Digging In Your Yard? What Maryland Homeowners Need To Know Before Calling 811

CALIFORNIA, Md. — Underground utility lines can turn a simple weekend digging project into a safety hazard, and Maryland homeowners planning to break ground should understand the state’s 811 process before starting work — whether the project is a garden bed, a fence, a mailbox post or a larger landscaping job.

Miss Utility is the official one-call notification center for Maryland, Washington, D.C. and Delaware. State law requires anyone planning an excavation or demolition to notify Miss Utility in advance so participating utility operators can mark the underground infrastructure that could be affected — sparing homeowners from having to track down and call each utility company individually.

The process matters everywhere in the state, from St. Mary’s, Calvert and Charles counties to Anne Arundel County, Baltimore and the Washington suburbs, since underground infrastructure can be present even where nothing is visible at the surface. In Southern Maryland, the Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO), which serves Calvert, Charles and St. Mary’s counties, likewise advises that anyone performing construction should contact Miss Utility at 811 to have underground lines located.

Why It Matters

Utility lines carry electricity, gas, communications, water and other infrastructure, and their location and depth can vary — homeowners shouldn’t assume they know where a line runs based on a nearby utility box, meter or pole. Damaging a line can cause injuries, service interruptions and repair costs that fall on the person who dug without checking first.

Maryland law requires a person to contact Miss Utility no sooner than three full business days but no later than 12 business days before excavation begins. Because timing requirements and procedures can change, check current Maryland 811 guidance when scheduling work rather than relying on memory from an older project.

A project doesn’t need a backhoe to create risk — installing fence posts, planting a tree, replacing a mailbox post or digging for drainage work can all encounter buried infrastructure with nothing more than a shovel or post-hole digger. Miss Utility advises calling before any of these projects, not just larger construction jobs.

What Happens After You Call

Once notified, utility owner-members locate and mark the dig site or confirm that it’s clear. Markings are not a guarantee of exact location or depth, so examine the site before digging and follow current guidance for working near marked facilities.

A homeowner may hand dig carefully around marked lines, but mechanized, electric or power equipment should stay at least 18 inches away from any marked line in Maryland.

Tickets are only good for 12 full business days after the one-call system transmits them to an owner-member, according to the Maryland Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Authority. If a project is delayed past that window, check current procedures before resuming — don’t assume an old notification is still valid. Under Maryland Transportation Article § 12-125, a person must repeat the notification if the excavation or demolition won’t be completed within the authorized time period, or if the work area expands beyond what was originally marked.

What 811 Won’t Mark

Utility owner-members will not mark privately owned underground lines — this can include invisible fencing, sprinkler systems, and well and septic systems along with their power or electric service. Homeowners who suspect private lines are present should identify the owner and consider a private locating service, particularly on larger rural properties in Southern Maryland or on suburban lots elsewhere in the region.

Hiring a Contractor Doesn’t Remove the Responsibility

Hiring a landscaper, fence installer or other contractor doesn’t make underground utility awareness irrelevant to the homeowner. Before work starts, ask who is handling the 811 notification and confirm it’s been done: Miss Utility is explicit that if a contractor is working for a homeowner, the contractor must have a ticket in their own company’s name and cannot perform work using the homeowner’s ticket number.

If A Line Is Damaged

Stop work immediately and keep people away from the area — a damaged line isn’t always obvious, and even a minor nick or scrape can be significant. If there’s an immediate danger, such as a fire or a suspected gas leak, move to safety and call emergency services, then notify the appropriate utility operator. Never attempt a makeshift repair or cover a damaged line and keep working.

A person who fails to comply with the law and damages a line is deemed negligent and liable for the full cost of repair. The one exception runs the other way: if an excavator followed the required process but the damaged utility owner was never registered with Miss Utility, the excavator isn’t liable, and the unregistered owner bears the cost instead.

It’s the excavator’s responsibility to contact Miss Utility at 811 to file a locate discrepancy or a not-complete/in-progress dispute.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to call 811 for a small project? Yes — underground facilities can be present even on projects that only require hand tools.

Is there any exception for homeowners? Maryland law exempts a homeowner only when hand-digging without any machinery, entirely on the land where their own private residence sits — there’s no depth-based exemption. Because lines can be shallower than expected, calling before digging at any depth is still strongly advised.

Does 811 mark the exact depth of a line? No. Markings indicate location, not a guaranteed depth — treat them as a starting point, not a precise measurement.

What if I damage a line? Stop work, keep people clear, and call emergency services if there’s an immediate danger. Otherwise, notify the utility operator and don’t attempt a repair yourself.

The Maryland Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Authority can be reached at 410-782-2102 or mddpa.org with additional questions.

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