The Digging Rule Every MN Homeowner Misses

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT 811 CALL

It's almost gardening and planting season, so before digging around your yard to find a new garden space or plant a tree, you want to make sure that you call 811. Calling 811 can protect you and those you care about so that you don't accidentally hit a power line or cut off your cable.

I've been thinking about planting a small garden and maybe some plants around my home, so I made the call. Some things you should know before you call have changed.

When you make the call, you need to make sure you are giving them at least 48 hours notice before you plan to dig. You can call 811 like I did, or you can go to gopherstateonecall.org. By contacting Gopher State One Call, you will ensure that the utilities that are buried in your yard are clearly marked, so you don't dig them up.

What I didn't realize, there's more to this phone call than just giving them your name, address, and when you plan on working in your yard. Know your directions. There have been some updates to what you need to do. They will want to know what areas of your home you are wanting to dig in, as in North, South, East, or West. Also, they will want to know where the closest intersecting road is, and in what direction it is from your home. (I'm not joking, I struggled with that, and had to ask my Dad to help me! How embarrassing.) Now I'll know forever. North, South, East is right, Left is West.

LOCATION

They will want to know the address, city, and county of the dig. That makes sense. They also want details about the dig.

WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING?

What type of work are you planning on doing? Are you installing a fence? Planting a tree? Planting a garden? They will want to know the dimensions of the area you are planning on working in.

MARK YOUR DIGGING AREAS

They will then ask you to mark the areas you are planning on digging in. You can use marking paint, which you can get from your local hardware store, or put out white flags to clearly indicate where you plan on digging.

AFTER YOUR CALL

Once you complete your call and the operator has everything they need to schedule the visit, they will issue you a ticket number and an expected timeframe for the utility workers to respond to your request.

Once they come to your home, they will mark the locations of buried lines with paint or flags.

DO YOU HAVE TO CALL BEFORE YOU DIG?

The answer is YES. It is the law to notify Gopher State One Call 48 hours before you dig. This does not include the day of the call, weekends, or holidays.