Floridians encouraged to call 811 before starting their spring digging projects

Nikki DeMarco
·3 min read

With spring in the air and Floridians starting to do more outdoor work, April is being designated “Safe Digging Month.”

Before you start that spring DIY project, the Florida Public Service Commission is asking Floridians to call 811 before you start to dig.

811 is the free, national call-before-you-dig phone number.

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“Contacting 811 before you dig is the law, and nationwide the majority of damage occurs from not contacting 811. It’s all about ensuring public safety and preventing damage to the underground infrastructure,” said Mark Sweet, Sunshine 811′s executive director. “When you contact 811, we alert our member utilities of your project so they can identify and mark or clear their lines, and your digging project can proceed safely.”

Hitting a buried utility line can serious injury or disrupt service to an entire neighborhood.

It’s estimated that a utility line is damaged every six minutes in the U.S. and Sunshine 811 is there to keep everyone safe and prevent damage to infrastructure underground.

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A call to 811 will notify your local utility company to dispatch crews to mark the approximate location of underground utility lines to help prevent damage.

Not calling before you dig can result in potential fines and penalties, including repair costs.

In Florida, 811 is managed by the Sunshine State One Call Center, and can be reached Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. by visiting sunshine811.com and clicking on “Create a Ticket.”

In order to give your utility company enough time to find and mark buried lines, Floridians should call at least two working days before digging begins.

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  • Sunshine 811 encourages homeowners and contractors to follow these six fundamental steps for safe digging:

  • Plan your project – think about the scope and if you’ll need to hire a contractor. If digging in a small area of the dig site, outline that area with white paint, flags or even flour.

  • Contact 811 – you’ll receive a ticket number and list of utilities that will be notified of your project. Remember that utility companies do not mark private lines.

  • Wait the required time – after you submit a ticket, member utility operators have two full business days to clear or mark the approximate location of underground utility lines on your property before you can begin digging.

  • Confirm utility responses – follow the progress of each member utility by viewing the utility response codes they use to explain your dig site.

  • Confirm the marks – ensure that all member utility companies have responded to your ticket. Compare the colors of the marks and flags on your property to the list of member utility companies on your ticket.

  • Dig with care – now that the buried utility lines on your property have been marked or cleared, it’s time to start digging.

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