How To Dig Without Disrupting Utility Lines

When you are renovating your house or adding an extension, chances are good that you are going to need to dig. This seems simple but is actually a very complicated process because there are tons of utility lines running through most communities. In order to make sure that you are digging safely and are not exposing any utility lines to damage and endangering your community, you are going to want to make sure that you follow these steps.

1. Find Out Where the Utility Lines Are

If you are renovating a house in the city or a suburb, there's a very good chance that you have utility lines running beneath your property. The first step to avoiding these lines is figuring out where they are in the first place. You can do this by calling all of the utility companies that service your area and asking them for maps of their lines for your project, calling your local government and getting similar information from them, or by calling a third party company that specializes in locating utility lines (such as 1st Call Locating). All of these options will allow you to determine where the utility lines are on your property.

Once you have this information, you will be able to mark where it's safe to dig using paint or chalk. You can also find out the depth at which the utility lines are buried.

2. Dig Slowly

If you absolutely have to dig on top of where utility lines are buried, you are going to need to take information about the depth of the lines and ensure that you do not accidentally dig too deep. You can do this by slowly excavating the area where your renovation is going to fall and using a ruler or tape measure to make sure that you are not going too deep. You want to dig out the entire area where you plan to renovate in waves, making sure that the entire area is level before you dig out the next inch of earth. Going this slowly will help ensure that you do not interrupt utility lines.

3. Hire a Professional

If you need to dig near the area where the lines are buried, you may want to at least consult with a professional to make sure that your planned renovation is actually feasible. Many companies will be willing to give you information for free, even if you don't end up using their digging services.


Share