions, apparent clearances, pole condition and any obvious obstruction are documented pole by pole.

That survey is turned into documentation the pole owner can act on, rather than a general request. The more specific the submission, the faster it tends to move.

Through the process, status is reported honestly. When make-ready is what is holding the schedule, that is what the daily report says, with the specific poles named.

- Pole by pole field survey of existing attachments and conditions
- Documentation prepared to support the make-ready submission
- Coordination with the pole owner and existing attachers
- Clear reporting when make-ready is the schedule constraint
- Readiness to mobilize attachment crews as poles are released

## How is attachment sequenced against make-ready release?

Make-ready rarely completes across a whole route at once. Poles are released in groups, which means attachment work can often start on completed sections while later sections are still waiting.

Sequencing the build to follow that release pattern recovers time that a strict start to finish approach would lose. It requires crews that can mobilize to a partial section and reporting accurate enough to know which poles are genuinely ready.

## When is overlashing or a short underground section the better path?

Sometimes the fastest way through a make-ready problem is around it. Where the fiber owner already has strand on the poles, overlashing new cable to that strand can avoid a new attachment position, subject to the pole owner's approval and a loading check.

Where a short stretch of poles needs heavy make-ready, such as several replacements in a row, a directional bore along that stretch can be quicker than waiting. A contractor with both aerial and underground crews can price both options side by side, which gives the project manager a real choice rather than a single path.

## How is make-ready status tracked and reported?

Each pole moves through the same stages: surveyed, submitted, in make-ready, released and attached. Tracking every pole by stage turns a vague sense of delay into a list of exactly which poles are waiting, on whom and since when.

That list appears in the daily report whenever make-ready is affecting the schedule. It gives the project manager something specific to take to the pole owner, and it shows which sections are ready for crews so no released poles sit idle.

## Key takeaways

- Make-ready is performed by the pole owner or the existing attachers, not by the fiber contractor, so the contractor's role is survey, documentation, coordination and tracking.
- Make-ready is the most common cause of aerial fiber schedule slip because it is controlled by parties with no stake in the completion date.
- Clearance requirements for a new attachment come from the National Electrical Safety Code and the pole owner's construction standard.
- Because poles are released in groups, attachment can often start on cleared sections while later sections are still in make-ready.

## Key terms

**Communications space**: The zone on a utility pole below the power facilities where telephone, cable and fiber attachments are placed. Required separations within it and from the power space above decide whether a pole has room for a new attachment or needs make-ready first.

**Pole attachment application**: The request a new attacher submits to a pole owner for permission to place facilities on specific poles. The owner reviews each pole, decides what make-ready is needed and issues approval once the work is done. Survey quality strongly affects how quickly it moves.

**National Electrical Safety Code**: The NESC is the industry code that sets minimum clearances and strength requirements for overhead utility lines, including separation between power and communications and ground clearance over roads. Pole owners build their attachment standards on it and may add stricter rules.

**Overlash**: Lashing a new cable to an existing strand and cable already on the poles, instead of adding a new strand in its own position. It can avoid some make-ready, but it requires the pole owner's approval and a check of the added load.

*Common make-ready findings and who resolves them*

| Survey finding | Usually resolved by | Typical schedule effect |
| --- | --- | --- |
| No open position in the communications space | Existing attachers raising or lowering their cables | Moderate, depends on how many attachers respond |
| Too little separation from power facilities | The electric utility or its qualified contractor | Longer, since power space work follows its own process |
| Pole too short or in poor condition | Pole owner replacing the pole, then attachers transferring | Longest, with several parties in sequence |
| Low ground clearance over a road or driveway | Raising attachments or replacing the pole | Varies with the fix the owner selects |
| Missing or inadequate guy or anchor | Pole owner or attacher, per the owner's process | Usually short once approved |
| Tree conflict along the span | Trimming under the owner's or local rules | Short to moderate, can be done ahead of attachment |

*Utility pole attachment zones*

## What this means for your project

On an aerial project, make-ready is the largest schedule risk you do not directly control. The way to manage it is to know its size early. A pole by pole survey before the schedule is set shows how many poles need simple communications space work, how many need power space work, and how many likely need replacement. That breakdown is what turns a hopeful aerial schedule into a credible one.

For cost, make-ready affects price in two ways: the owner's charges for the work itself and the time crews spend waiting. Sequencing attachment to follow partial releases, and pricing overlash or short underground alternatives where make-ready is heavy, both reduce the second cost. They work only when pole status is tracked accurately.

For documentation, ask for the survey data, the pole status list and the release dates as part of the project record. When a delay needs to be explained to a funding agency, a client or a pole owner, a dated, pole specific record is far more useful than a general statement that make-ready ran long.

## Related reading

- [Pole attachment supportHelp with attachment applications and the owner approval process.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/pole-attachment-support)
- [OverlashAdding cable to existing strand where it can avoid a new attachment position.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/overlash)
- [Strand and lashThe attachment work that follows once poles are released.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/strand-and-lash)
- [How make-ready supports aerial buildsA plain look at why pole preparation decides aerial schedules.](https://strillacommunications.com/blog/how-make-ready-work-supports-aerial-fiber-builds)
- [Aerial or undergroundWhen heavy make-ready makes a buried route the better choice.](https://strillacommunications.com/resources/aerial-vs-underground-fiber)
- [How aerial cable construction worksThe full aerial sequence from survey to lashed cable.](https://strillacommunications.com/resources/guides/how-aerial-cable-construction-works)

## What's Included

- Pole by pole field survey recording actual existing conditions
- Documentation of required make-ready prepared for submission
- Coordination support with pole owners and existing attachers
- Tracking of each pole from survey through release and attachment
- Honest schedule reporting naming make-ready as a constraint where it is one
- Attachment sequenced to follow the pattern of make-ready release
- Overlash or underground alternatives priced where make-ready is heavy

## Our Process

- 01 ### Survey the pole line Walk the route and record existing attachments, positions, apparent clearances and pole condition pole by pole.
- 02 ### Document what is required Turn the survey into a specific, actionable record of the make-ready work needed at each pole.
- 03 ### Coordinate and track Support the submission, track releases, and keep an accurate picture of which poles are ready.
- 04 ### Sequence attachment Mobilize to released sections as they clear rather than waiting for the whole route.

## Capability Overview

| Survey output | Pole by pole record of existing conditions |
| --- | --- |
| Who performs make-ready | Pole owner or existing attachers, not the fiber contractor |
| Clearance basis | NESC and the pole owner's construction standard |
| Support role | Survey, documentation, coordination and tracking |
| Schedule reporting | Constraint named and specific poles identified |
| Attachment approach | Sequenced to follow partial release |

## Frequently Asked Questions

**Who actually performs make-ready work?**: The pole owner, or the existing attachers moving their own facilities. A fiber contractor generally cannot move another company's plant. What a contractor can do is survey accurately, document the requirement clearly, coordinate the process and report honestly on status, which is what make-ready support means here.

**How long does make-ready take?**: It depends entirely on the pole owner, the number of attachers involved and the volume of work required, and it is not something a contractor can commit to on the owner's behalf. What can be committed to is an accurate survey up front, so the scale of the requirement is known early rather than discovered halfway through a build.

**Can aerial construction start before make-ready is finished?**: Often partially. Make-ready is usually released in groups of poles rather than all at once, so attachment can proceed on cleared sections while later sections wait. Doing that requires crews able to mobilize to partial sections and tracking accurate enough to know which poles are genuinely released.

**Why does an accurate survey matter so much?**: Because the survey sets the expectation for the whole aerial schedule. An optimistic survey produces a schedule that fails. A survey based on what is actually on the poles, rather than on records that may be years out of date, produces a plan that survives contact with the field.

**What clearances does a new fiber attachment need?**: Required clearances come from the National Electrical Safety Code and the pole owner's own construction standard, which may be stricter. They cover separation from power facilities, spacing from other communications attachments and ground clearance over roads and driveways. The survey records actual field measurements so the owner's engineers can check each pole against those requirements rather than relying on old records.

**What happens when a pole needs to be replaced?**: Pole replacement is complex make-ready, performed by the pole owner or its contractors, and it usually takes longer than moving a communications attachment. Every existing attacher then has to transfer to the new pole. The survey flags likely replacements early so the schedule reflects them, and so options like overlashing or a short underground section can be considered.

**Can overlashing avoid make-ready?**: Sometimes. If the fiber owner already has strand on the poles, overlashing new cable to it can avoid taking a new attachment position. The pole owner still has to approve it, and the added weight and wind load have to be checked against the pole and strand. It is a real option worth evaluating, not an automatic shortcut.

**Is a make-ready survey the same as a pole loading analysis?**: No. A make-ready survey records what is physically on each pole and the clearances between attachments. A pole loading analysis is an engineering calculation of whether the pole can carry the added weight and wind load of a new attachment. Many pole owners require both. The survey supplies the field data that the loading analysis and the owner's review depend on.

## Related Services

- [Aerial Cable ConstructionPole line construction, strand placement, lashing, and aerial fiber installation with make-ready coordination and NESC clearance verification.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction)
- [Pole Attachment SupportPole attachment support in Central Florida: field survey, application packages, loading analysis data, make-ready tracking, and as-built records.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/pole-attachment-support)
- [Strand and LashStrand and lash aerial cable construction in Central Florida: messenger strand framing, tensioning to sag, machine lashing, and clearance checks.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/strand-and-lash)
- [Aerial Fiber PlacementAerial fiber placement in Central Florida: lashed loose tube, figure-8, and ADSS cable placed with tension control and planned slack storage.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/aerial-cable-construction/aerial-fiber-placement)
- [Supporting ServicesThe access points, the pole preparation and the paperwork that decide whether a finished route can actually be operated and maintained.](https://strillacommunications.com/services/supporting-services)

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Source: https://strillacommunications.com/services/supporting-services/make-ready-support