Do you have to call 811 before digging in Texas?

Short answer: yes, in most cases. Texas has a damage-prevention law that requires anyone who plans to excavate to give notice before they start, so utility owners can mark their buried lines. Calling 811 is the usual way to reach a notification center. For Texas-specific help, see Texas811.org.

This is general information, not legal advice. The law has details and exceptions not covered here. For your exact situation, read the statute or talk to a qualified professional.

The law in plain terms

The rule lives in Chapter 251 of the Texas Utilities Code, the Underground Facility Damage Prevention and Safety Act.

Does boring count?

Yes. This surprises some people, because boring doesn’t leave an open trench. But the law’s definition of “excavate” lists boring and drilling alongside digging, trenching and tunneling, when powered equipment disturbs soil 16 inches or deeper. For a directional drilling crew, that usually means a locate request before a bore that counts as covered excavation. The law lists exceptions, so check the rules for your job.

The same law classes telecommunication lines, including optical lines, as Class A underground facilities. On a fiber job, you are often boring through ground already shared with other telecom, power and gas lines.

How the process works

1. Make the request. Call 811 to reach a notification center. Have your location, start date and work details ready.
2. Wait the required time. At least 48 hours, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.
3. Utility owners mark their lines. Expect paint or flags on the ground.
4. Check the marks against the plans before starting.
5. Dig or bore with care around the marked lines.

The national 811 service, run as a Common Ground Alliance initiative, describes 811 as the free national before-you-dig service and recommends reaching out a few business days before any digging.

What the paint colors mean

Utility marks follow the American Public Works Association uniform color code:

A few things to keep in mind

• Water and sewer lines may not get the notice. The law says the notification center must tell the excavator that water, slurry and sewage lines in the area may not receive the information. Ask about them separately.
• Emergencies have their own rule. Work can begin right away when there is a real emergency, but the excavator must still notify a notification center at the first practical moment, and must not misrepresent the emergency.
• Some work is exempt, such as certain agricultural work on private property. Read the full list in Section 251.156 before assuming it applies.
• If something is damaged, report it to the operator right away and delay backfilling that area until a repair schedule is agreed.

Where locates fit in a boring job

On a directional bore, the locate request is part of planning, along with the plans, the route and any traffic control and permitting the job needs. At UGA, Drillbert, UGA’s AI operations agent, is getting ready to flag dig-rule and locate notes for the crew. People on our team make the safety calls. See our safety page and horizontal directional drilling service, or request a bid.

Again: this is general information, not legal advice, and laws can change. Check the current statute and Texas811.org for the rules that apply to your job.