What is 811?

Imagine 811 as your trusty guide through the hidden underground world beneath your land. 

When you call 811, you're essentially sending out a signal to experts who specialize in locating and marking those underground utilities – things like gas and oil pipelines, water mains, and electrical cables. These lines are the lifeblood of our communities, providing essential resources to keep everything running smoothly.

By reaching out to 811 before you start digging, you're taking a proactive step to ensure that you don't accidentally disrupt or damage any of these crucial lines. Think of it as checking a map before you embark on a journey – it helps you avoid unexpected obstacles and ensures a safer, smoother path forward.

So, whether you're putting up new fences, digging for a new well, or working on any other project that requires breaking ground, remember to dial 811 first. It's a simple yet indispensable tool that helps you protect your land, your livelihood, and everything you hold dear.

Why You Should Use 811 for Every Dig, Every Time

1. Ensuring Family Safety: The safety of our loved ones is always our top priority. By using 811, we take proactive steps to protect our families from the dangers of accidental utility damage, giving us peace of mind as we work on our land.
2. Keeping Our Neighbors Safe: By using 811, we demonstrate our commitment to community safety and responsible land use practices. By working together to prevent accidents and protect our shared resources, we strengthen the bonds that unite us as neighbors and friends.
3. Preserving Rural Landscapes and Water Resources: As stewards of the land, we understand the importance of preserving our beautiful countryside. By using 811 before digging, we ensure that our excavation projects don't disrupt the natural beauty around us or compromise our water resources.
4. Protecting Livestock and Wildlife: Ranchers are deeply connected to the land and its inhabitants, including our livestock and native wildlife. By calling 811, we safeguard the well-being of our animals and prevent accidents that could harm them or disrupt their habitats.
5. Maintaining Agricultural Productivity: Agriculture is the backbone of our economy, and as ranchers, we rely on access to water, gas, and electricity for our operations. Using 811 helps us avoid costly disruptions to essential utilities, ensuring that our farms and ranches remain productive and sustainable for generations to come.
6. Navigating Terrain: Rugged terrain presents unique challenges for excavation projects, with rocky soil and uneven terrain making it difficult to identify underground utilities. Calling 811 provides us with the expertise and resources needed to navigate these challenges safely and effectively.
7. It's a Cowboy's Code: In the spirit of the cowboy code – honor, integrity, and respect – we recognize the importance of doing things the right way, even when no one is watching. Using 811 is a simple yet essential step in upholding this code, ensuring that we leave our land better than we found it for future generations to enjoy.

Here's how you can use 811, and remember, it won't cost you a dime:

1. Dial or Click: You have two convenient options to ensure safe digging. You can either dial 811 from any phone or visit the 811 website for your region to "click before you dig."
2. Provide Project Details: Whether you choose to call or click, you'll need to provide some basic information about your excavation project. Let them know where you plan to dig and what type of work you'll be doing.
3. Submit Your Request: Once you've provided all the necessary details, simply submit your request. If you're calling, you'll speak with a friendly operator. If you're clicking, you'll fill out an online form.
4. Wait for Utility Locators: After submitting your request, utility locators will swing into action. They'll come out to your ranch and mark the locations of underground lines using flags or paint.
5. Dig with Confidence: With the underground lines properly marked, you can dig with confidence, knowing that you're avoiding any buried utilities. This helps protect you, your property, and your community from potential accidents.
6. It's Free: Whether you call or click, using 811 won't cost you a dime. It's a free service provided to ensure the safety of excavation projects like yours.

So, whether you prefer to dial 811 or click before you dig, rest assured that you're taking the necessary steps to ensure safe and hassle-free excavation on your ranch.

Calling 811 automatically routes you directly to your local 811 center. The state map on this website provides you with additional details on each 811 center, as well as specific guidelines for your state. If your state accepts online requests from homeowners and contractors, you will see buttons for "Online Requests."