Homeowners Guide
Click through the green bars to learn what every homeowner needs to know about Diggers Hotline.
Diggers Hotline is Wisconsin's statewide one-call notification system that was developed in order to provide excavators and the general public the ability to inform multiple owners of underground facilities of excavation with a single call. Diggers Hotline is a not-for-profit independent company that process information from excavators and passes that information on to affected utilities. Diggers Hotline does not locate buried facilities in the field.
IT'S FREE - Contacting Diggers Hotline before you begin your project to have buried lines beneath your jobsite located is free. But if you damage a buried facility without a call to Diggers Hotline, you will be financially responsible for the damages, as well as a fine of up to $2,000.
IT'S EASY - You can call Diggers Hotline simply by dialing 811 or you can submit a request through the email-a-locate program online. Call Center Representatives are available 24 hours a day and 365 days a year.
IT'S THE LAW - Wisconsin Statute 182.0175 requires all excavators, including homeowners and construction contractors, to contact Diggers Hotline at least three working days before any work is done that disturbs the soil in any way.
Wisconsin state law requires you contact Diggers Hotline three working days before beginning excavation. A working day, as defined by law, is any day other than Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
It is important to contact Diggers Hotline before starting any projects that disturbs the soil in any way. This could include, but is not limited to: planting trees, hedges, gardens and installing fences, swimming pools, mail box posts and patios.
When you plan on doing work that involves digging you will submit a locate request with Diggers Hotline either by dialing 811 or by filing online through the email-a-locate program. Diggers Hotline takes the information from the person excavating and then will relay that information to the owners of underground facilities that may have lines in that area. Diggers Hotline does not locate the underground facilities; it is up to the member utilities to put the paint and flags on the ground.
When you make the call or submit your request online you will be asked several questions about the nature of the work. Some of the questions may not apply to you, but all questions need to be asked to everyone.
Having this information ready will shorten the call and ensure accurate locate markings from Diggers Hotline member utilities:
- Specify you are a homeowner and give your name, telephone number and address
- Specify if you are doing the work for yourself or for someone else
- The city, township or village in which the work will be done
- The street address of your work site
- The nearest intersecting road and distance to that road
- The kind of work you are doing, such as planting a tree or putting up a fence
- Whether any explosives, boring equipment or equipment that reaches 14 feet or higher into the air will be used
- The date you plan to start your work
- The area you would like to have marked for underground facilities on the property. For example, "a 20-foot radius of the tree in the back yard," or "a 10-foot perimeter of the staked area west of the garage."
Keep the ticket number you receive from Diggers Hotline; it is your legal proof that you have contacted Diggers Hotline and complied with state law.
You have 10 calendar days from your project's start date and time (which you will receive from Diggers Hotline) to begin your work. The markings remain valid if you continue to work on your project without interruptions of more than 10 calendar days. If there is inactivity on your project for more than 10 calendar days, you will have to contact Diggers Hotline again to get a new three working day start date and time.
After the utility markings have been placed and your start date and time have passed, you may begin your project, but be aware that you can't excavate with power tools within 18 inches of the markings. If you need to dig closer to the marks, hand tools, such as shovels, may be used with caution.
If you expose an underground facility, it is your responsibility to inspect it before backfilling. If damage any kind is discovered or suspected, you are required to notify the affected utility immediately.
If the markings are destroyed or tampered with, just call Diggers Hotline and you can get facilities relocated within 24 business hours.
After you are done with your project, it is your responsibility to remove any flags that have marked underground facilities.
If you find paint marks or flags on your property and you did not call Diggers Hotline, leave the marks or flags in place, as they are for a professional excavation in your area.
Q: Why should I take the time to make a locate request?
A: Besides the fact that it is the law, the simple call could very well be a time saver in the end. Every time someone digs without calling for a locate, the digger risks hitting an underground utility. This could cut the service to everyone in the area plus it takes more time and money to fix the ruptured line. Most importantly, your safety could be in grave danger if you hit a utility such as a gas or power line.
Q: Do I have to call before I dig even if I am just planting flowers?
A: Yes, Wisconsin law requires you to notify Diggers Hotline before you excavate, grade, trench, dig, drill, auger, tunnel, scrape, plow cable or pipe. Excavation according to the law, means anything that moves, removes or displaces earth rock or other material in or on the ground.
Q: If a homeowner hires a contractor to do excavation work, who is responsible for calling Diggers Hotline?
A: According to the state law, the excavator must notify the one-call center, not the homeowner for whom the work is being done. It is the legal responsibility of person or company doing the excavation to file the locate request.
Q: What about the depth of underground facilities?
A: Utility owners have no control over depth variation caused by human interference, weather, or other circumstances. As a result, utilities will only mark the location, not the depth of the buried facilities.
Q: Why do I have to hand dig within 18 inches of a marked facility?
A: Locating is not an exact science, and therefore, the actual location of the facility could vary from the position of the marks. Also, state law mandates an 18 inch buffer zone on each side of a marked facility. No mechanized equipment can be used within this buffer zone; only hand digging is allowed. Also, you should stay 18 inches away from any utility structure on your jobsite.
