Excavation means any operation, including the installation of signs, and which earth, rock, or other materials on or below the ground is moved or displaced.
Contractors, please be aware that you cannot dig on a third party locate request. If you or your organization is digging, you must submit a locate request in your organizations own name to the CALL BEFORE YOU DIG call center at least two business days in advance of when you plan to begin digging. This service is FREE and it’s the LAW.
Mark the boundaries of your planned digging in white paint or flagging. Then, notify our local one-call center by calling 811 or making an online request ( North Idaho 811) 2 full business days before you plan to dig.
The one-call center will transmit information to affected utility operators.
Wait 2 full business days for affected utility operators to respond to your request.
On average, between 3-5 utility operators are notified for each request.
Confirm that all affected utility operators have responded to your request by comparing the marks to the list of utilities the one-call center notified.
If you see clear evidence of a utility, such as an above ground marker, manhole cover or utility box, but no marks, please call 811 so that utility can be notified.
Respect the marks. The marks provided by the affected utility operators are your guide for the duration of your project.
Utility members will mark the location and path of their underground facilities using the following colors:
If you are unable to maintain the marks during your project, or the project will continue past your request’s expiration date (a locate ticket is good for 21 days after the 1st day the ticket was called in), please call 811 to ask for a re-mark.
Dig carefully. State law prohibits the use of mechanized equipment within 24 inches of a marked utility, which is called the “tolerance zone”.
If you must dig near the marks, hand dig or use vacuum excavation to expose the facility. After exposing the facility, avoid using mechanized equipment within the same tolerance zone.
