Getting Locates Before You Dig: Calling 811

Intro0:00

The number one rule in excavation: no locate request, no digging. Before you dig, the law requires finding out roughly where buried utilities are, and asking the utility owners to locate their lines. If a utility can't respond within 24 hours, or longer where state or local law requires it, or can't find its line, you may go ahead only with caution, using detection equipment or other acceptable ways to find it. That covers any cut, trench or hole you dig, with any tool: shovel, hydrovac, plow or excavator.

Requesting the Locate0:32

Where your state has a one-call system, request locates through 811, by phone or on your state 811 center's website. You may not dig without using it first to find the buried lines. State laws on locates vary, so a good habit is to use your ticket to confirm that every utility has responded before you dig. Generally, utilities have a few days to respond, and they send locators to mark the approximate location of their lines with paint or flags.

Lines 811 May Not Mark0:59

Before digging, the law requires finding the estimated location of every buried line you may reasonably meet: sewer, telephone, fuel, electric, water or any other. That includes private lines, and good practice is to remember that 811 marks only its members' lines. So ask the property owner about private lines, like power to outbuildings, sprinklers, or private gas or water, and hire a private locator.

Pipelines in the Dig Area and On Site Before Digging1:24

If there's a pipeline in the dig area, the law says to wait for the pipeline operator to come to the site and mark it before you dig.

Except in an emergency, make it a habit to have the locate ticket details on site: the ticket number, the dig-site description and the list of utilities notified, as a quick reference for equipment operators. Good practice: before digging, the supervisor confirms a valid locate ticket covers the whole area and the marks match the ticket.

Tickets Expire1:52

A good habit: before digging, check your locate package to make sure your locates are still valid. Tickets expire, and many states set a ticket life, with lengths that vary. If the work will go past the ticket's expiry, make a habit of contacting 811 to refresh it.

Own Tickets and Emergencies2:09

The recommended step: every excavator on the job gets its own locate ticket before digging, even when several contractors work on the same site. In an emergency, your state's 811 law decides whether you can dig before the lines are marked, and states differ, so know your state's rule before you need it. Industry guidance for a real emergency, like a sudden danger to life or property, the loss of an essential utility service or a blocked road, is that repair digging may start right away, with 811 and the line owner told as soon as you reasonably can.

Recap2:43

To recap. Request through 811. Where there's a one-call system, don't dig until you've used it to ask the utility owners to locate their lines. In a real emergency, industry guidance is to notify 811 and the utility owner as soon as reasonably possible, but check your state's 811 law first. Ticket life varies by state, so it's wise to check that your locate is still valid before digging.