Cooler temperatures make fall a good time for home improvement tasks like deck building and landscaping. But before you start a project that requires digging deeper than six inches, you must determine the locations of underground utilities in your yard. Calling 811 — a free, nationwide service — will connect you with local professionals who will mark the positions of gas, electric, water, sewer, and other utility lines to protect you in a variety of ways.

3 Reasons to Call 811 to Find Underground Utilities

1. Prevent Personal Harm

Underground utility lines are buried at a variety of depths in residential areas, starting just a few inches below the ground’s surface. You must avoid digging in these places to prevent injuries and property damage. Striking an electrical cable or rupturing a gas line could cost you your life or ignite an explosion that affects not only your house but surrounding properties.

2. Avoid Expensive Repairs

While installing a fence or mailbox post might seem like a small project that won’t affect underground utilities, you still could hit a cable or pipe and incur significant repair costs. If you or your contractor damage a line, it could cost you thousands of dollars to fix. It also might disrupt service to your house and others in the neighborhood.

3. Comply With the Law

Kentucky law requires you to have professionals mark underground utilities in your yard before you start a digging project. If you fail to do so, you will be fined $1,250 and be liable for damage to the service lines. Calling the free 811 service lets you avoid harming not only utility infrastructure but your bank account.

The earth-moving equipment contractors at Wilson & Roy Construction in Nancy, KY, understand the risks of a digging project and will keep you and your home safe. When they provide septic tank installation, trench digging, and other services, the ensure underground utilities remain intact. Call (606) 636-6457 to arrange track hoe service and other excavation work and visit their website for information about their installations.