Using Indiana 811’s service is always free.
Contact Indiana 811 before every digging project. It’s smart, keeps you and your family safe, and it’s even the law in Indiana. But let’s face it: a yard or jobsite entirely covered by utility flags – while colorful – isn’t always convenient. Flags where you don’t need them aren’t great for mowing, a curious pet, or keeping clients happy.
That’s where white lining comes in.
Mark off your intended dig area or areas with white paint/flags before the utility locators come and they’ll only place utility marks within your dig area(s).* That’s safer for your pets, less frustrating for any clients, and it’ll be easier mowing.
Plus, your yard won’t look like an obstacle course.
*Occasionally, utility flags may be placed 10-15 feet outside of the white line if a utility is found nearby.
Let Indiana 811 know of your intent to white line by selecting “Yes” on the white lining question.
Grab some white spray paint, white yard chalk or white flags.
Mark the areas in which you plan to dig prior to the locators’ arrival.
Using Indiana 811’s service is always free.
If you do not contact Indiana 811 (i.e. “dig blind”), you run the risk of hitting a utility line, which could result in any number of undesirable consequences, including: disruption of utility service, property damage, fines, prosecution, lawsuits, injury or death.
Indiana 811 is a free service for locating utility lines before a dig.
You must contact 811 at least two full working days prior to excavation to give the member utilities enough time to mark the approximate location of their underground utilities on your property. “Working day” means every day except Saturday, Sunday, and state and national legal holidays.
The fastest way to contact Indiana 811 is to submit your dig request online.
Contact Indiana 811 before every dig.
Your public utilities leading up to your utility’s meter will be located through the 811 system.
If a utility was added and, for example, runs from your home to another location (detached garage, gas grills, outdoor gas fire pits), it will not be located. Those kinds of utilities are considered private utilities and are not located through the 811 system.
White lining is spraying a white line on the ground to indicate every place you plan to dig on a property. When you white line and tell Indiana 811 that you are white lining, the utility locators will only place their marker flags inside the area(s) you specified with your lines - not all over the yard. The paint you use to mark your dig area(s) It just has to be white because the utility locators use specific colors to indicate the different types of utilities in your yard.
For more information, including a variety of free training modules on how to safely dig around buried utilities, visit Safe Dig Indiana.
All I wanted was me treasure! But I wound up with a lawsuit and regrets. Now I know to always contact Indiana 811 before a dig. -Salty Pete, Pirate
White Lining before we dug made it so my crew and I didn't have to tiptoe around a bunch of extra utility flags on the worksite! -Mort Peaty, General Contractor
Me try bury soup bone for later. Bi-i-ig mistake. -Digger Phelps, Beagle
It was my most cursed dig—and the curses were all from my neighbors! No hot tub is worth that. -Professor Alastair Delvington-Burroughs, Archaeologist
I sprayed a white line around every place I planned to dig for my new garden. Now I only have flags in the areas where I’m digging …I can still mow my yard! -Terry Collier, Homeowner
When you don’t contact Indiana 811 at least two working days before an excavation, it can really come back to haunt you. -Spade McGaunty, Gravedigger
When completing the location request form, use the dropdown to select “Yes” on the question about white lining to indicate that you plan to white line your dig site to avoid lots of flags in your yard or work site.