811 CALL BEFORE YOU DIG.

[deereboy72]

is it free im going to be working on a project for my aunt soon and i need to know where the utility lines are i don't want to hit any of them she want's a small beach type thing i don't know where she wants it but back to my question is the 811 CALL BEFORE YOU DIG free does cost anything if so what would the cost be?

 

[jdbower]

It was free in MA, I doubt they'd charge anyplace since the risk and cost associated with someone not calling is huge so they'd want to encourage them. Note that 811 may not exist everyplace, but there's usually a number printed on various external fixtures (the gas meter, power meter, any green pedestals for the utilities, etc.). Locally they mention calling ~72 hours in advance (excluding weekends) and you have to do the work within 30 days of completion (maybe they think the buried cables move around...).

Another word of advice is that they don't mark out privately installed stuff. If you've got power going to a lamp post or an underground sprinkler system you may want to be prepared.

 

[Bedlam]

HMM Here its called Dig Safe.And is advertised quite heavily
I found your city site
City of Hillsboro
but couldnt find anything. not saying it isnt there. I would suggest calint he power or line company they will know.

 

[jdbower]

A little more information for you specific to Oregon:
Oregon Utility Notification Center:1-800-332-2344

And the main page where people from other states can find information:
State Specific Information | Call 811 - Know what's below

It's useful to mark out where you intend to dig before you call so they can concentrate on the proper area.

 

[Bedlam]

JD, Your a great googler I guess..Glad you helped on this one.Funny how sometime ya search and it pops right up and the next time its a huge struggle

 

[deereboy72]

Thanks for all the replies i forgot to mention she lives in Milwaukee Oregon
and i have the local Portland office number thanks everybody

 

[jenkinsph]

In most areas you use white marking paint to show where you plan to excavate. The utility companies are notified when you call and have a limited time to respond usually 3 business days. Time use for the excavator have been reduced to 14 days in most cases, if you run over this time you need to call in and get it extended. The service is free, the consequences of digging up a powerline, multipair phone cable or fiber optic is costly and can be at your expense. Do not take it lightly, the utility repair costs can easily exceed $10,000.

I might add these two points also,

While digging be very watchful for marking ribbon that should be suspended above the lines in the ground, these ribbons are there to warn you of the lines below but do not depend on this because there are lots of unmarked lines.

Beware of red colored concrete, this is usually poured over buried electric lines to protect them. Do not try to dig through this.





Steve

 

[CurlyDave]

A few of the guys I hunt with work for Pacific Power.

Not only will they mark the lines for you, they will shut down the power while you dig, which can be a real lifesaver.

 

[megotatractor]

Here in Minnesota we have what they call "Gopher State One Call" call before you dig, which is free. They contact all utilities for you so they will come out and mark everything,.... everything up to your meters that is. It is TOTAL B. S. !!!!!! The utilities - for liability reasons of course- will NOT touch private utilities within your yard. You have to call them but if you hit a utility it is your fault even though they refused to touch what they call "private" utilities. It's a reasuring thought that some ignoramous is going to dig and hit a gas line in my back yard because they thought everything was marked. Yes, it happened a few years back.
Moral of the story; forget any so called "one call" service sponsored by any government body and hire a private locating service.

 

[EddieWalker]

Like the others have said, it's free, and you have to give them three days to come out and do their thing. You will find that some will come out and just leave a flag saying that they don't have anything in the area. Others will come out and leave flags and paint where they think their lines are.

This is very important!!! Take a picture of their markings before you do anything. While most are pretty good at their markings, they are not exact. Some are just plain wrong. If you have pictures, then nobody can come back and say you moved the flags, or dug an area that wasn't marked.

Be sure to know the rules on how close they have to be. I have to check every time that I have something marked, but I think it's three feet. If they flag a line, it's that and three feet of both sides of that line. Ask to be sure!!!!!!

If you have to dig anywhere near something, be sure to have a probe and a shovel handy. It's impossible to know how close you are to anything and just about as bad to know if you hit something. If you know you've hit it, then it's probably too late.

Good luck,
Eddie

 

[ultrarunner]

I was putting in a lawn sprinkler system in Pleasant Hill CA and decided to give them a call... I had little flags for each sprinkler head...

Turned out to be a waste of time... the service tagged the entire lawn "Hand Digging Only"... I questioned why he couldn't be more specific and he said they don't have to be exact? They can mark an area within 10' or something like that... so the entire 30' x 40' lawn was tagged.

I called them to check my property where I know the city has a buried sewer line... they told me I would have to contact the city directly because they don't cover city sewers.

Called the city and was told I would have to clear the land of brush first and they would try to get someone out...

I don't call anymore...

 

[mjncad]

811 or UNCC in Colorado is free and I call anytime I plan to dig as it's cheaper than a bill from the utility company.

For some reason, water and sewer companies and districts in Colorado don't participate with UNCC, and you have to call them directly for a locate and the two I've dealt with can range from annoyed that you bothered them to down right snotty. I suspect that is because water companies are governments here under the guise of Colorado's Special District form of small government, along with our quirky water laws.

 

[jenkinsph]

This discussion is one of the major issues of owning and operating a backhoe or trencher IMHO. Cruising around playing with various sorts of implements on the surface is one thing but when you start digging below the surface your liability increases dramatically. Lets not forget here that we are offering advice to a high school student. It can be a very tough and expensive lesson for the OP to learn if he digs through a fiber optic cable ect. Another thing to consider is that in most states a license may be required for this type of work too. I am a fan of people who are self starters and like to see people with lots of inititive go for it, but let's all be careul what advice we dole out. Lawyers can be hard for a 16 yr old to pay for.




Steve

 

[Fast Eddie]

Live in Columbus MS & heard the advertisement on the radio. Since I just got a post hole digger I called 811. Even though they gave me a window of several days, they were here 1 day later and marked the yard. And it was free. I have a little over 7 acres.
Eddie

 

[gordyy]

I was working as an operator in the 70s when fiber optic was the new thing
I remember the first meeting I went to on it they showed us what a cable looked like what their ribbon looked like. they said you find one of these without calling first just shut off your truck and your hoe we now own it
in those days all joints were done inside a little building here because of frost issues that meant hit a cable we build two building heat, air condition, and dehunidify them forever and you get to pay for it

call before unless you have lived on your land for 60 yrs and have a good memory
even if its on your property you hit it you pay to fix it