When you should call 811

You know to dial 911 in an emergency, but have you heard of 811? That's the number to call before digging around your home. Texas law requires a call to 811 before any excavation that's 16 inches or more deep to allow for underground utilities to be located and marked. Not sure how deep you'll be digging? Call 811. The call and the location services are free, and it's better to make the call than to knock out your neighbor's Internet service-or worse. Before you plant a tree or install a fence post, call 811. If you hire someone to install a sprinkler system, that person is required to call 811. Within two business days of the call, the appropriate utilities will visit your home and mark the location of any buried lines. The colors on the ground indicate what's beneath the surface: • Red: electric • Orange: telecommunications or alarm • Green: sewer or drain • Yellow: natural gas • Blue: water • White: proposed excavation • Pink: temporary survey marks Don't risk severing a telecommunications cable or puncturing a gas or water line. Call 811. It's free, and it's easy.