811 Day: 8 Tips to Protect Your Family, Community and Wallet

Calling 811 or submitting a request online at Kansas811.com before digging is essential. It’s legally required, protects you from injury or death, prevents costly damage and service outages for your neighborhood, and helps your project run smoothly. The free service marks underground utility lines so you can dig safely and confidently, giving you peace of mind and a better understanding of your property.

11 tips to remember throughout the 811 process

Plan ahead. Start by gathering all the details of your property and project before submitting a Kansas 811 request.
Contact 811. At least two business days ahead of when you plan to start digging.
Safety first. You may not think you need to contact 811 – but you probably do. For digging projects big or small, from installing a mailbox to building a deck, you should contact 811 to be safe.
Be patient. It usually takes utilities crews at least two business days to mark your project area with colored flags or paint.
Keep pets inside. They may want to say hello to utility crews marking lines outside, but it’s safest for everyone if they stay secure indoors.
Color match. Understand what the different colors of flags or paint in your yard mean. For example, natural gas lines are marked with yellow flags. Learn more here.
Confirm. Compare the markings with the utilities listed on your ticket to be sure everyone has responded who needs to.
Leave flags alone. It’s best to leave the flags in place throughout your digging project to be sure you don’t accidentally hit any lines.
Dig carefully. Make sure to dig at least 24 inches away from the flags in order to avoid inadvertently hitting a line. This is called the “tolerance zone.”
Call again. If you do happen to hit a line while digging, call 911, the appropriate utility company and 811 to respond and assess if any repairs are needed.
Keep calling! Didn’t finish your project and you’re restarting after a long break? 811 requests are only valid for 20 calendar days. If your project extends beyond this period, you need to contact 811 to mark the area again as erosion or root structure growth can shift the locations of buried lines over time.