811

The 811 system was established by the Federal Communications Commission in 2005 and became operational nationwide in 2007. It replaced a patchwork of different phone numbers across states and simplified the process of requesting utility locates into a single, easy-to-remember number. When an excavator calls 811, the call is routed to the one-call center serving the area where the excavation will take place.

The one-call center collects information about the planned excavation, including the location, start date, type of work, and extent of digging. It then notifies all member utility operators who have facilities in the area. Those utilities are required to send locators to mark the approximate position of their buried lines within the response window, which is typically two to three business days depending on state law.

Calling 811 is required by law in all 50 states before any excavation project, whether it is a homeowner planting a tree or a contractor building a highway. Failure to call 811 before digging can result in fines, liability for repair costs, criminal charges in some states, and, most importantly, serious injury or death from striking a gas, electric, or communications line.