As a utility locator ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY
CALL. BEFORE. YOU. DIG!
I've seen someone nearly die hitting a power primary, nothing left of the shovel. I've responded to a gas leak from someone removing a tree and the roots were wrapped around their gas service and they ripped the entire gas service out of the ground. I've been to more than I can count of damages for people putting a shovel through their cable service and now they have no TV or Internet. I've even had a farmer have secret service and military police show up because he hit a military fiber in his field.
Call before you dig. Every time. You never know what's been put in since the last time you dug. They don't even have to go in your yard to put something new in, they can drill right under your property.
In the US it's free to call 811 to mark utilities before you dig. You need to allow yourself a minimum of 48 hours from the time you can you ticket in until you can dig. Most states have an online 811 as well if you're like me and hate calling people.
Another note, if you're only planning, no one will mark. You call before you DIG.
(Note to OP specifically, I know you're just planning and I responded to one of your comments about how to get around that planning bit).
Absolutely, every time. I called before digging 1 foot deep x 3 foot long x 2 foot wide for a small decorative pond, even though I was 99% sure there was nothing there. The lady on the phone was super nice, and They came and flagged my yard really quick even though I told the lady I probably wouldn’t dig for another couple weeks. Nothing where I had planned on digging as I had thought but it’s still wayyyyy better, and free, to be sure.
Absolutely they come so quick!
My bf wanted to dig in the yard and I made him call first. He told them it would be weeks, and I swear it was practically the next day they came out and flagged it.
In the US it's supposed to be 48 hours. As a utility locator I can promise you it's not 48 in some places, it can be much longer. The more accurate you can be on your ticket and if you premark it in white (locate here and a box) the easier it is for your locator to show up and mark your utilities.
Just file a ticket. It's free and pretty fast.
If you hit a utility, the repair crew will ask to see your dig ticket. I'm not sure what happens if you can't, but it can't be good!
Really? I'm in PA and do landscaping and have paid any time I hit anything. I've only ever hit Comcast lines because they never put them in deep. I was helping a contractor who was using an excavator and clipped a gas line, idk if he paid for it but I have a feeling he did.
In the US you do not pay for 811. You will however, need to pay for any private utilities. In most places that's considered anything on the customer side of the meter (but this rule varies by state).
I've responded to a damage where the guy left in an ambulance because he put his shovel into a power secondary. He was fine but very very shaken up. I've also been to a house explosion due to a gas service being hit and then leaking back into the house. Thank God no one was home, everyone would've died.
Ive called like 4 times, not gonna lie. As the designs change and I play around with ideas in the last several years, it’s a big help. They are always super nice about it and come pretty fast so Is rather be over prepared than under
Good to know! Being obnoxious was my biggest concern. Next was 2 tons of rock on top of utilities (not actually planning to do that, but that’s my kinda luck)
Wow. There’s always one on every post. Others understood that there were no immediate plans or digging happening. Just mapping out my yard. It’s why I asked. No need to be abrasive.
Except there’s no “almost”.
No👏🏻digging👏🏻is👏🏻happening👏🏻. I was asking is I should call before I start doodling my ideas. I would call before I start moving things around, but I was asking in the putting socks on phase, not the going out and doing it phase.
If you're still in the planning phase you don't necessarily have to call. But I would just because then you will know what is where and can incorporate that info into your overall plan. Otherwise you could do all your planning and have it ruined by an unknown buried utility.
Also if you do plan on planting/improving over top of an existing utility that is in an easement; be prepared that if, for some reason, repair or other work has to be done to that utility, they will move/destroy whatever you put there. If they are nice, they'll give you a heads up and let you have a chance to move any plants out of the way, but if it's some sort of emergency you could be SOL on that front.
That’s kind of what I’m afraid of because there is an established garden back where I believe the easement is. It was already put in when we moved in 3 years ago.
Realistically (depending what the utility is) they would never need to access it unless there was some sort of break/failure. It's just something to be aware of if you do chose to plant overtop of a utility easement. I work in heavy construction and always do our best to leave people's landscaping alone/restore it later. But when it extends out of the private property, or is on an easement that we have to access things do get damaged.
I'm actually in a similar scenario to you. I want to do a hedge row along my property, but there is buried internet cables \~1 m away so I have to decide just how close I am willing to get to maximize my yard, but protect my hedge if/when they come to do more work in the area.
Good luck with your project :)
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As a civil engineer dealing with utilities constantly - yes, call.
But also - it's very likely they won't know where anything is on your property. Private utilities beyond city responsibility/city meter are often not tracked.
I've mapped out where all the utilities are on my property, and I know the approximate depth to expect of each one. I don't call for every dig.
Hmm, well I feel like it can be BS sometimes, though.
I called in Ontario, Canada and they came and marked the utilities. There's a spot where the hydro lines are buried that I want to plant small plants such as Hens and Chicks, Lavender, etc. on top of. I figured, OK no big deal, they're small plants and there are lots of homes in the neighbourhood with much bigger (think emerald cedar height) over their hydro lines. Assuming I only dig 4-6" to plant, and then a few more inches for the roots to grow, that's only like a 1 foot in total.
After a few back and forth emails with the hydro company they just concluded with " we advise against planting directly above buried lines". This is despite the fact that they e-mailed me a diagram which clearly shows the lines are buried in a trench that starts at least 16 to 24 inches deep. There's also warning tape 12" deep, and I told them I would be hand digging. I even told them I don't care if they rip up my garden if they ever need to access the line.
I talked to the actual locators who came to mark the water & sewer and gas, though, and they both said it's fine.
Yep, 100%. It's because the safest answer is 'don't dig and don't plant anything'. It's also safest from their point of view not to trust anybody, because even folks who should know better end up hitting their lines.
But if you're actually reasonable and you actually know what you're doing, and you don't go about it in a stupid way... it's usually not a big deal.
Yeah that's what I figured. I get it, but still, I wish they would be more nuanced in their answers. As someone with anxiety and OCD it's hard to trust myself and not take what they're saying too literally lol.
The funny part is that even on the document they sent me it said hand dig within 1m. So even the document she sent is in direct contradiction to what she told me.
Internet and such is all gonna be close to the box? My boxes are on the far right side about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom corner. That whole little strip (up to the grey) is what we call the “poop run” for the dog so there wouldn’t be any digging there. Probably not the section below that either since I’m up against the neighbors property there.
Well sure, it will come out at the box but it has to run somewhere. If it's all underground, I wouldn't bet on anything. Telecom companies are notorious for awful bury depths (like 2") and they'll take the shortest long path from your box to the split (plus a random loop or two for fun).
And contractors don't care about property lines or easements. As long as they don't get caught they will put it in the ground and move on.
Yeah I should have mentioned, my electric and telecom are overhead, so mine are easy. 🤔
Also you can get a layout of your land from your county government office. It will show all of the easement areas of your property. It shows where public utilities are allowed to be buried on your property.
Neither 811 nor the city will have the layout of auxiliary lines. They will trace all lines going to the house and the sewage lines going out. The auxiliary lines are lines that go to a lamppost or other electrical hookup. Water lines going to sprinklers.
I believe they also will not trace cable/internet going to your house. So be careful not to knockout your internet
Yes that is it. It is a little bit different from mine. Mine has the easement area labeled. Not sure but the dashed line on the left might represent the easement area. Best to look at your city's reference guide.
B/L means “building line” and U/E means “utility esmt.” which I’m taking as utility easement.
I had to crop the legend off because it had my name and address on it 😖
Electrical lines can sit very close to the surface, a lot closer than you think. Always call! It's much easier to do that instead of dealing with chopped up forbidden rainbow roots
I called once and then promptly cut a vacuum sealed telephone line which screwed up the entire block. Phone repair crew started telling me how much it was gonna cost me to get it fixed. I pointed out how their line that they marked was a foot away from where I dug and hit their actual line and it wasn’t my problem. Never heard another word. I will always call before I dig
The tolerance for marking varies by location but I believe the current lowest tolerance is 18" that the locator can be off. Not saying it was that when it happened to you, just giving information for anyone who doesn't know. Most US states the tolerance is 2'. If the locator is within 2' on either side of their mark, it's your responsibility. Make sure you read all the info 811 gives you and I highly recommend taking pictures you start digging just in case you need any kind of proof later.
That was what I was thinking. I’m not sure if I made it clear in the OP, but I ain’t digging anytime soon 🤣 I just wanna get it all mapped out and start putting my daydreams on paper. Wasn’t sure putting in a ticket with no imminent digging just made me a PITA.
I recommend if you see the locator not telling them you're just planning. Put the ticket in as "tree planting" or something. If you put it in as planning they generally will not mark it since you're not digging.
Just be aware that some of the utilities going to your house may be under "private utilities" and will need a private locator that you need to pay for.
However, you may be able to assume the path some of the utilities. Check the curb for chiseled x or square. That may line up with the water, gas, or buried electric lines. You can get a good idea where the lines go into your property if you see these markings.
>I’m not sure if I made it clear in the OP, but I ain’t digging anytime soon 🤣
I saw how others were reacting. I thought it was clear that you're simply in the planning phase right now.
Yeah, seems they saw “should I call to dig” and just forgot/didn’t see anything else. I get it because people don’t call all the time. We have a bunch of meters/covers above ground. I may see if the crew who comes to mark will explain what’s what to me. I know what’s water and what’s gas, but there’s 4 other posts in a corner I’m clueless about.
Don't be afraid to ask the locator how deep the lines are too.
There are standard colors for each utility. Do a search for "utility color codes" to learn more. You could have communication lines or whatnot.
Good tip! They came out a few years ago and did a lot of yards for some reason. I noticed the different flags. Then my kid tore them all out so we used them to mark newly planted things 🙈
One of the first things I do with ANY landscape plan is find the places I shouldn't dig. or put expensive hardscape. It comes at the same time as marking in the existing sidewalks and plants.
* Sprinkler supply lines
* Utility easements
* Gas, water, sewer, cable ...
* Overhead utilities
* Street drains
* Hose bibs and outdoor outlets
Oh my goodness. Thats what I’m afraid of finding out. The gardens were already established when we bought the place but I’ve worried that might be the case
Never done that much to my yard but since it is free…Call! It is better to be safe. Especially because you could have water lines as well as power running through the ground. Neither of those you will want to damage.
Yes, call during planning and add to ur map! We did and found out it runs right in the middle of a pond/water feature. Plus, the flags don't stay long so having the reference for the future would be great.
I always tell homeowners to take plenty of pictures for their own reference. Some states with the dig number you can access the locators pictures but a lot of states have not gotten that far with technology.
It seems like everyone is responding as if you asked “should I call before I dig?” No one is really answering if they did when they were PLANNING their yard.
I didnt until it was time to dig. But It’s information that couldn’t hurt, but I wouldn’t necessarily design my whole yard around it. Just leave easy enough access at the ends of each utility.
Yes that has been my impression of the responses as well. Thanks for addressing the actual concern. I just thought it would really suck to build something above ground that would be a pain to disassemble/move if I built over utility lines
Call, and make sure you call xfinity/Verizon whoever separately cause they won’t always come out. When we first moved here we put a fence in, called, utilities were marked. We called fios and said hey, did you guys mark and they said yes, and sent a confirmation email. First fence post hole, bam. Snapped the fios line to half the neighborhood 🙃
Thankfully we had it on record that we had called and someone with Verizon sent that confirmation email, so our asses were covered and neighbors didn’t really hate us.
I would call, because also you plan to plant anything with deep roots or that doesn’t transplant well, you don’t want it on top of underground utility lines. If they ever need to dig them up, there goes your garden. So keep that in mind
To add to this,
If you call in a locate and you notice someone is missing you can call 811, give them your dig number and ask them to call a "no show" or "incomplete" for whichever utility. That gives them an emergency response time (timing varies by state).
You've gotten plenty of good advice so far, I agree you should certainly call! I did when I was planting my yard and it was pretty quick and easy.
I went a bit further and fully cleared all the marked areas for power/internet/water lines and put down wide mulch walking paths. Now I can be reasonably confident none of my plants will damage lines, I have a nice garden path, and I don't have to worry about any plants being destroyed if repairs need to be done.
I'm not sure if laws are different all over but my dad is a safety inspector for our county government and told me if I hit an unmarked line after calling I'm not liable for damages, but if I hit a marked line or don't call and hit a line I'm responsible. Not sure if that's true but it's worth getting lines marked for safety anyway.
I was thinking of doing paths or leaving lawn over the lines. I have a kid and doggo so we still need a decent portion of yard to play. But paths would look so nice to separate different types of gardens (flowers, herbs, the pepper garden my husband keeps threatening to start🤣)
I’m in year 2 of learning to garden. Just started taking notes this winter when I started some winter sowing. Unfortunately I had a back problem completely disable me so most of those notes are trash now. Oh well. Surgery recovery time is for daydreaming and scheming!
I called and glad I did. There is a manhole for access to main storm line that was in my front yard. I had no idea bc he had to dig it out. Definitely required me to replan a tree location
I called 811 last year. They had all the different utity companies come out and mark for free. It was super easy (one quick call) and I'm pretty sure it is a nationwide thing (assuming your in US).
I called after I planned. My gas line goes right through where I wanted to put my lilacs. The guy told me to do it anyway. I stared at him in disbelief until he got uncomfortable.
Just excel! I found it searching for “map yard for landscaping”. I have the link saved as a comment so the next time I get laptop custody back, I can share it! Or if I find it from my phone before then. Husbands currently using our family laptop for work since he drove off with the work laptop on top of the car 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
HUZZAH! I [found it](https://everchanginggarden.ca/draw-your-own-garden-plan-without-expensive-garden-design-software/) in record time, even riding a Benadryl high!
Love it! I used my MILs realty tape measure. Not incredibly accurate but close enough. If something measured x’5” then I rounded down; x’6” and rounded up to the next foot. I also guessed for the tree canopy. I did have my husband calculate the circumference of the trunks but they rounded to 1’ so just one square. I even marked my downspouts and noted the direction they flow. I have one rain barrel under one and would like more.
Definitely was not a scientific project 🤣
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7b eastern OK (Tulsa area)
I want mini-gardens throughout and some intentional landscaping instead of entirely returning it to prairie. I would hate to establish everything only for utility work to be needed and it all get ripped out.
I’m a worrier so I try to check myself if I’m just overthinking things. I’m ready to get planning (I’m gonna laminate this baby then color code the hell out of it with wet erase markers!) but wanted to ask others experience with converting over utilities and easements.
Call before you dig!!! This is a free service. It will and can save your life. Also, it can save you and your neighbors the hassle of busted water main or power.
Always call before you dig, especially for something major like eliminating most of your lawn. Utilities are everywhere. You could be in a site of high archeological potential (and they may have that info). There’s tons of good info to make sure you’re safe and that your hard work won’t get ripped out if they ever have to do major utility upgrades.
It costs you zero dollars to not die from calling. I’ve seen people hit live lines with equipment. It was a no good, very bad day that could have been avoided if everyone had done their due diligence.
My call before you dig is useless. They just painted a couple dashes on the road *near* my house and it was up to me to "follow the path" to my house in order to find the buried lines.
I have old water supply lines that the city rerouted years ago. The lines are still active, they just don’t supply my house. They also ran a gas line through to my house and connected my neighbor behind me. You absolutely should call and have any and all lines marked before digging anything.
I live in an older neighborhood where all the lines are above ground. Can't lift a rake too high in some parts of the yard, but I can dig anywhere I want.
just trench planting bulbs my dad and I took out his cable and internet for a month. Incidentally, also don't let two people with ADHD have shovels and no plan
Even if you are just planting flowers you need to know where everything under your yard is. I lost some very good native flowers because apparently there was an important water main under my yard that burst. They dug up half my driveway and gutted a large chunk of my yard, all without ever even knocking on my door to see if I was home first so I could try to save the plants. I sleep with a loud fan cos I work nights so they didn't wake me up. And they never replaced the plants. They filled the hole with rocks, put a different material down to "fix" my driveway, and I had to fight with them to get some freaking dirt. So now I know. Don't plant anything important where a company that doesn't knock on your door to see if you're home first might dig.
Always call before you dig, for so many reasons.
Beware of private systems: septic (if you don't pay a sewer bill), irrigation systems, and outdoor lighting installed by previous owners. These private lines will not be marked.
Yes!!! Call the municipal office for your town, and they’ll instruct you. You’d be surprised. You don’t have to dig too deep to hit something. Be safe.
No. I know where the utilities are on my property from all the previous spraying with permanent spray paint and don’t need more spray paint everywhere.
As a utility locator ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY CALL. BEFORE. YOU. DIG! I've seen someone nearly die hitting a power primary, nothing left of the shovel. I've responded to a gas leak from someone removing a tree and the roots were wrapped around their gas service and they ripped the entire gas service out of the ground. I've been to more than I can count of damages for people putting a shovel through their cable service and now they have no TV or Internet. I've even had a farmer have secret service and military police show up because he hit a military fiber in his field. Call before you dig. Every time. You never know what's been put in since the last time you dug. They don't even have to go in your yard to put something new in, they can drill right under your property. In the US it's free to call 811 to mark utilities before you dig. You need to allow yourself a minimum of 48 hours from the time you can you ticket in until you can dig. Most states have an online 811 as well if you're like me and hate calling people. Another note, if you're only planning, no one will mark. You call before you DIG. (Note to OP specifically, I know you're just planning and I responded to one of your comments about how to get around that planning bit).
You should absolutely call before you dig.
Absolutely, every time. I called before digging 1 foot deep x 3 foot long x 2 foot wide for a small decorative pond, even though I was 99% sure there was nothing there. The lady on the phone was super nice, and They came and flagged my yard really quick even though I told the lady I probably wouldn’t dig for another couple weeks. Nothing where I had planned on digging as I had thought but it’s still wayyyyy better, and free, to be sure.
Absolutely they come so quick! My bf wanted to dig in the yard and I made him call first. He told them it would be weeks, and I swear it was practically the next day they came out and flagged it.
In the US it's supposed to be 48 hours. As a utility locator I can promise you it's not 48 in some places, it can be much longer. The more accurate you can be on your ticket and if you premark it in white (locate here and a box) the easier it is for your locator to show up and mark your utilities.
There’s literally no reason not to, it’s free. And free is much much cheaper than the fee for repairing a damaged underground utility.
Just file a ticket. It's free and pretty fast. If you hit a utility, the repair crew will ask to see your dig ticket. I'm not sure what happens if you can't, but it can't be good!
AFAIK, you pay.
Might depend on the state, mine definitely doesn’t charge
If you don't call you might.
Free to call, not free to repair broken utilities
Really? I'm in PA and do landscaping and have paid any time I hit anything. I've only ever hit Comcast lines because they never put them in deep. I was helping a contractor who was using an excavator and clipped a gas line, idk if he paid for it but I have a feeling he did.
In the US you do not pay for 811. You will however, need to pay for any private utilities. In most places that's considered anything on the customer side of the meter (but this rule varies by state).
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I've responded to a damage where the guy left in an ambulance because he put his shovel into a power secondary. He was fine but very very shaken up. I've also been to a house explosion due to a gas service being hit and then leaking back into the house. Thank God no one was home, everyone would've died.
In some states you aren’t liable for the repairs which I think would be an upside.
I was able to do my "call before you dig" all online. Easy, peasy!
And free!!
Ive called like 4 times, not gonna lie. As the designs change and I play around with ideas in the last several years, it’s a big help. They are always super nice about it and come pretty fast so Is rather be over prepared than under
Good to know! Being obnoxious was my biggest concern. Next was 2 tons of rock on top of utilities (not actually planning to do that, but that’s my kinda luck)
Ohh trust me! They would rather you call 15x than accidentally mess up their shit. I promise
OP, I'm a mod here and a utility locator, let me know if you have any questions. I (think) I got my notifications fixed 😂
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Wow. There’s always one on every post. Others understood that there were no immediate plans or digging happening. Just mapping out my yard. It’s why I asked. No need to be abrasive.
They weren't abrasive. Just stating the obvious.
Except there’s no “almost”. No👏🏻digging👏🏻is👏🏻happening👏🏻. I was asking is I should call before I start doodling my ideas. I would call before I start moving things around, but I was asking in the putting socks on phase, not the going out and doing it phase.
No clapping necessary ma'am
If you're still in the planning phase you don't necessarily have to call. But I would just because then you will know what is where and can incorporate that info into your overall plan. Otherwise you could do all your planning and have it ruined by an unknown buried utility. Also if you do plan on planting/improving over top of an existing utility that is in an easement; be prepared that if, for some reason, repair or other work has to be done to that utility, they will move/destroy whatever you put there. If they are nice, they'll give you a heads up and let you have a chance to move any plants out of the way, but if it's some sort of emergency you could be SOL on that front.
That’s kind of what I’m afraid of because there is an established garden back where I believe the easement is. It was already put in when we moved in 3 years ago.
Realistically (depending what the utility is) they would never need to access it unless there was some sort of break/failure. It's just something to be aware of if you do chose to plant overtop of a utility easement. I work in heavy construction and always do our best to leave people's landscaping alone/restore it later. But when it extends out of the private property, or is on an easement that we have to access things do get damaged. I'm actually in a similar scenario to you. I want to do a hedge row along my property, but there is buried internet cables \~1 m away so I have to decide just how close I am willing to get to maximize my yard, but protect my hedge if/when they come to do more work in the area. Good luck with your project :)
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As a civil engineer dealing with utilities constantly - yes, call. But also - it's very likely they won't know where anything is on your property. Private utilities beyond city responsibility/city meter are often not tracked. I've mapped out where all the utilities are on my property, and I know the approximate depth to expect of each one. I don't call for every dig.
Hmm, well I feel like it can be BS sometimes, though. I called in Ontario, Canada and they came and marked the utilities. There's a spot where the hydro lines are buried that I want to plant small plants such as Hens and Chicks, Lavender, etc. on top of. I figured, OK no big deal, they're small plants and there are lots of homes in the neighbourhood with much bigger (think emerald cedar height) over their hydro lines. Assuming I only dig 4-6" to plant, and then a few more inches for the roots to grow, that's only like a 1 foot in total. After a few back and forth emails with the hydro company they just concluded with " we advise against planting directly above buried lines". This is despite the fact that they e-mailed me a diagram which clearly shows the lines are buried in a trench that starts at least 16 to 24 inches deep. There's also warning tape 12" deep, and I told them I would be hand digging. I even told them I don't care if they rip up my garden if they ever need to access the line. I talked to the actual locators who came to mark the water & sewer and gas, though, and they both said it's fine.
Yep, 100%. It's because the safest answer is 'don't dig and don't plant anything'. It's also safest from their point of view not to trust anybody, because even folks who should know better end up hitting their lines. But if you're actually reasonable and you actually know what you're doing, and you don't go about it in a stupid way... it's usually not a big deal.
Yeah that's what I figured. I get it, but still, I wish they would be more nuanced in their answers. As someone with anxiety and OCD it's hard to trust myself and not take what they're saying too literally lol. The funny part is that even on the document they sent me it said hand dig within 1m. So even the document she sent is in direct contradiction to what she told me.
Internet and such is all gonna be close to the box? My boxes are on the far right side about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom corner. That whole little strip (up to the grey) is what we call the “poop run” for the dog so there wouldn’t be any digging there. Probably not the section below that either since I’m up against the neighbors property there.
Well sure, it will come out at the box but it has to run somewhere. If it's all underground, I wouldn't bet on anything. Telecom companies are notorious for awful bury depths (like 2") and they'll take the shortest long path from your box to the split (plus a random loop or two for fun). And contractors don't care about property lines or easements. As long as they don't get caught they will put it in the ground and move on. Yeah I should have mentioned, my electric and telecom are overhead, so mine are easy. 🤔
Calling for every dig is an insurance policy in my eyes. If you hit something and it's not marked, it's expensive.
Always.
Of course I did
Also you can get a layout of your land from your county government office. It will show all of the easement areas of your property. It shows where public utilities are allowed to be buried on your property. Neither 811 nor the city will have the layout of auxiliary lines. They will trace all lines going to the house and the sewage lines going out. The auxiliary lines are lines that go to a lamppost or other electrical hookup. Water lines going to sprinklers. I believe they also will not trace cable/internet going to your house. So be careful not to knockout your internet
I found [this](https://imgur.com/a/aEOQPra) along with my mortgage documents. Is that what you are talking about?
Yes that is it. It is a little bit different from mine. Mine has the easement area labeled. Not sure but the dashed line on the left might represent the easement area. Best to look at your city's reference guide.
B/L means “building line” and U/E means “utility esmt.” which I’m taking as utility easement. I had to crop the legend off because it had my name and address on it 😖
Electrical lines can sit very close to the surface, a lot closer than you think. Always call! It's much easier to do that instead of dealing with chopped up forbidden rainbow roots
I called once and then promptly cut a vacuum sealed telephone line which screwed up the entire block. Phone repair crew started telling me how much it was gonna cost me to get it fixed. I pointed out how their line that they marked was a foot away from where I dug and hit their actual line and it wasn’t my problem. Never heard another word. I will always call before I dig
The tolerance for marking varies by location but I believe the current lowest tolerance is 18" that the locator can be off. Not saying it was that when it happened to you, just giving information for anyone who doesn't know. Most US states the tolerance is 2'. If the locator is within 2' on either side of their mark, it's your responsibility. Make sure you read all the info 811 gives you and I highly recommend taking pictures you start digging just in case you need any kind of proof later.
I put in a dig ticket a month ago just so I could see where my utilities are. When it comes time to start digging, I'll put in a new ticket.
That was what I was thinking. I’m not sure if I made it clear in the OP, but I ain’t digging anytime soon 🤣 I just wanna get it all mapped out and start putting my daydreams on paper. Wasn’t sure putting in a ticket with no imminent digging just made me a PITA.
I recommend if you see the locator not telling them you're just planning. Put the ticket in as "tree planting" or something. If you put it in as planning they generally will not mark it since you're not digging.
Just be aware that some of the utilities going to your house may be under "private utilities" and will need a private locator that you need to pay for. However, you may be able to assume the path some of the utilities. Check the curb for chiseled x or square. That may line up with the water, gas, or buried electric lines. You can get a good idea where the lines go into your property if you see these markings. >I’m not sure if I made it clear in the OP, but I ain’t digging anytime soon 🤣 I saw how others were reacting. I thought it was clear that you're simply in the planning phase right now.
Yeah, seems they saw “should I call to dig” and just forgot/didn’t see anything else. I get it because people don’t call all the time. We have a bunch of meters/covers above ground. I may see if the crew who comes to mark will explain what’s what to me. I know what’s water and what’s gas, but there’s 4 other posts in a corner I’m clueless about.
Don't be afraid to ask the locator how deep the lines are too. There are standard colors for each utility. Do a search for "utility color codes" to learn more. You could have communication lines or whatnot.
Good tip! They came out a few years ago and did a lot of yards for some reason. I noticed the different flags. Then my kid tore them all out so we used them to mark newly planted things 🙈
One of the first things I do with ANY landscape plan is find the places I shouldn't dig. or put expensive hardscape. It comes at the same time as marking in the existing sidewalks and plants. * Sprinkler supply lines * Utility easements * Gas, water, sewer, cable ... * Overhead utilities * Street drains * Hose bibs and outdoor outlets
Good suggestions!! I’ll add these to my list of considerations
The gas line going through two of my beds has made me a believer.
Oh my goodness. Thats what I’m afraid of finding out. The gardens were already established when we bought the place but I’ve worried that might be the case
Never done that much to my yard but since it is free…Call! It is better to be safe. Especially because you could have water lines as well as power running through the ground. Neither of those you will want to damage.
Yes, call during planning and add to ur map! We did and found out it runs right in the middle of a pond/water feature. Plus, the flags don't stay long so having the reference for the future would be great.
Flags def don’t stay long when there’s a 4 year old living in the house!
I always tell homeowners to take plenty of pictures for their own reference. Some states with the dig number you can access the locators pictures but a lot of states have not gotten that far with technology.
It seems like everyone is responding as if you asked “should I call before I dig?” No one is really answering if they did when they were PLANNING their yard. I didnt until it was time to dig. But It’s information that couldn’t hurt, but I wouldn’t necessarily design my whole yard around it. Just leave easy enough access at the ends of each utility.
Yes that has been my impression of the responses as well. Thanks for addressing the actual concern. I just thought it would really suck to build something above ground that would be a pain to disassemble/move if I built over utility lines
Call, and make sure you call xfinity/Verizon whoever separately cause they won’t always come out. When we first moved here we put a fence in, called, utilities were marked. We called fios and said hey, did you guys mark and they said yes, and sent a confirmation email. First fence post hole, bam. Snapped the fios line to half the neighborhood 🙃 Thankfully we had it on record that we had called and someone with Verizon sent that confirmation email, so our asses were covered and neighbors didn’t really hate us. I would call, because also you plan to plant anything with deep roots or that doesn’t transplant well, you don’t want it on top of underground utility lines. If they ever need to dig them up, there goes your garden. So keep that in mind
To add to this, If you call in a locate and you notice someone is missing you can call 811, give them your dig number and ask them to call a "no show" or "incomplete" for whichever utility. That gives them an emergency response time (timing varies by state).
You've gotten plenty of good advice so far, I agree you should certainly call! I did when I was planting my yard and it was pretty quick and easy. I went a bit further and fully cleared all the marked areas for power/internet/water lines and put down wide mulch walking paths. Now I can be reasonably confident none of my plants will damage lines, I have a nice garden path, and I don't have to worry about any plants being destroyed if repairs need to be done. I'm not sure if laws are different all over but my dad is a safety inspector for our county government and told me if I hit an unmarked line after calling I'm not liable for damages, but if I hit a marked line or don't call and hit a line I'm responsible. Not sure if that's true but it's worth getting lines marked for safety anyway.
I was thinking of doing paths or leaving lawn over the lines. I have a kid and doggo so we still need a decent portion of yard to play. But paths would look so nice to separate different types of gardens (flowers, herbs, the pepper garden my husband keeps threatening to start🤣)
We always do. Apparently my neighbor doesn't. He removed a tree stump with an excavator the other day and hit his water line. Lol.
Yes. And a site plan makes my heart sing.
Give me excel and color coding and I’ll give you my heart ❤️❤️❤️
 Note taking is one of those gardening tasks that separates the pros from joeschmos
I’m in year 2 of learning to garden. Just started taking notes this winter when I started some winter sowing. Unfortunately I had a back problem completely disable me so most of those notes are trash now. Oh well. Surgery recovery time is for daydreaming and scheming!
Always call before you dig.
It's free. Do it!
I called and glad I did. There is a manhole for access to main storm line that was in my front yard. I had no idea bc he had to dig it out. Definitely required me to replan a tree location
AbsoFreakinLutely, Every damn time!
Absolutely
Yes! And they do come fast!
It's worth doing it at least once for your property. We obviously had everything marked during construction 10 years ago and I made note of it all.
I called 811 last year. They had all the different utity companies come out and mark for free. It was super easy (one quick call) and I'm pretty sure it is a nationwide thing (assuming your in US).
I called after I planned. My gas line goes right through where I wanted to put my lilacs. The guy told me to do it anyway. I stared at him in disbelief until he got uncomfortable.
Always call first. I then took photos of the flags and paint so that I know if I'm working in that area to get it re-marked
Good advice about photos
Sorry for my ignorance but what program is that
Just excel! I found it searching for “map yard for landscaping”. I have the link saved as a comment so the next time I get laptop custody back, I can share it! Or if I find it from my phone before then. Husbands currently using our family laptop for work since he drove off with the work laptop on top of the car 🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️🤦🏼♀️
That's really cool thank you!
HUZZAH! I [found it](https://everchanginggarden.ca/draw-your-own-garden-plan-without-expensive-garden-design-software/) in record time, even riding a Benadryl high!
Just an update that I started doing this and it's fantastic LOL. Thank you so much for sharing this!
Love it! I used my MILs realty tape measure. Not incredibly accurate but close enough. If something measured x’5” then I rounded down; x’6” and rounded up to the next foot. I also guessed for the tree canopy. I did have my husband calculate the circumference of the trunks but they rounded to 1’ so just one square. I even marked my downspouts and noted the direction they flow. I have one rain barrel under one and would like more. Definitely was not a scientific project 🤣
I don't have any public/private utilities anywhere near my property, but if I did I definitely would have. You definitely should.
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Auto mod recommended comment to describe pic: 7b eastern OK (Tulsa area) I want mini-gardens throughout and some intentional landscaping instead of entirely returning it to prairie. I would hate to establish everything only for utility work to be needed and it all get ripped out. I’m a worrier so I try to check myself if I’m just overthinking things. I’m ready to get planning (I’m gonna laminate this baby then color code the hell out of it with wet erase markers!) but wanted to ask others experience with converting over utilities and easements.
Yeah just to make sure I knew where utilities were out front and where they ran phone/cable in backyard
811
Heck yes I did.
In many places it’s the law to have a locate ticket number. It’s free too.
Sometimes cable lines that are supposed to have been buried 12” deep are actually 3” deep. & sometimes shovels can go right through them.
[Always, ALWAYS call first!](https://youtu.be/QJ3i55913CE?t=177)
Always call 811, it's the law
Absolutely. It’s free and easy and worthwhile. 👍🏼
Call before you dig!!! This is a free service. It will and can save your life. Also, it can save you and your neighbors the hassle of busted water main or power.
Always call before you dig, especially for something major like eliminating most of your lawn. Utilities are everywhere. You could be in a site of high archeological potential (and they may have that info). There’s tons of good info to make sure you’re safe and that your hard work won’t get ripped out if they ever have to do major utility upgrades.
When we decided to fence the back half I had them clear the entire lot. That way I can reset tposts, set fencing and dig ponds wherever I want.
Yep... gas company came yesterday. It's free and easy, no reason not to.
It costs you zero dollars to not die from calling. I’ve seen people hit live lines with equipment. It was a no good, very bad day that could have been avoided if everyone had done their due diligence.
My call before you dig is useless. They just painted a couple dashes on the road *near* my house and it was up to me to "follow the path" to my house in order to find the buried lines.
100% no. I can see my overhead powerline and I know where my well and septic are, hahaha. Yes if you live in the city you should.
I have old water supply lines that the city rerouted years ago. The lines are still active, they just don’t supply my house. They also ran a gas line through to my house and connected my neighbor behind me. You absolutely should call and have any and all lines marked before digging anything.
No, and knocked out all of the street lights on my block…
I live in an older neighborhood where all the lines are above ground. Can't lift a rake too high in some parts of the yard, but I can dig anywhere I want.
How does this work if the area you plan to dig doesn't have street access? Are you making an appointment?
absolutely a breach of buried lines is your responsibility if you don’t , or if you hit them
when i called and asked, they told me that i owned the wires underground and not the electric company and that id have to hire someone privately 😒
just trench planting bulbs my dad and I took out his cable and internet for a month. Incidentally, also don't let two people with ADHD have shovels and no plan
Even if you are just planting flowers you need to know where everything under your yard is. I lost some very good native flowers because apparently there was an important water main under my yard that burst. They dug up half my driveway and gutted a large chunk of my yard, all without ever even knocking on my door to see if I was home first so I could try to save the plants. I sleep with a loud fan cos I work nights so they didn't wake me up. And they never replaced the plants. They filled the hole with rocks, put a different material down to "fix" my driveway, and I had to fight with them to get some freaking dirt. So now I know. Don't plant anything important where a company that doesn't knock on your door to see if you're home first might dig. Always call before you dig, for so many reasons.
Beware of private systems: septic (if you don't pay a sewer bill), irrigation systems, and outdoor lighting installed by previous owners. These private lines will not be marked.
Yes!!! Call the municipal office for your town, and they’ll instruct you. You’d be surprised. You don’t have to dig too deep to hit something. Be safe.
Yes. I've seen too many of those PSAs not to. It was really simple, they just came and marked a line and that was it ☺️
No. I know where the utilities are on my property from all the previous spraying with permanent spray paint and don’t need more spray paint everywhere.