Why it matters
There is a lot buried under a typical yard in East Tennessee. Power, gas, phone, cable, internet, water and sewer lines can all run a few feet down, and sometimes less. You cannot tell where they are by looking.
Hitting one can cut service to you and your neighbors. It can cost real money to fix. With gas or electric, it can hurt someone. A free phone call takes most of that risk off the table.
This goes for everyone, not just contractors. Planting a tree, setting fence posts, putting in a mailbox or digging a trench for a drain line all count as digging.
How to call Tennessee 811
Tennessee law requires you to give notice at least three working days before you dig. Weekends and holidays do not count as working days, so plan ahead.
You can call 811 from any phone, or put in a request online at tn811.com. You will be asked where you plan to dig, what kind of work it is and when you plan to start. Be as exact as you can about the spot.
After that, the utility companies that have lines in the area send someone out to mark them. Keep your ticket number. If the marks get washed out or mowed over before the work is done, you may need to ask for them again.
If you hire us, we will talk with you about who is putting in the request and make sure the marks are there before we dig.
What the colors mean
Lines are marked with paint on the ground, small flags, or both. The colors follow a standard that utilities across the country use.
- Red: electric power lines, cables and conduit.
- Yellow: gas, oil, steam or petroleum lines.
- Orange: communications, like phone, cable and internet.
- Blue: drinking water.
- Green: sewer and drain lines.
- Purple: reclaimed water and irrigation lines from a utility.
- White: the proposed digging area. You or your contractor can use white paint or flags to show where the work will be.
- Pink: temporary survey markings.
What 811 does not mark
This is the part that catches a lot of people. 811 marks the public lines that utilities own, usually up to the meter. Lines you own on your side are usually not marked.
These are the private lines we ask about on every site visit:
- Water or electric lines run out to a shed, barn, shop or garage.
- Lines to a well and the well itself.
- Septic tanks, lines and drain fields.
- Sprinkler and irrigation lines.
- Wiring for outdoor lighting, gate openers or a pool.
- Gas lines to a grill, heater or second building.
Tell your contractor what you know
Before any dig, walk the area with your contractor and point out everything you know about. If you have old plans, a septic permit drawing or notes from when something was put in, have them out.
Older properties are worth extra care. Lines get added over the years, owners change and nobody writes it down. A buried propane line, an old cistern or a drain pipe from the gutters can all be sitting where the work is planned.
If you are not sure where a private line runs, say so. It is much better to dig slow and careful near a line we know might be there than to find it with a bucket.
If a line gets hit
Even with marks, it can happen. If it does:
- Stop digging right away. Shut the machine down if it is safe to do so.
- Keep people away from the area, and keep them back.
- If you smell gas or hear it blowing, leave the area, do not start engines or use anything that could spark, and call 911 from a safe distance.
- Call the utility that owns the line. Their number is often on the meter or the bill.
- Do not try to fix, cover or bury a damaged line. Even a small nick can turn into a leak or a short later.
We plan around the lines
Every job we do starts with a site visit. That is when we talk about the 811 request, look at the marks and ask about private lines. Then you get a straight number in writing before we start.
Call us at (865) 346-6688 or send the quote form if you have digging coming up anywhere in Knox, Blount, Loudon, Sevier, Anderson or Roane counties.