Below are a few tips on filing an email-a-locate. Please note that users should also be familiar with the information at http://www.diggershotline.com/disclaimer.htm. Information on this page is intended to help users complete the form and submit a locate request online.
In order for email-a-locate to work, your web browser needs to have the Java applet installed. Most browsers have Java installed. If yours does not, you can download it for free at: http://www.java.com/en/download/index.jsp
After you begin filing your email-a-locate and you click on the Homeowner link, you will be brought to an internet form page. The form fields with a red star on the left are required fields and need to be filled out correctly. Failure to fill these out correctly will result on Diggers Hotline having to contact you to get the correct information, delaying your start date and time Also, the red circle H's are links to a help file. A lot of the information from the help file is listed below, but it is also available by clicking the red circles.
Contact name, Phone, E-mail: This is your contact information. This should be a phone number where you can be reached if there are any questions. When the Diggers Hotline representative finalizes your request, we will email you a copy of the locate request with your ticket number and start date and time.
Address, Street, City, State, Zip Code: This is your address information, not the address of your jobsite. Please note that the two are often the same, but not always.
Field Representative, Phone: This is the name and phone number of the person who will be doing the digging work. If the name matches the name listed in the Contact Name field, you can simply type “Same”. The phone number field does need to have a valid phone number entered.
Work Information:
City, City Search: This is the city, town, village or unincorporated area that your excavation will take place. City is a required field, but you use the city search field to get the correct information in the city field.
In the city search field, type in the first few letters of the city, town or unincorporated area you plan on doing work in and then click the search button. All of the options that fit the criteria you entered will be available in the city pull-down menu. Choose the correct one.
Please make sure you use the actual municipality where the work site resides. The mailing address may have a different municipalit than the actual location of the jobsite. Always refer to the actual location. For example, a mailing address could have
Address: This is the numeric portion of the address of your excavation site.. Do not enter your street into this field.
Street, Street Search: This is the street that your excavation site is locate on. Street is a required field, but you can use the street search field to get the correct information in the street field. Typel all or part of the street name in the street search field and click on the search button. You may have better success if you leave directions and labels out of your search. For example, you may have better luck typing “
If your street does not appear in the street pull-down menu, click on the button to the right of that pull-down menu to activate the blank field and type in the name of your street.
Side of Street: What side of the street is your dig location on? Use the pull-down menu to select the correct option.
Distance from First Intersection: How far is your dig location from the nearest intersection? Put the number in the first field, the unit of measurement in the second field and the direction in the third field.
Intersection 1: What is the nearest intersection street. Use the pull-down menu to choose the correct option or click on the button to the right of that pull-down menu to activate the blank field and type in the name of the intersecting street.
Work to Begin Date: These fields automatically default to three working days in the future. Please keep in mind that your legal start date and time will be three working days after the call center processes your email-a-locate request.
Type of Work: Choose from the pull-down menu the type of work you plan on doing. You may also click in the button next to the empty field and enter the type of work you are doing.
Marking Instructions: Indicate a geographic area where your jobsite is located and where you would like the utilities to mark their underground lines. Mark a 10-foot radius of the tree stump in the NW corner of the lot, mark the west side of the house, mark the entire back yard are all examples of marking instructions.
Diggers Hotline is Wisconsin's one-call center. Anyone in the state who is digging, excavating or disturbing the soil is required by law to contact Diggers Hotline at least three working days before beginning work.