• FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

    FAQ

Our most frequently asked questions are listed below. If you would like further explanation, please contact us via one of these options:

Information on www.OHIO811.org is meant to be general educational information only. It is not intended to provide legal advice, nor should it be relied upon to interpret the Ohio Revised Code, Chapters 153.64, 3781.25-38, or 4913. To be clear, the website is not a substitute for the law or legal advice. Please refer to Ohio Revised Code, and legal counsel for guidance as you navigate the OHIO811 system. (See, Website Disclaimer).

You should always contact OHIO811 before any type of excavation, regardless of depth. An excavation is:

…the use of hand tools, powered equipment, or explosives to move earth, rock, or other materials in order to penetrate or bore or drill into the earth, or to demolish any structure whether or not it is intended that the demolition will disturb the earth.

– Ohio Revised Code: 3781.25 (I)

Re-markings are only necessary if:

    • The excavation did not commence within ...ten working days… – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.28 (A)
    • The markings …are destroyed or removed before excavation is completed, the excavator shall notify the utility through the protection service that the markings have been destroyed or removed, and the utility shall remark the facilities in accordance with section 3781.29 of the Revised Code. – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.31 (B)
    • If the crew leaves the job site for any number of consecutive days, for safety purposes it is recommended that the lines be remarked before any additional excavation commences. Never remark the lines yourself. Contact OHIO811 to have underground utility facilities remarked by the facility owners.
    • (A) Except as otherwise provided in divisions (C), (D), (E), and (F) of this section, at least forty-eight hours but not more than ten working days before commencing excavation, the excavator shall notify a protection service of the location of the excavation site and the date on which excavation is planned to commence. – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.28

* Please note that the Ohio Revised Code defines excavator as …the person or persons responsible for making the actual excavation (Ohio Revised Code 3781.25 (K)). We advise the actual excavator to submit their dig notification request to OHIO811, receive their reference number and wait the required 48 hours (excluding weekends and legal holidays) before excavation to be compliant with Ohio law.*

If you are not prepared with the necessary information the Customer Service Representative may be forced to ask you to call back.

You should contact OHIO811 at least 48 hours but no more than ten working days, excluding weekends and legal holidays before commencing excavation.

…at least forty-eight hours but not more than ten working days before commencing excavation, the excavator shall notify a protection service of the location of the excavation site and the date on which excavation is planned to commence.

– Ohio Revised Code: 3781.28 (A)

Utility markings in Ohio are valid as long as the excavator continues working and the markings have not been destroyed, damaged, or are no longer visible.

If an excavation does not begin within ten working days from the time of the 811 ticket/ excavation notification and/or, at any time the utility markings are destroyed or removed before excavation, the 811 ticket/ excavation notification is no longer valid and the excavator must stop working and notify OHIO811.

Please note for all valid 811 tickets in Ohio that excavation can only begin after 48 hours and when all utilities registered with OHIO811 have responded, such as through Positive Response or by marking their lines.

  • 3781.28(A) “Except as otherwise provided in divisions (C), (D), (E), and (F) of this section, at least forty-eight hours but not more than ten working days before commencing excavation, the excavator shall notify a protection service of the location of the excavation site and the date on which excavation is planned to commence.”
  • 3781.31(B) “If the markings of underground utility facilities made under section 3781.29 of the Revised Code are destroyed or removed before excavation is completed, the excavator shall notify the utility through the protection service that the markings have been destroyed or removed, and the utility shall remark the facilities in accordance with section 3781.29 of the Revised Code.”

There is no fee for the OHIO811 member facility owner companies to mark their lines. However, if you have privately owned lines and the member facility owner does not mark them, then it would be your responsibility to have those lines marked and you would need to contact a locating service to do so. The charges for locating services differ.

OHIO811 itself does not locate or mark underground facilities. Locating and marking of facilities is the responsibility of the facility owners.

Each OHIO811 member facility owner shall …locate and mark its underground utility facilities at the excavation site… – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.29 (A1). However, some utility companies use contract locating services which will mark the utility’s facilities for them.

OHIO811 is a notification center and not a line locating service.

Yes, it is the law to call before digging even if you also need to call for private markings.

…the excavator shall notify a protection service of the location of the excavation site and the date on which excavation is planned to commence.

– Ohio Revised Code: 3781.28 (A)

There is no need for you to be present during the markings, unless you have a specific question for the locator or if you need to grant them access to your property. Please make sure to communicate any instruction or the need to be present, when you submit your notification through OHIO811.

It is recommended that … an excavator shall define and premark the approximate location…in white… – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.29 (D), to assist the locators marking the intended dig area.

In addition to flags or paint, OHIO811 member facility owner companies use Positive Response included in the new legislation, which became effective March 27, 2013, to close the communication loop. Positive Response allows each facility owner to communicate to the excavator the status of their underground utility locate request.  You can check the Positive Response of your locate request here or by calling 800-445-3894.

View the Ohio Revised Code 3781.26 (D) for direct information.

If the following criteria are met, it is not necessary to Premark your proposed digging site in white:

    1. If a precise location is given (address – what side of the property, etc.)
    2. The excavator and the affected utility have had an on-site pre-construction meeting for the purpose of premarking the excavation site
    3. The excavation involves replacing a pole that is within five feet of the location of an existing pole.
    4. Premarking by the excavator would clearly interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic control.

– Ohio Revised Code: 3781.29 (F)

An excavator can begin excavation after waiting the required 48 hours from the time of the call and must also start the excavation within ten working days (excluding weekends and legal holidays).

For more exact information, please visit Ohio Revised Code: 3781.28 (A)

The ten days begin on the date and time the locate request is submitted. This does not include weekends or legal holidays.

For more exact information, please visit Ohio Revised Code: 3781.28 (A)

Our Positive Response system allows each member facility owner to communicate to the excavator the status of their locate request.

Positive Response can be checked here or by calling 800-445-3894.

If a utility does not mark its underground utility facilities or contact the excavator within that time, the utility is deemed to have given notice that it does not have any facilities at the excavation site.

– Ohio Revised Code: 3781.29(A)

Each utility shall locate and mark the approximate location of its underground utility facilities at the excavation site. – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.29 (A). They may not mark service lines that were privately installed. It would be the property owner’s responsibility to have these lines located.

There is no set required depth of underground lines in the state of Ohio. Lines may originally be buried at a particular depth, but due to erosion, and/or grading, they may be more shallow or deep than the original placement.

…any indications of the depth of the facility shall be treated as estimates only. – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.29 (B)

The tolerance zone is …the site of the underground utility facility including the width of the underground utility facility plus eighteen inches on each side of the facility. – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.25 (E)  If no width of the facility is given by the utility, you are to assume 2 inches. Any excavation within the tolerance zone should be conducted …in a careful , prudent, and nondestructive manner, when necessary, in order to prevent damage – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.30 (A)

When a caller states they have an EMERGENCY NOTICE OF EXCAVATION, only the following criteria constitutes a true EMERGENCY and should be prioritized as an EMERGENCY when the ticket is taken:

    • …an unexpected occurrence causing a disruption or damage to an underground utility facility that requires immediate repair or a situation that creates a clear and imminent danger that demands immediate action to prevent or mitigate loss of or damage to life, health, property, or essential public services. – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.25 (V)
    • …a utility that is making an emergency repair to its own underground utility system or a governmental entity making an underground emergency repair to traffic control devices, as defined in section 4511.01 of the Revised Code… – Ohio Revised Code: 3781.28 (F)

To constitute a true EMERGENCY, the excavation work must begin immediately which includes a crew is on-site, en route or mobilizing.

If the Customer Service Representative determines the callers’ information does not fulfill the definition of a true EMERGENCY but, the caller insists, even after an explanation, the following comment will be added to the notification request:

CALLER STATES THIS IS AN EMERGENCY

The date and time the work will begin will be entered, and the excavation notice will be transmitted as an Insufficient Notice and not as an Emergency Notice.

Yes! There are several factors that can affect a buried utility’s depth to the surface, such as erosion, weather, and grading (adding or removing soil). Even if you have worked in that area in the past, notifying OHIO811 before every dig keeps you and your community safe. Plus, it’s the law!

To be clear, Ohio law (a/k/a the Ohio Revised Code or “ORC”) defines “Excavation” at ORC  3781.25 (I) as follows: “the use of hand tools, powered equipment, or explosives to move earth, rock, or other materials in order to penetrate or bore or drill into the earth, or to demolish any structure whether or not it is intended that the demolition will disturb the earth…”

No, it is the responsibility of the person making the excavation to notify OHIO811 prior to the start of any digging work.

If you hired a contractor for a job that requires any type of digging or disruption in the soil, you should always confirm with your contractor that they have notified OHIO811 before working on your property. You can also ask them to provide you with the confirmation number that they received from OHIO811 and the status of each registered utility that was notified.

An “Excavator” is defined in ORC 3781.25(K) as “…the person or persons responsible for making the actual excavation.”

An “Excavation” is defined in ORC 3781.25 (I) as follows: “’Excavation’ means the use of hand tools, powered equipment, or explosives to move earth, rock, or other materials in order to penetrate or bore or drill into the earth, or to demolish any structure whether or not it is intended that the demolition will disturb the earth…”

Under Ohio law, OHIO811 must be notified at least 48 hours, but no more than 10 working days (excluding weekends and holidays), before any digging, no matter the project size. This requirement protects you, your property, the environment, and essential utility services you and your neighbors rely on.  To be clear, contact OHIO811 any time the soil is disturbed, like tree planting, landscaping and fences, installing a mailbox, leveling for a pool, cross-boring, and of course larger excavation tasks.

It is quick and easy to notify OHIO811.  You can reach us by telephone or through our online internet options:

  • If you are calling by telephone, simply dial the numbers 8-1-1 or 800-362-2764;
  • If you go on the internet, type OHIO811.org in your search engine. Then, click on “Homeowners” and select “e-dig”; or
  • If you are using the OHIO811 mobile app, select “e-dig”;

Ohio law states the following at ORC 3781.28(A): “Except as otherwise provided in divisions (C), (D), (E), and (F) of this section, at least forty-eight hours but not more than ten working days before commencing excavation, the excavator shall notify a protection service of the location of the excavation site and the date on which excavation is planned to commence.”

YOU PAY Nothing!  OHIO811 is a free public safety service!  When notifying OHIO 811 before you dig, utilities in your area will receive a notice from OHIO811 so they can respond and mark their underground lines.

When you notify OHIO811, utility companies registered with OHIO811 having utility lines in the excavation area will be notified by OHIO 811. Each utility company will then respond through the Positive Response System and go out to the site to identify and mark its buried lines.  Some utility companies may hire a private locating company to identify and mark their lines.

Learn more about private locating services by visiting the following link: https://oups.org/contract-locators/.

After you notify OHIO811 about your planned excavation, you will receive a confirmation email with a reference number and a list of all registered utility members who will be notified by OHIO 811. This is the start of a 48-hour window.   When the 48-hour window ends, you will receive a second email that provides the response of each notified utility member.  This is known as a “Positive Response.”

You can learn more about the “Positive Response” by visiting the following link: https://oups.org/positive-response/.   If you have any questions about a response from a registered utility, please contact OHIO811 immediately at 800-362-2764 or 8-1-1 with your reference number.

Buried utilities are marked with flags, paint, or stakes using distinct colors for each utility type based on the following American Public Works Association (APWA) Uniform Color Code

Uniform Color Code

YES! The depth of an underground utility can change due to many factors including construction, past excavation activities, or natural occurrences such as erosion, heavy rainfall or drought.  Ohio law requires a notification to OHIO811 before every  Notifying OHIO811 helps to keep you safe and prevents damage to essential services you and your neighbors rely on.

To be clear, ORC 3781.28(A) states as follow:  “Except as otherwise provided in divisions (C), (D), (E), and (F) of this section [3781.28], at least forty-eight hours but not more than ten working days before commencing excavation, the excavator shall notify a protection service of the location of the excavation site and the date on which excavation is planned to commence.”

YES! ORC 25(I) defines “Excavation” to include the following:  “…the use of hand tools, powered equipment, or explosives to move earth, rock, or other materials in order to penetrate or bore or drill into the earth, or to demolish any structure whether or not it is intended that the demolition will disturb the earth…”

Please see ORC 3781.30, titled “Duties of Excavator,” for a list of the statutory obligations of an excavator.

Flags, paint, and stakes are used by utilities to mark underground utility lines indicate that a planned excavation is taking place. If you hired an excavator to work on your property, they must contact OHIO811 to notify the utilities that they will be digging in that area.  To see excavations that are planned around your home, you can download the OHIO811 mobile app and click on the “Near Ticket” feature.  This free service provided by OHIO811 will show planned excavations within a 1,000-foot radius of your GPS location.

If the incident results in escaping flammable, corrosive, explosive, or toxic liquids or gas, take steps to clear the area and leave immediately.  Do not use anything that might create a spark, such as a cell phone.  Once you safely cleared the site and removed yourself from the affected area, call 9-1-1 to report the incident.  Then, report the damage to OHIO811 by calling 8-1-1 and the utility, if known. Do not try to stop the leak or take any step to repair the utility line yourself.

Striking underground utility lines can be costly, but more importantly, it can be dangerous.  Caution must always be used.

No. OHIO811 is as the communication link between the excavator and those who own or operate underground utilities facilities as defined by statute at ORC 3781.25(A). When contacting OHIO 811 before you dig, OHIO811 will submit your excavation plans to the utilities who are registered with our service so they can locate and properly mark their underground lines.  Please note that not all utilities are registered with OHIO811. Private utility lines may need to be marked by you or your excavator using a utility locating service for hire. Learn more about private locating services by visiting the following link:  https://oups.org/contract-locators/

When you notify OHIO811 before you begin your project, utilities registered with OHIO 811 will mark the approximate location of their underground lines in the digging area.  It is important to dig with care when excavating near the markings and to respect the “tolerance zone,” which spans the width of the utility line, plus 18 inches on both sides of the line width.  Learn more about the “Tolerance Zone” by carefully reviewing the definition at ORC 3781.25(E) at https://oups.org/law/#3781.25  and ORC 3781.30 at https://oups.org/law/#3781.30.

Please note that unregistered lines, including some service lines and privately-owned lines, may not be marked. You should contact a private locating company if you believe you have additional lines in your excavation area.  Learn more about private locating services by visiting the following link:  https://oups.org/contract-locators/.

Flags and/or other stake markings can be removed upon completion of your excavation project. If you notice, however, that flags or stakes were placed on your property or in the public right-of-way for another excavation project, do not remove or destroy these markings without first verifying with the excavator that their project is complete.

To see excavations that are planned around your home, you can download the OHIO811 mobile app and click on the “Near Ticket” feature.  This free service is provided by OHIO811 and will show planned excavations within a 1,000-foot radius of your GPS location.  You can also contact OHIO811 at either 8-1-1 or 800-362-2764.

Yes. In 2005, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) designated 8-1-1 as the nationwide number for the protection of underground utilities from excavation damage. Although 8-1-1 can be dialed from anywhere in the United States, each one-call center operates independently and your call will be routed to the appropriate utility protection service.

Ohio Utilities Protection Service (OHIO811) is a 501(c)(6) not-for-profit organization established in 1972, and it has its principal place of business located at 12467 Mahoning Ave, North Jackson, Mahoning County, OH 44451.

© Copyright - Ohio Utilities Protection Service | Information on www.OHIO811.org is meant to be general educational information only. It is not intended to provide legal advice, nor should it be relied upon to interpret the Ohio Revised Code, Chapters 153.64, 3781.25-38, or 4913. To be clear, the website is not a substitute for the law or legal advice. Please refer to Ohio Revised Code, and legal counsel for guidance as you navigate the OHIO811 system. (See, Website Disclaimer).