Digging at Home? Read This First.
Pools, fences, additions, trees, and DIY projects all break the same rule: they dig past the meter, where the free 811 markings stop. This guide covers what 811 does for a homeowner, what it cannot, and when paying for a private locate beats gambling the gas line.
811 is essential, and it is not enough
Call 811 before any dig; it is free, required, and it gets utility companies to mark their lines up to your meter. For a mailbox post near the street, that may genuinely be all you need.
But your project probably is not at the street. Pools, additions, fences, and plantings happen in the yard, where the lines are yours: gas to the grill, power to the shed, irrigation everywhere, septic on older lots, and whatever previous owners buried without telling anyone. Nobody marks those for free, because nobody but you is responsible for them.
- 811: free, required, marks utility-owned lines to the meter
- Your side: gas runs, shed power, irrigation, lighting, septic
- Previous owners: the lines nobody told you about
- Renovated homes: abandoned services from earlier eras
- Rural lots: propane, wells, and long private runs
The free marks protect the utility's lines. A private locate protects your project.
Three Projects That Warrant a Private Locate
Not every dig needs one. These do.
Pools & Major Excavation
The deepest dig your yard will ever see, through the densest part of the yard's private utilities. Builders increasingly require it.
Additions & Detached Structures
Footings and slabs meet service drops, gas runs, and drains exactly where foundations want to go.
Anything on an Older or Rural Lot
Septic laterals, propane lines, and decades of prior-owner projects make older ground the most surprising ground.
Homeowner Questions
Is calling 811 really required for a home project?
What does a residential locate cost?
Can you find my septic tank and lines?
The house is new construction. Am I safe?
Can I locate lines myself with a rented detector?
What do I get from a professional locate?
Project on the calendar?
Send the address and what you are building. We will tell you honestly whether the dig warrants a locate.
Ready to dig without the gamble?
Send the property address, the project, and the dig date. We will schedule ahead of the excavator.