General FAQs
I’m doing simple projects on my property. Do I need to contact 811?
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Yes! You must contact Indiana 811 for all digging projects, such as installing mailboxes, fences or landscaping.
I hired a contractor or landscaper to do a digging project on my property. Do I still need to contact Indiana 811?
Your contractor is responsible for contacting 811. Before any excavation takes place, you should confirm that they have contacted 811 and any non-member utilities to request that the approximate location of the buried utilities be marked with flags or paint.
Is there a fee to have utility lines marked on my property?
No. Using Indiana 811’s services are always free.
Do I need to notify 811 even if I am digging in an area that has previously been marked?
Yes, you need to submit a new ticket each time you want to dig. Factors like erosion and plant growth can alter the location of buried facility lines. It is also possible that utility companies have added new lines since your property was last marked.
I am only digging in one area and don’t want my entire yard marked. How do I prevent this?
If you’re only digging on a portion of your property, be sure to white line the area where you plan to dig. White lining is the act of marking the route or boundary of a proposed excavation or demolition with white paint, flags, or stakes, or a combination of white paint, flags, and stakes.
Does Exactix support phones/tablets?
Yes. To set up your mobile device, please visit our resources page for the bookmark instructions. (https://indiana811.org/exactix-pros-resources/).
How far in advance should I contact Indiana 811?
You must contact 811 at least two full working days prior to excavation to give the member utilities enough time to mark the approximate location of their underground utilities on your property. “Working day” means every day except Saturday, Sunday, and state and national legal holidays. If tickets are submitted after 7am ET on a working day, that day will not be counted in the notice given to our Member Utilities. All times are in ET.
What do the marks/flags mean?
Each different color of paint and /or flag represents a specific underground utility. The APWA Color Code Guide can tell you which colors indicate which type of utility.
What is positive response?
Per the Common Ground Alliance, “Positive Response” is a term used to describe the two types of action taken by a facility owner/operator after it receives notification of intent to excavate. The facility owner/operator must:
1) mark its underground facilities with stakes, paint, or flags; or
2) notify the excavator that the facility owner/operator has no underground facilities in the area of excavation.
“Indiana 811’s Positive Response System” means the status is communicated to Indiana 811 instead of directly to the excavator.
All O perators are required to respond using Indiana 811’s Positive Response System per House Bill 1122.
How do I check positive response through Indiana 811's system?
- To check Indiana 811’s Positive Response system:
- If you have an Exactix Pro account, log in to see the status of your requests from the Responses tab from within the ticket (see screenshot below).
- If you do not have an Exactix Pro account but want to see the status of a request, enter the ticket number and phone number using this tool then click on the Responses tab from within the ticket (see screenshot below).
- All Operators are required to respond using Indiana 811’s Positive Response System per House Bill 1122.
- A list of the Positive Response codes used can be found here.
- Call Indiana 811 at 811, or 800-382-5544, if you have any questions about utility response.
Do I have to check positive response through Indiana 811's system before I start digging?
Yes. All diggers must acknowledge positive response before starting their projects.
I have private facilities on my property. What do I do?
Some underground utilities on your property will NOT be marked by Indiana 811 Members because they are not owned by Indiana 811 Members. Visit https://indiana811.org/myutilities/ for more information regarding private facilities and companies that will locate them for you for a fee.
How do I change information on my existing ticket?
Changes to existing tickets must be handled through our Contact Center.
Call 811 or 800.382.5544 and provide your ticket number to the Customer Support Representative.
My proper notice start date and time have passed, but not all utilities have responded. What do I do now?
If the Member Utilities have not marked their facilities or notified you that the proposed excavation area is clear by the end of the two full working days, call Indiana 811 (811 or 800-382-5544) to request an Additional Notice. Provide your ticket number and the name of the member(s) that did not respond.
Lines have been marked on my property and/or I have received Positive Response. Now, where should I dig?
Now that the utility lines are marked, or you’ve been notified that they aren’t in conflict, you can begin digging with care. Regulations mandate a two-foot tolerance zone on all sides of the marks. Meaning all outer limits of the underground facility, including above, below, and in a full radius surrounding the underground facility. In the tolerance zone, only certain types of excavation are allowed, such as only being permitted to dig with hand tools. The size of the tolerance zone will depend on the size of the underground facility, which is sometimes noted by the utility locating technicians.
For example, if a water line is marked as six inches wide, the tolerance zone on all sides of the line is two feet three inches from the mark. You will only want to use mechanical equipment outside of the zone after you have exposed the line(s) by safely digging with hand tools.
I think I hit a utility line. What should I do?
Stop digging immediately. Step away from the area and call 911 if the damage results in the escape of flammable, toxic, or corrosive gas or liquid, or if danger is present. After calling 911, notify the affected utility. Lastly, inform Indiana 811 of the incident.
Exactix FAQs
I’m having trouble with the mapping section, the blue area does not cover my address, or the area mapped is too large.
If the blue area does not completely represent your dig site or if it finds an address range for the property that goes over the 811 mapping limits, choose “NO” to the question at the bottom of the form “Does the exact location of the dig site that you provided fall within the blue shaded area on the map?” Select “Incomplete & Call” and contact our Contact Center at 800.382.5544 and a Customer Support Representative will be happy to assist you with processing your request.
I’m trying to create a ticket on my Exactix Home account, but the system says it cannot find my address.
Options will auto populate in a drop down when entering your address. If you do not see an option that the address falls within, follow these tips:
- Make sure you have the correct county and township listed.
- Abbreviate your street ending.
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- Example: MAIN ‘ST’, SMITH ‘RD’, 1ST ‘AVE’
- Enter County Roads as ‘CO RT’ with directionals being abbreviated.
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- Example: N CO RT 400 E
- Remove all punctuation from street names
I’m attempting to create an Exactix Home account. It says I should receive a validation code to my email, but I have not received anything yet.
Check spam and junk folders. The email will come from [email protected]. If you are utilizing a work or school email check with your IT department to make sure they are not flagging Exactix emails as spam.
I am trying to register an Exactix Home account but I am experiencing issues.
Please make sure you are not using a shared email. If there is another error the system is giving you when setting up your Exactix account, contact our Online Ticket Support Team at (317) 893-1464 or [email protected].
I registered online and put in my address, but it never gave me a chance to explain where on my property I plan to dig. How can I edit my ticket to include this information?
After successfully submitting a ticket, you will receive a 10-digit ticket number. If you did not receive this confirmation pop up, you may have registered your account, but not completed a ticket.
Once logged into your Exactix account, select Tickets from the left side menu, and then New from the top right of the ticket dashboard. This will open the ticket form to be able to enter the dig site information and identify where on the property the digging will take place.
I am trying to create a ticket, it is not working.
Exactix is not compatible with Internet Explorer. Any other issues or questions can be directed to our Online Ticket Support Team at (317) 893-1464 or [email protected].
I am a professional excavator with an Exactix Home account but my dig site locations are not always on single address properties. Is there a way for me to enter different types of tickets?
Yes! We also offer a Pro account for professional excavators. Users have more flexibility and features which include submitting tickets for multiple addresses, intersections, road frontage, and more! These users can also adjust the mapping, Remark, Extend, Copy, or Cancel tickets created or called in by yourself or others in your company.
If you are interested in this type of account, take our self-guided training course here. If you have any additional questions, please contact our Online Ticket Support Team at (317) 893-1464 or [email protected]