Before digging in Oklahoma, contact OKIE811 by calling 811 or using the online request at okie811.org, so utility companies can mark their buried lines. It is free, OKIE811 asks for the request at least three business days ahead, and the marks only cover lines the utilities own.
What OKIE811 is
OKIE811 is Oklahoma's one-call notification center for underground utilities. You tell it where and when you plan to dig, and it notifies the companies that have lines in that area: electric, gas, water, sewer, phone, cable and pipelines. Each one then marks its lines on the ground or responds on your request.
The service is free to homeowners, and OKIE811 puts it simply: anyone digging must contact them so facility operators can locate and mark their underground lines. The state law behind it is the Oklahoma Underground Facilities Damage Prevention Act. Hitting a gas or electric line is dangerous, and cutting a fiber or water line is expensive, so a free request is the simplest protection there is.
How to make an OKIE811 locate request
You can call 811 or submit a request online through the homeowner portal linked from okie811.org. Be ready with the address, where on the property you plan to dig, what you are doing, and when you plan to start. Marking the dig area with white paint or flags helps the locators know exactly where to look.
OKIE811's current advice is to make the request at least three business days before you plan to dig, and requests are valid for fourteen calendar days. Before you start, confirm that every company on your request has responded, either by marking the ground, responding on the ticket or contacting you. Check okie811.org for the current lead time, because it is set by the center and the law, not by contractors.
What the colored marks mean
Locators use a standard color code with paint and flags. Red is electric power lines and cables. Yellow is gas, oil and steam. Orange is communication lines like phone, cable and fiber. Blue is drinking water. Green is sewer and drain lines. Purple is reclaimed water and irrigation. Pink marks temporary survey points, and white is used by the person digging to outline where the work will happen.
Keep the marks visible for the whole job. Do not mow or rake them away. If the marks get washed out by rain or scraped off by traffic before the work is done, contact OKIE811 again rather than guessing where a line runs. A painted line on the grass is the only thing standing between a bucket and a gas main.
Lines that do not get marked
This is the part most people miss. Utility companies usually only mark their own lines, up to their meter or connection point. Anything past that belongs to the property owner and may not be marked at all. OKIE811 lists examples like private sewer lines, sprinkler lines, private lighting, the power line out to a detached garage, and lines to a pool.
Property owners are responsible for finding those, usually through a plumber or a private locating company. If you know where a private line runs, tell whoever is digging. On a job with Earthworks by Justin, locates are called in before anything gets dug, and you will be asked about any water, sewer or electric lines you know of when Justin walks the job.
Digging near the marks
The marks show the approximate location of a line, not its exact depth or position. Oklahoma law treats a strip about two feet on either side of a mark as the approximate location, and OKIE811 says to hand dig in that zone until the line is exposed. Machines do not go straight over a marked line until it has been found by hand.
If a line does get damaged, stop digging, get people clear, and contact the facility owner and OKIE811 to report it. Leaking gas or a downed power line is a call to 911 first. Under the law, an excavator who skips the locate request or negligently damages a line can be responsible for the repair, which is one more reason not to skip the call.
When a contractor is doing the digging
If you hire someone to dig, the contractor is responsible for contacting OKIE811 before the work starts. You can check by asking for the locate ticket number. Any contractor who shrugs at that question is telling you something.
Justin calls in locates before anything gets dug, on every kind of job: trenching for underground utilities, footings and repairs with excavation and backhoe work, and drain lines for French drains and yard drainage. If you have digging to do around Tulsa, call (918) 240-3392. He will walk the job with you, ask about any private lines, and give you a fixed number before anything starts.
The Short Version
- Contact OKIE811 by calling 811 or online at okie811.org before any digging. It is free.
- OKIE811 asks for requests at least three business days ahead, and they stay valid for fourteen calendar days.
- Learn the color code: red electric, yellow gas, orange communications, blue water, green sewer.
- Private lines past the meter usually are not marked. The property owner has to find those.
- Hand dig near the marks, and ask any contractor for the locate ticket number.
Quick Answers
Do I need to contact OKIE811 to plant a tree or set a mailbox?
Yes. OKIE811 lists planting trees, building decks, digging for patios, installing a mailbox and landscaping among the homeowner projects that need a locate request first.
How long are OKIE811 marks good for?
OKIE811 says locate requests are valid for fourteen calendar days. If the job runs longer, or the marks are gone, make a new request.
Will OKIE811 mark the sewer line from my house to the street?
Usually not. Utility companies mark their own lines, and private lines past the meter belong to the owner. A plumber or a private locating company can find those.
Who pays if a buried line gets hit while digging?
Under Oklahoma's damage prevention law, an excavator who skips the locate request or negligently damages a line can be held responsible for the damage. Making the free request first protects you.
See the underground utilities service or call (918) 240-3392.