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Safe digging starts before the bucket drops

Call 811 before you dig.

Before excavation, grading, trenching, drainage work, driveway repair, post setting, or any job that disturbs the ground, contact 811 so underground utility lines can be marked before work begins.

Find Your State 811 Center Find Dirt Moving Help
Protect PeopleHelp avoid dangerous utility strikes
Protect PropertyReduce damage and service interruptions
Plan AheadState waiting periods and rules vary

811 is a safety step, not a formality.

Before you dig

Buried utilities may be closer to the surface than expected. A simple locate request can help prevent repair costs, project delays, property damage, injury, and dangerous utility strikes.

1
Plan the work areaKnow where digging, grading, trenching, or equipment work will happen.
2
Contact 811Call 811 or use your state 811 center’s website before the job.
3
Wait for markingsConfirm utilities have responded before work starts.
4
Respect the marksDig carefully around paint, flags, and marked tolerance zones.

When should 811 be part of the conversation?

Customers and service providers should discuss 811 before any dirt-moving job that may disturb the ground. Even small jobs can contact buried utilities.

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Grading and excavation

Building pads, yard grading, driveway prep, trenching, drainage work, culverts, and other excavation projects can expose or damage buried utilities.

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Posts, signs, and small jobs

Fence posts, mailbox posts, signs, trees, landscaping, and other small ground-disturbing jobs may still require a locate request.

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Clearing and property work

Land clearing, brush removal, stump work, ditching, and access-road work can create risk when underground utilities or private lines are nearby.

811 helps identify public utility lines.

811 connects a locate request to the appropriate one-call center. Participating utilities then mark the approximate location of their underground lines with paint or flags.

  • Waiting periods vary by state.
  • Ticket life and renewal rules vary by state.
  • Markings show approximate utility locations.
  • Care is still required near marked lines.

Private lines may not be marked.

Important limit

811 is essential, but it may not mark every private line on a property. Customers and providers should talk about what may exist beyond public utility markings.

Examples: private electric to sheds or barns, irrigation, propane, septic, well lines, landscape lighting, private drainage, and old or undocumented lines.
Check Your State 811 Rules

Common utility marking colors.

Paint and flags help identify the approximate type and location of underground utilities. These are common marking colors used for utility locates.

Red

Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables.

Yellow

Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials.

Orange

Communication, alarm, signal, cable, or conduit.

Blue

Potable water lines.

Green

Sewer and drain lines.

Purple

Reclaimed water, irrigation, or slurry lines.

Pink

Temporary survey markings.

White

Proposed excavation area or route.

When in doubt

Stop work and confirm before digging deeper or closer to a marked line.

Talk about 811 before the job starts.

Before equipment arrives, discuss who is submitting the 811 request, when the request was made, whether utilities responded, and whether private utility lines may also need to be located.

Go to 811

General information only: This page is for USDirtMovers users and does not replace your state 811 center’s instructions, state law, utility guidance, or jobsite safety judgment.