Call Before You Dig
IT’S FAST, IT’S FREE AND IT’S THE LAW!
Before any digging or earth moving, whether by a homeowner or a professional excavator or contractor, state law requires calling 8-1-1 to notify the local One-Call center at least 48 hours or two full business days prior to the scheduled excavation in order to have underground utilities located and marked free of charge.
You can call 8-1-1 or fill out an online application at 811now.com.
Provide the 811 operator with the following information:
- County, city or township
- Digging location (street address and nearest cross street)
- Type and extent of work
- Digging start date and time
After calling 811:
- The One Call Center will contact the appropriate utility companies, and a trained technician will mark the location of underground facilities with colored flags, stakes or paint at no cost to you.
- Red – Electric
- Yellow – Gas, oil or steam
- Orange – Telephone – CATV
- Blue – Water
- Green – Sewer
- Purple – Reclaimed water
- Pink – Temporary survey markings
- White – Proposed construction
- Wait two full business days before beginning the digging.
- Do not remove the flags, stakes or paint marks until you have finished digging.
- Once the property is marked, dig responsibly and respect the marks. Regardless of depth, always hand dig within 24 inches on either side of a marked utility line.
Ever wonder why “It’s the Law”, follows the Call Before You Dig line? Well the law is IC 8-1-26 and to see a full copy of the laws code you can visit indiana811.org and click on Law located in the About Tab. There you will find the law and its full list of definitions. But for now, let’s visit IC 8-1-26-6 “Excavate”. This is the section that defines what excavate means.
Sec. 6 As used in this chapter, “excavate” means an operation for the movement, placement, or removal of earth, rock, or other materials in or on the ground by use of tools or mechanized equipment or by discharge of explosives, including angering, backfilling, boring, digging, ditching, drilling, driving, grading, jacking, plowing in, pulling in, ripping, scraping, trenching, and tunneling.
So basically, if you are touching dirt…. Call Before You Dig!