Every excavation project in New Jersey, from a fence post to a five hundred foot utility trench, is supposed to start the same way. Somebody calls 811 before anybody digs. It is free, it is the law, and it is the single cheapest insurance policy in all of construction.
We deal with mark-outs every week, on our own jobs and on the fiber routes we build for carriers. Here is the plain version of how it works.
What happens when you call 811
New Jersey One Call takes your request and notifies every utility company with lines near your dig site. Gas, electric, water, sewer, phone, cable, fiber. Each one sends a locator out to mark where their lines run, using paint and flags in standard colors.
- Red means electric
- Yellow means gas, oil, or steam
- Orange means phone and cable lines, including fiber
- Blue means drinking water
- Green means sewer and storm drains
- White is the outline of where the digging will happen, usually painted by the contractor
The utilities get three full business days to finish marking. So a call on Monday means digging can legally start Friday. Plan for that in your project timeline, because nobody reputable will start sooner.
Who makes the call
If you hire us, we do. Requesting the mark-out is part of the job, and we keep the ticket number on file with the project. If a homeowner is doing their own small dig, the call is on you, and it is still free. Dial 811 from anywhere in the state.
Why contractors take this so seriously
Hitting a gas line can level a house. Hitting fiber can knock out service for a whole town, and the repair bill lands on whoever dug without a ticket. Digging without a valid mark-out also means fines, and it hands the utility every legal advantage if something goes wrong. There is no job so urgent that it beats a three day wait.
The marks are guidance, not gospel. Within two feet on either side of a marked line, careful contractors switch from machines to hand digging or vacuum excavation. That last careful foot of dirt is where experience earns its money.
What this means for your project
When you get an estimate from us, the schedule already includes the mark-out window. If a locator misses their deadline or a mark looks wrong, we chase it before we mobilize, not after. That is a big part of why our jobs do not produce surprise utility bills or angry neighbors without cable service.
Planning a dig and not sure what is under your yard? Ask us. We will tell you what the marks mean before a single machine shows up.
Common questions
How long does a markout take in New Jersey? The utilities get three full business days to finish marking, so a call on Monday means digging can legally start Friday. Business days exclude weekends and holidays, which is why a call before a holiday weekend takes longer still. Nobody reputable starts sooner.
What do the markout paint colors mean? Red is electric. Yellow is gas, oil or steam. Orange is phone and cable, including fiber. Blue is drinking water. Green is sewer and storm drains. White is the outline of where the digging will happen, usually painted by the contractor beforehand.
Do I need a markout for something small like a fence post? Yes. Fence post driving is expressly excavation under New Jersey's rules, and so are tree and root removal, boring and trenching. The exclusions are narrower than people expect: routine residential maintenance with non-mechanized equipment, and a hand tool no deeper than six inches for a sprinkler repair or a property marker.
Who calls 811 when I hire a contractor? The contractor doing the digging. Requesting the markout is part of the job, and the ticket number should be on file with the project. It is a fair thing to ask for.
Still not sure how this applies to your property? That is what a free on-site estimate is for. Call 862-268-2510 or tell us what is going on, and we will give you a straight answer, including when the answer is that you do not need us.