Before any digging in Michigan, the person or company doing the work must contact MISS DIG 811 so public underground utilities get marked. The service is free, it applies to projects of any size, and it does not cover private lines you own, which need a private locator.
What MISS DIG 811 is
MISS DIG 811 is Michigan's notification system for underground utilities. You submit a locate request, by calling 811 or online through its OneCallAccess system, and MISS DIG forwards it to the member utilities with lines in that area. Its membership numbers in the thousands, covering gas, electric, communications, water and sewer providers. Each one then locates and marks its buried facilities at the site, or reports that it has nothing there.
MISS DIG states that contacting it is free and legally required before your project, under Michigan's Public Act 174. It also says this applies to any project regardless of size or depth. That covers more than an excavator digging a foundation: fence posts, mailbox posts, trees, a garden bed or a drain line all put a shovel or an auger into the ground.
Who has to make the call
The responsibility belongs to whoever is doing the digging. MISS DIG's homeowner FAQ says that if the homeowner is doing the work, it is their responsibility to contact MISS DIG 811, and if a contractor is doing the work, the contractor is responsible.
So if you hire an excavating contractor for a pond, footings, a drain or a new drive, the contractor should place the ticket for that job, and it is fair to ask them to confirm it. If you plan to dig anything yourself before or after the contractor's work, that is a separate project and you need your own ticket. Do not assume a neighbor's ticket or an old ticket from a previous job covers what you are doing now.
What gets marked, and how
Utilities mark their lines with paint, flags or both, in the area you described on the ticket. The marks show the approximate location of the line, not its exact depth, which is why MISS DIG requires hand digging close to the marks. Its homeowner pages describe a caution zone around the paint or flags where you must hand dig to expose the utility before using machines nearby, and a safe zone beyond it. Read that page for the exact distance.
Before digging, you check Positive Response, MISS DIG's system that shows each utility's answer on your ticket. MISS DIG says all responses must show Marked, Exempt or No Conflict before you begin, and that you cannot start before the start time on your locate request, even if marks are already visible. Keep the ticket number handy while the work is going on.
Private lines are not marked by MISS DIG members
This is the part that catches homeowners out. Utilities mark the lines they own. Lines that belong to you are private, and MISS DIG says they will need to be marked by a private locator, for a fee.
MISS DIG lists examples such as sprinkler lines, pool lines, electric fences and water wells, and its FAQ adds lines to a grill or a shed. On a rural property around Capac or Lapeer that can also mean a power feed to a pole barn, a line to a well pump, a buried propane line, or a drain tile that nobody has thought about in years. If you know or suspect private lines run through the dig area, tell your contractor up front and consider hiring a private locator before work starts.
When something goes wrong
Even with good marks, a line can turn up somewhere unexpected. MISS DIG's guidance is that if there is a hazardous situation, such as the smell of gas, you call 911 immediately, and then contact the utility company directly. Move people away from the area and do not try to fix or cover a damaged line yourself.
If utilities appear in the dig area that were not marked, or a utility shows as not responded once the start date has passed, MISS DIG tells homeowners to contact it again before digging. A small nick in a cable or a coating can cause problems later, so report any contact with a line, not just obvious breaks.
How excavating jobs fit around the ticket
On a typical residential excavating job, the MISS DIG ticket is one of the first steps after the estimate. The dig area gets described on the ticket, the utilities respond, Positive Response is checked, and the marks are walked before any machine moves. Work near the marks is done carefully, with hand exposure where MISS DIG requires it.
The same applies to new drives, culverts and ditch work along the road, where buried communications and electric lines often run in the right-of-way; see our guide to driveway and culvert permits for who else to call. For grading and drainage jobs, private lines like downspout drains and irrigation are worth pointing out during the walk-through so they can be avoided or reconnected.
Planning a dig with Elite
Elite Excavating works on residential properties across St. Clair, Lapeer and Macomb counties from Capac: footings and backfill, ponds cut and shaped, drainage, driveways and yard work where the lawn and the fence have to still be there afterward. George walks the job first and gives a free estimate, and that walk-through is a good time to point out anything buried you know about, such as a pole barn feed, a sprinkler system or an old tile line.
Check missdig811.org for the current rules and the homeowner FAQ, and call (989) 702-2426 to talk through your project.
The Short Version
- Contact MISS DIG 811 before any digging; it is free and required under Michigan law.
- Whoever does the digging, homeowner or contractor, is responsible for the ticket.
- Wait for the start time and check that every utility shows Marked, Exempt or No Conflict.
- Hand dig near the marks to expose lines before machines work close by.
- Private lines such as barn feeds, wells and sprinklers need a private locator.
Quick Answers
Do I need to contact MISS DIG to put in fence posts?
Yes. MISS DIG says contacting 811 applies to any project regardless of size or depth, and fence posts go into the ground.
Will MISS DIG mark the power line to my pole barn?
Not if it is a line you own. MISS DIG says private lines are not marked by the utilities and need a private locator, for a fee.
If I hire an excavator, who contacts MISS DIG 811?
The contractor doing the digging is responsible for the ticket. If you dig anything yourself, you need your own.
Can I start digging as soon as I see paint and flags?
No. MISS DIG says you cannot begin before the start time on your ticket, and every utility must show Marked, Exempt or No Conflict in Positive Response first.
See the residential excavating service or call (989) 702-2426.