Who is responsible for marking underground utilities in Virginia?

In Virginia the person doing the digging must request the markings, and the utilities that own the lines mark them. On a homeowner's own project that person is the homeowner. On a hired job it is the contractor. Lines that belong to you, not to a utility, are not marked by the utilities at all.

Who does what

The excavator asks. Virginia law says no person shall make or begin any excavation or demolition without first submitting a locate request to the notification center.^[1] In Virginia that centre is Virginia 811. Submitting a request is deemed notice to each operator who is a member of the notification center.^[1] Virginia 811 says that if you hire a contractor or landscaper, your contractor is responsible for contacting Virginia 811, and you should confirm that they have before excavation begins.^[2]

The utilities mark. Virginia 811 notifies the member utilities and each one marks its lines or reports that it has none in the area. The law lets the excavator start only after each operator has marked its utility lines, notified the notification center that its utility lines are not present in the area of proposed excavation, or otherwise posted a positive response.^[1] Virginia 811 says not to dig before you receive a Positive Response email from Virginia 811.^[3]

The excavator outlines the dig. If you are digging in only part of your property, Virginia 811 says to outline the area where you plan to dig in white paint or white flags,^[2] so the utilities do not mark the whole yard. The law has a similar rule: if a specific location cannot be given, the person proposing to excavate shall mark the route or boundary of the site by means of white paint, if practical.^[1]

You are responsible for your private lines. Virginia 811 says public utilities mark underground utilities to the point of consumption: the gas meter, the electric meter and the network interface device for communications. For water, that point is your water meter, and for sewer it is the sewer cleanout, which is usually located within 5 feet of the edge of the property.^[4] Anything beyond those points is private, and Virginia 811 lists lines running from your home to a detached garage or shed, invisible pet fences, satellite or dish television lines, septic tanks and lines, and propane tanks and lines as examples the notified utilities will not mark.^[4] Finding those is up to you or a private locator that your contractor hires.

Timing and what the marks mean for the dig

Virginia 811 asks for at least 3 working days before you dig, and says a working day is every day except Saturday, Sunday, and state and national legal holidays.^[2] Using its services is always free.^[2] A request stays valid for 15 working days, and the excavator must ask for a re-mark three working days before that ends or if the markings become illegible.^[1] You need a new request each time you want to dig, even in a place already marked, because erosion and plant growth can move lines and utilities may have added new ones.^[2]

Once the lines are marked, Virginia 811 says state law mandates a two-foot tolerance zone on either side of the marks, where only certain types of excavation are allowed, such as digging with hand tools.^[2]

If a line is missing or gets hit

If the excavator arrives after the waiting period and sees clear evidence of an unmarked line, the law says the excavator shall not begin excavating until three hours after an additional contact is made to the notification center.^[1] If you hit a line, Virginia 811 says to stop digging immediately and step away, call 911 if there is an escape of flammable, toxic, or corrosive gas or liquid or other danger, and then notify the affected utility and Virginia 811.^[2]

Skipping the request has a price. An excavator who willfully fails to submit a locate request is liable to the operator for three times the cost to repair the damaged property, a rule that does not apply to counties, cities and towns.^[1]

When to call a licensed pro

For a trench, a bore or any machine work, hire a licensed contractor and make the 811 request part of the written scope. Virginia's Board for Contractors defines an underground utility and excavating specialty for water, gas and sewer connections, subject to local ordinances,^[5] and contractors are licensed by class, with Class C covering a single contract over $1,000 but less than $30,000.^[6] Check the licence on DPOR's License Lookup,^[7] and before work starts ask for the 811 ticket number.

For how the work goes, see what trenching for a utility line involves and how much trenching costs per foot in Virginia; the general rule is in do I need to call 811 before digging in Virginia. Browse excavation services or read more excavation answers. To get quotes for your project, describe the job once and licensed local businesses quote it.