Tip Before You Begin Your Outdoor Projects..

[call811beforeyo]

Don’t forget to call before you dig! For any projects that require digging, like installing a fence and even planting shrubs or putting up a mailbox, it’s important to call 811 (http://www.call811.com). There could be utility lines where you break ground - sometimes multiple lines are in a common area and their depths vary, so you might not know about all of them.

[DJ’s Timber]

Good advice but one little prob here, this site is typically made up of Australian members not Americans

[Blu_Rock]

The national number in Australia is 1100 Dial Before You Dig... "Dial Before You Dig is a free national community service designed to prevent damage and disruption to the vast pipe and cable networks which provides Australia with the essential services we use everyday – electricity, gas, communications and water."

[joe greiner]

The message that I did not post earlier would have been a speculation that there might be a similar service in Oz. Goodonya for posting, Blu_Rock. Now we have two countries covered.

I suggest that this thread be sticky'ed. And I ask members from other jurisdictions to post their contact info for this service. Our infrastructures need all the help they can get.

Joe

[China]

Yeh only problem is nothing is wear is they say it is ( in my situation)

[joe greiner]

Properly done, the utility visits the site with a detector contraption and sprays the ground path in water-based paint. If you expect any delays, place markers on the paint line; otherwise, it's only good for a few days. Any excavation within about 600mm should be done gingerly and/or by hand. Use a spoon as you get very close.

Joe

[Clinton1]

"dial before you dig" plans (for my place) are accurate to +/- 2 meters.

[DavidG]

The telstra cables on my rural block are many metres from where "dial before you dig" said they were but the telstra guy came out and scanned for them giving me the exact location and depth.
I put white wooden pegs in along the line.

Did not want to dig up a fibre cable. (Expensive)

[peter_sm]

My gas line was only out by about 600mm. It had to be directly below a post hole for the front fence, but luckily it was gal pipe, and the post hole digger and operator were experienced enough to know contact was happening.

The guy actually said to me, it will be possible the gas line will be in this area of this hole, so I will go slowly.

[jimbob888]

Generally one calls (dial b4 u dig) are only for public property not private though

[DavidG]

Generally one calls (dial b4 u dig) are only for public property not private though

Not true. If you dig up a service, even if it is on your own property, you are liable to pay for the repair.

[Tools]

Not true. If you dig up a service, even if it is on your own property, you are liable to pay for the repair.

What he is saying is that the service will only tell you where services are on public property, not on private land.

[NCArcher]

That is because the DBYD is a voluntary database that is updated by the utilities (electricity, gas, water, sewer, telephone.) Not all service providers are registered or participate. There is a list of those participating on the Dial Before You Dig site.
Be warned that there may be other things installed underground that are not marked on any DBYD plans. Still a good service and well worth contacting before you dig.
If you do happen to cut through a pipe or telecom cable, for instance, that is not shown on your recently acquired DBYD plan or not shown in that position you may not have to pay for the repair if you can show that you took all reasonable precautions.