Homeowners FAQs

Yes! You must contact Indiana 811 for all digging projects, such as installing mailboxes, fences or landscaping.

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.

No. Using Indiana 811’s services are always free.

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.

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.

Yes. To set up your mobile device for Exactix, please see our Mobile Access Instructions.

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.

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.

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.

Pipeline Operators are required to respond using Indiana 811’s Positive Response System per the IURC (Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission) Rulemaking #22-03.

• 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).

• • Some members may not communicate with Indiana 811 the status of the locate request, they may use their own system to offer updates on the marking status.
  • Pipeline Operators are required to respond using Indiana 811’s Positive Response System per the IURC (Indiana Utility Regulatory Commission) Rulemaking #22-03.
  • 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.

Some underground utilities on your property will NOT be marked by Indiana 811 Members because they are not owned by Indiana 811 Members. Examples of private facilities include electric or water lines to your pool, lines to septic tanks, electric lines to sheds or landscape lighting, lawn sprinkler systems, invisible pet fencing, and more.

A good general rule of thumb is if the utility runs from the street to the meter, it will be marked. If the utility is installed from the meter to another location on your property, it will not be marked.

Since Member utilities are not responsible for marking private facilities, it is the property owner’s responsibility to contact a private locating company. Visit https://indiana811.org/myutilities/ for more information regarding private facilities and companies that will locate them for you for a fee.

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.

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 either side of the marks which means 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. Learn more by reading the Indiana Dig Law and the IURC Rulemaking

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.