Glossary

811

What is 811?

811 is the free North American call-before-you-dig phone number that notifies utility owners to mark buried lines before excavation; contacting 811 is a legally required first step before digging, including hydro excavation.

Dialing 811 (or submitting an online locate request) triggers a One Call notification to local utility operators, who then mark the approximate location of buried gas, electric, water, and telecom lines with paint and flags. This service is free and required by law in most jurisdictions before excavation.

After lines are marked, crews commonly daylight or pothole with hydro excavation to precisely confirm depth and position before mechanical digging. 811 marking and vacuum excavation work together to prevent utility strikes. Vac4Rent helps you rent the non-destructive digging equipment used after you call 811.