Locates

lostshoeranch

In Nebraska the diggers hotline says that basically locates are required if you disturb the dirt at all. I don't know but maybe other states are similar. Here's my question -- if I'm called to do finish grading on a site, is this one of those 'yeah, but in real life we don't' sort of things since you're basically just finishing the existing grade? What about rough grading? Moving more dirt so I'm thinking yes. I guess I'm looking for some general practice guidance from some of you who've been in the business longer. I'm all about CYA but don't want to tank my credibility by locating every little job unless that's generally done. Thanks.

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Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. -- Theodor Seuss Geisel

threaderman

Call your states construction industries board.If we hit a utility in Oklahoma they will hang you if haven't had lines located.They guarantee locations within 48 hrs. of placing the call.I have my own locating equipment that I use if I need to start a job sooner,but I charge ,and call okie does it for free.They do say however that they may be up to 36" off the mark,which means you still own it if you hit something.

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Joe ---International Code Council Member

Your plumbing & gas specialist proudly serving Oklahoma City OK, Moore, Warr-acres, Norman, Midwest City, Edmond, Bethany, Forest Park

dayexco

you might want to read this.



http://www.ne-diggers.com/statelaw/faq.aspx


If you dig before the 48 hours is up and all of the utilities have not been marked, you run the risk of hitting one of the utilities causing damage to their facility and possible injury to yourself. If you do damage to a utility line, you will be held responsible financially for that damage. There are also penalties available within the law that can be assessed by the Attorney General. See 76-2325 , 76-2325.01 and 28-519. For more information regarding the Attorney General see:
"The Attorney General Information and Complaint Form"

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

mdshunk

Why would you not want to call for a locate? If you can't plan your work a few days in advance to wait on the locate, you've got bigger troubles on your hands than you realize. In my state, after you pay the measly fee one time, you're paid for the rest of the year, even if you need 10,000 locates that year. If you're doing finish grade, the site probably already had a locate anyhow, and you can just call for a remark.

K2

Yeah, like what are the chances of runinng a ground rod through a water line??

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dayexco

in fact, here's something we've attached to all of our proposal forms. i think Pipeguy gave me this couple of years ago.


State law requires us to call an 800# whenever we excavate. This service only applies to major utility company main line equipment and will not locate many of the things that may be buried on your property. We are only able to make a surface visual check for things that are commonly found on a typical property without charging for the time and services to do so.
The owner assumes responsibility for informing the contractor of all underground pipes, conduits, cables, wires, tanks, drainage systems and structures, and agrees to hold the contractor harmless in advent of loss or liability incurred as a result of incorrect or incomplete information provided to the contractor and agrees to indemnify contractor for loss or expense resulting from such incorrect or incomplete information.

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someday, i'll be as patient as Nick.

davitk

Here's one for you. Selling Mom's condo, real estate co (fsbo, but they install the sign) requires me to call Digger's Hotline. Digger's Hotline in turn asks me to drive a stake where the sign will go so they know where to mark. I said no.

Happened Friday morning December 5th 9:51 am, Eric gave me ticket # 2008 49 05490



Back to your question: why would you take the risk?

Cat385

Here in wisconsin its a free service just a phone call. I didnt call on a house demo and when we pulled out the fence on the property line we got a phone line. $600.00 bill The free phone call is worth it no matter what your doing . They are pretty good here about marking everthing in one day.

denick

Connecticut is mostly the same. The company doing the work has to make the call. Even if another company has had a mark out already. Mark outs need to be renewed every 30 days. 31st day your not covered if there was a mistake on the original. Here it is a State Statute. It is a crime not to. The consequence if someone gets hurt is huge in a civil suit.

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Nick

"Every day I remind myself that my inner and outer life are based on the labors of other men, living and dead, and that I must exert myself in order to give in the same measure as I have received and am still receiving" Albert Einstein

joasis

My son was grading a driveway with the Bobcat a month or so back, and called me to ask what would a black cable with a single copper conductor be? I guessed a cable tv line and asked where he hit it...and he said 6 feet from the street, and it was just covered....he was grading and clipped it in two.....so he calls the builder....the builder doesn't know either...new developement, even the streets are new. So my boy just keeps on leveling for formwork and 1/2 an hour later, the internet and tv cable provider trucks show up.....turns out this is some kind of high tech cable, and nearly 4000 customers lost their cable and internet connections (DSL).....the guys were pissed, but....and this was my son's saving grace...we have a state law about buried utilities that they must be 18 inches below grade...and this was way short......they simply spliced it and told him to pour concrete right over it.

We always call anytime we dig, but grading fill for a driveway didn't count.

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threaderman

Oklahoma city requires a 24" minimum,glad I was speaking to an inspector asking a unrelated code question at the time it came up,though I already bid the job and it made a difference in my bottom line,heavily rooted,had to be done by hand,one of those lessons learned the hard way.

__________________
Joe ---International Code Council Member

Your plumbing & gas specialist proudly serving Oklahoma City OK, Moore, Warr-acres, Norman, Midwest City, Edmond, Bethany, Forest Park

joasis

Closest call I have ever had was a free job for the construction of the new football field fence. Power auger on the Bobcat, punching 9 inch holes....and hit a 2 inch water line....while there, an OG&E truck drives by, stops, backs up, and tells me I am on top of the underground service for the school...7200 volts....it would have been interesting to clip it.

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mdshunk

I saw a contractor hammer in a guardrail post with one of those little pile drivers right through a 13.8Kv line to a new Wal-Mart. Didn't mess up the truck, but the guardrail post was nearly completely vaporized. I've seen quite a few dig-in's to 7200 volt lines, and it normally just burns part of a tooth off the bucket.