After utility lines have been marked, you should always expose them by hand to verify their location before using power equipment near them. If you can't find them, please let us know.
1: Contact MISS DIG 811 online or by phone
At least 3 business days prior to digging on your property contact MISS DIG 811:
By placing a ticket online by clicking on Submit Locate Request on missdig811.org.
Or by calling: 811 1-800-482-7171
You will receive an email with your ticket number to use later to check Positive Response status from the facility owner/operator (the Utility Company)
2: Wait 3 business days for utilities to be marked
The facility owner / operators (the Utility Company) have 3 business days to go out to your property and mark where their facilities are located.
They use paint and / or flags to identify the approximate location of their lines.
Then the facility owner / operator must go online to MISS DIG 811 Positive Response to record their status of what they did to your property when they marked facility lines.
Some lines will not be marked because they are not owned by the facility company. Those will need to be marked by a private locator.
3: Check status online to confirm all utilities have been marked
You must wait 3 business days for a response from all facility owner / operators (the Utility Company), so they have time to mark their facilities with flags and / or paint.
After the 3 business days you must go online to missdig811.org and click on Check Status to verify that ALL facilities have been marked. Enter your ticket number and review the responses from the facilities.
ALL the facility responses must be either Marked, Exempt from Marking, or No Conflict before beginning the work.
If you see a response that says Has Not Responded or if you see the evidence of utilities on-site without markings and your start work date and time has arrived, then you will need to contact MISS DIG by dialing 811.
Ask the operator for additional assistance from those facility owner/ operators who have responded with Has Not Responded or Not Complete.
4: Hand dig when digging within 4ft. of paint or flags
Congratulations!
You are ready to begin your project if all facilities are marked, your start work date and time has arrived, and Positive Response statuses are all green!
Make sure you know where and what facilities are in your workspace.
Look around to make sure all facilities have been marked. If you see a pedestal, meter, transformer, fire hydrant, etc. on site and no flags or paint coming from them, a facility may have been missed. Call 811 for additional assistance.
If you are digging within the Caution Zone, which is 4 feet on either side of the paint or flags, you must use soft excavation to hand expose the utility.
Soft excavation means using a method to prevent contact damage to underground facilities. It could include using a shovel to hand-dig, vacuum excavation methods, or the use of pneumatic hand tools.
If you are digging in the Safe Zone, that means your dig location is 4 feet or more from either side of the paint or flags, and there is no need to hand expose.
5: Dig with care
Most importantly keep yourself, family, and friends safe. Make sure you are digging in the Safe Zone (more than 4 ft out on either side of facility markings). If you are closer than 4 ft out from facility markings (in the Caution Zone) you must first, hand expose the facility lines to determine their exact location before digging to ensure you do not harm yourself or cut off service.
Do NOT remove the flags until the work is complete or after 21 days.
Note: If a homeowner has hired a contractor/excavator for excavation on their property it is the responsibility of the contractor/excavator to contact MISS DIG 811 for a locate request per PA 174.
State of Michigan Utility Color Code
What should I do if I see someone digging without marks?
When you see someone digging without first having their utilities located and marked, simply call 811 to speak to a Notification System Representative (NSR). Tell them that you would like to place a No Marks ticket. This ticket will only be accepted through the MISS DIG 811 Notification Center; this cannot be placed online through any of our web programs.
What else do I tell them?
The NSR will ask you for the county, city/township/village, address and cross streets. You can provide the name of the excavator if you have that information, but it is not required.
Do I have to give them my name?
You do not have to give your name. You can place the call anonymously.
What happens next?
The NSR will check to see if a ticket was placed for that location and even if there was, you still have the option to submit the ticket. If there was no ticket placed, the NSR will submit the ticket which will notify the facility owner/operators in the area. The Michigan Public Service Commission, who enforces and issues penalties regarding PA 174 or the MISS DIG 811 law, is also notified and will investigate the incident.
That sounds serious, should I really report this?
According to statistics from the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) 25% of all damage to utility infrastructure is caused due to excavating without first calling 811 & having utilities located & marked. In other words, 1 out of every 4 damages could be prevented by simply contacting MISS DIG 811. You can help to keep your community safe.
Does everyone have to place a ticket if they are digging, even a homeowner?
Absolutely! Unfortunately, most of the utility damage is done by what the industry considers to be "light" excavation work; quite often when power equipment is used sparingly or not at all. The biggest offenders are fence installers, landscapers, rental companies that install tents or inflatables, sidewalk & cement contractors, & the do-it-yourself community! While Public Act 174 and its definition of excavation is concerned with power tools or equipment, there is a federal law that defines excavation as using either mechanized or non-mechanized tools. The law requests any excavator call the One-Call in their area. It's about more than breaking the laws & penalties; it's really all about keeping everyone safe.
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MISS DIG 811 is Michigan’s ONLY utility safety notification system. Our OneCallAccess service makes it easy for you to request for public utility lines to be marked. So you can safely complete your digging project. Learn more about us.
