Calling 811 Before Installing: What the Utility Marks Mean

An 811 locate is free, takes about 10 minutes to file, and in most states the law applies at any dig depth, a 4-6 inch fence-wire trench included. File it before any other install step.

What 811 Is#

811 is the national Call Before You Dig number: the FCC designated it in 2005, and it has been live nationwide since 2007. Dialing it (or filing at call811.com) routes you to your state's one-call center, which notifies every member utility with lines near your property. Their locators come out and mark line paths at no charge; the utilities fund the service.

Is the Call Legally Required for a Shallow Trench?#

In most states, yes: the law applies at any depth. A few states write in real exemptions: Washington exempts owner digs under 12 inches, Idaho under 15 inches, Texas requires a ticket only for mechanized digging 16 inches or deeper, and Pennsylvania's law covers powered equipment only.

Call anyway. Cable and fiber drops often sit less than 12 inches down, and an exempt digger who hits a line still pays for the damage.

The Call, Step by Step#

Reading the Marks#

dogfenceguide.com

Locators use paint, flags, or both: flags pin turning points, paint stripes trace the path between them, and stenciled numbers or letters give the line size or owner. The colors are a national standard:

• Red: electric
• Yellow: gas, oil, steam
• Orange: communications (phone, cable, fiber)
• Blue: potable water
• Green: sewer and drain
• Purple: reclaimed water
• Pink: temporary survey marks
• White: proposed dig area (yours)

Clearance and Hand-Digging#

Marks show the approximate path, not a survey line. Most states define a tolerance zone around each mark where only hand digging is allowed; your ticket states your state's exact width.

Hand-digging means a rounded-point shovel eased in at an angle, gentle prying, and exposing the line itself by hand. No picks, augers, or powered trenchers inside the zone.

Nominal depths explain why the trench itself is rarely the problem: gas and electric services run about 12-24 inches down, water usually sits below the frost line (36-60+ inches in northern states), and cable or fiber drops are often less than 12 inches deep, shallow enough for any dig to find. Depths also vary near older homes and re-graded yards. The digs that actually reach utility depth:

• Driveway and sidewalk crossings: utility services often run beneath them
• Mailbox, sign, and landscape post holes: these often go much deeper than the boundary-wire trench
• Tree and shrub planting near the house: service lines converge there

Your transmitter needs no dug ground rod. It plugs into an outlet, and the transmitter's optional surge ground wire runs to the home's existing grounding electrode, not a new rod. See transmitter setup and lightning protection.

If Nobody Marks by the Deadline#

Don't read an unmarked lawn as an empty one. Most states run a positive-response system: a website or phone code printed on your ticket where each utility posts "marked" or "clear." Check it when the notice period ends: "clear" means no lines in conflict; a missing response means the locator hasn't finished. If a utility hasn't responded by the deadline, call 811 and refresh the ticket instead of digging.

What 811 Doesn't Cover#

811 marks member utilities' own lines, typically from the street to your meter. Nothing past the meter gets marked:

• Sprinkler and irrigation lines
• Propane runs from a tank to the house
• Power to detached garages, sheds, or pool equipment
• Septic lines and low-voltage landscape lighting
• Old buried pet-fence wire: a wire-break locator (our store) traces it (see the wire repair guide)

Hand-dig wherever these may run, or hire a private locating service, about $150-500 per lot as of mid-2026.

If You Hit a Line#

Stop digging. Then:

• Gas: leave the area immediately, pets included, and move well away and upwind; call 911 and the gas company. No light switches, no vehicle starts nearby: sparks ignite leaks.
• Electric: touch nothing. Not the line, the soil around it, or any tool in contact with it. Call 911 and the electric utility.
• Water or sewer: shut the main if you can do it safely, then call the utility and a plumber.

The Cost of Skipping the Call#

The Common Ground Alliance's DIRT report ranks homeowner DIY digs as a leading source of underground utility damage, and a struck gas line commonly costs thousands to repair. PG&E puts the average near $3,500. Ten minutes on the phone and a two-day wait are not worth a $3,500 gas repair or an electrocution.

After the Install#

Marks expire, typically 10-30 days by state. Your ticket states the exact window. If the install slips past it, call 811 again for fresh marks: faded paint and pulled flags protect nothing.

Save the ticket number and photos of the marks. A ticket proves you dug legally during its validity window with the marks respected. It is not blanket protection for later digging. New project next year, new ticket.

Need More Help?#

Marks in place? The complete installation guide takes you from wire layout to first test. Prefer to hand the whole job off? Map your yard and request a free install quote. We route it to a local professional installer, and pros pull 811 tickets as standard practice. For anything else, check the FAQ or send us a message. We reply within a business day.