Digging It? Call 8-1-1 First

Anybody planning a digging project, from planting a tree, to building a skyscraper, should now call 8-1-1 before breaking ground. That’s the new federally-mandated national "Call Before You Dig" phone number created to help protect you from unintentionally hitting underground utility lines while working on digging projects.

811 is a FCC-designated national phone number for homeowners and professional excavators to call before digging. 811 calls will be directed to the local One Call Center and the affected local utilities, who will then mark underground lines for free. Digging without calling can lead to severe consequences including harm to those who dig, costly damages to underground infrastructure and utility service disruptions. The 811 call and service is totally free and can even be accessed from cell phones.

Before the creation of 811, there were 62 "Call Before You Dig" centers spread across the nation, each with a different number to call. The national 811 number eliminates the confusion of multiple numbers.

A recent national survey showed that only 33 percent of do-it-yourselfers called to have their lines marked before starting digging projects. Simple digging jobs can damage utility lines, which can disrupt service to an entire neighborhood, harm diggers, and potentially result in fines and repair costs. 811 will let diggers know what’s below when they call before they dig.

811 and the Call Before You Dig program is a major part of the Common Ground Alliance (CGA). The CGA was created in 2000 after the U.S. Department of Transportation released the Common Ground Study addressing excavation-related damage prevention.