Guides
Private Utility Locating Guides
Plain answers to the questions people ask before they dig: what a private locate costs, which lines 811 won't mark, what the paint means, and what to check before common projects.
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Locating basics
How much does private utility locating cost?Real prices from working locators, what changes the price, and how to keep it down.
What 811 won't markWhich buried lines 811 skips, why, and how to get them found before you dig.
Utility paint colors explainedWhat red, yellow, orange, blue, green, purple, white and pink marks mean.
Project checklists
Before you dig for a project
Before you dig fence post holesWhere fence lines cross buried lines, and a safe order of steps.
Before you dig for a poolThe lines a pool dig, equipment trench and heavy machinery can hit.
Before you install a standby generatorThe gas and electric trenches a generator needs, and what is in their way.
Before you dig for solar panelsGround-mount posts, long trenches and the private lines they cross.