Digging Safety for Contractors

Any time you are digging on your property, a locate is required. Even small projects such as adding a garden or planting a tree require a locate. It’s free and it’s the law.

To get a free locate, call 811 or visit nc811.org for North Carolina, call 800-362-2764 or 8-1-1 or visit Ohio811 e-dig for Ohio, contact Ontario One Call for Ontario and call 811 or visit call811.com for Utah, Wyoming and Idaho.

The utilities that need to be marked include but are not limited to: electric, water, sewage and Enbridge Gas, as well as telecommunication companies.

Utility locates are a free service. There’s no cost to you. Any privately owned infrastructure, such as a gas line that runs from your meter to your pool heater or barbecue, will not be covered under the request. You’ll need to hire a private locate company to mark these lines and there is a charge for this service.

A utility locate request must be submitted before the planned start date of your project. In Ohio, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho, requests must be made at least 48 hours before the project begins, excluding the day of the request. In North Carolina, requests must be made at least 72 hours before the project begins, excluding the day of the request. In Ontario, requests must be made at least five business days before the project begins. Utility locates must be completed and marked before any work begins. It's the law.

You’ll need to provide Ontario One Call for Ontario or 811 for US with your name and address, the date work is expected to begin, the type of project being completed, how you plan to dig (shovel, excavator, etc.) and how deep you plan to dig.

Any privately owned infrastructure, such as a gas line that runs from your meter to your pool heater or barbecue, will not be covered under your request. You’ll need to hire a private locate company to mark these lines and there is a charge for this service.

A qualified utility representative will visit your property and mark the location of all underground cables and pipes. They do this by painting or inserting flags in the ground along the path of the pipe or cable.

You can check the status of your request on the web portal. Owners of buried infrastructure will mark the status of their lines as either “clear” or “complete.” A clear status means there is no risk and that your proposed digging area is safe. A complete status means the locate has been marked on your property. All utilities must be marked as either clear or complete to proceed.

The actual location of the buried line may be within 18 inches (Ohio), 24 inches (North Carolina, Utah, Wyoming, and Idaho), or one metre (Ontario) on either side of the paint or locate flags placed on your property. This is referred to as the tolerance zone. When digging in the tolerance zone, you must first use hand tools (such as a shovel or spade) to carefully expose any buried utilities before using mechanized equipment.

An Enbridge Gas locate are valid for as below:
North Carolina: Locates are valid for 28 days from the Work Date listed on the ticket.
Ohio: Locates do not expire as long as the markings remain clearly visible.
Ontario: Locates are valid for 60 days from the date they are completed.
Utah, Wyoming and Idaho: Locates are valid for 21 days from the date they are completed.
If your locate has expired or the markings are no longer visible, you must request a new locate before continuing your project.

Moving or removing locates makes them invalid and you’ll be liable for any damage that occurs on your property. You must contact OntarioOneCall.ca/811 to arrange a new locate before you or your contractor can start digging.

If you smell rotten eggs, hear an unusual hissing sound, or see dust or leaves blowing in a localized area, you may have damaged a line. You may also see a physical puncture or gouge on the line.