Planning to Do Yard Work? Call Before You Dig

As the warm weather approaches, you may find yourself spending more time in your yard. Maybe you want to plant a new garden, or perhaps you want to build a retaining wall. Regardless, if you're planning on doing any digging, you should call beforehand.

There's no way to tell what's underneath the ground where you dig. It may contain a natural gas line, a water line or even a power line. Utility companies often run lines such as these underground. Digging in your yard, of course, could rupture one of these lines. By calling beforehand, you can check to see whether it's safe to dig in your yard.

Call 811 Before Digging

What number should you call exactly? The national "call before you dig" phone number is 811. It was established by the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in 2015. No matter where you live, you can call 811 to see if it's safe to dig in your yard.

811 is a toll-free number. You won't be charged for calling it. By calling 811, you can find out where your home's underground utility lines are located so that you don't accidentally hit them when digging.

Why You Can't Rely on Colored Markings

Some homeowners assume that calling 811 before digging isn't necessary. They believe that all underground utility lines feature colored markings above the surface where they are located. While some underground utility lines do, in fact, have colored markings, others don't.

Colored markings are usually only found above underground utility lines up to the connection point or meter. If the water meter is 50 feet away from your home, for instance, the closest market for the water line will be 50 feet away. Therefore, you can't rely on colored markings to identify underground utility lines.

What to Expect After Calling 811

After calling 811, a utility technician will typically visit your home within the next week. The technician will evaluate your property while marking all of the underground utility lines. While you can't rely on standard colored markings, you can use these new markings to identify the location of underground utility lines.

In Conclusion

Randomly digging in your yard is a serious safety hazard. You could strike a utility line that results in injury to you or others. If you're going to do any digging, always call 811 beforehand.