Call before you dig ...

Our 811 service tried to tell us that they did not mark for surveyors. Our lawyer questioned how a state funded agency that operates totally off tax dollars could refuse to provide services for a tax paying entity. They now mark for surveyors.

there are always work arounds

they may not mark for my survey company but they have no trouble marking for my construction company

Me too, snoop. If it's a residential area, I use my "fence" company....if it's r/w or commercial area I use my "testing lab" to bore soil samples..

I really hate to prevaricate, but that's the only way to get their d.a. out there.

I don't see where they carry the paint and pin flags. 😉

They work for Surveyors in Oregon... it's just that their response time is longer on a "non-dig" situation such as topo surveys for design work.

I used to tell the call-before-you-dig people that was going to tear down the building on the site. Well, one day someone in the utility department told someone in building codes that and she called here to let me know that she had a demolition permit for me. Now I just tell them that I will be surveying and driving stakes into the ground.

They will not mark stuff for surveyors... That is why I have a excavation, digging, and blasting company. They can mark it or they can repair it... After I blast it..... They mark it every time!

http://www.malsce.org/malsce/file/MALSCE%20Summer%202008.pdf

Page 12, Dig Safely, Dig Safe

I got whacked with a fine and having to pay for the repair of a gas service. When they installed it, they removed an 80-year old concrete bound. I was the poor fool with a probe looking for concrete... The gas company's GIS showed the service coming in from the other side (I only saw that after they arrived).

If I had $1 for every linear foot of gas service or gas main that I know of that is not within an easement or right of way, I'd buy everyone lunch at a Vegas buffet.

Hey Paden,

“Me too, snoop. If it's a residential area, I use my "fence" company..”

All I can say is god help you if the “fence company” severs a tv cable line on a Friday afternoon while “Mrs. I’d rather kill you than look at you” is completely absorbed in her soap opera. Talk about all hell breaking loose! :-/

Have a great week.

Bill

> there are always work arounds
>
> they may not mark for my survey company but they have no trouble marking for my construction company

+1

> If I had $1 for every linear foot of gas service or gas main that I know of that is not within an easement or right of way, I'd buy everyone lunch at a Vegas buffet.

Does that mean you are aiding and abetting?....:-P

But isn't that the truth. I once cut through an underground electric doggy fence that the people put on somebody elses property (my clients). They went ballistic on me and wanted my butt in a sling, but I just fixed it and they went away after I pointed out that it wasn't even on their property. My client just laughed.

I've found that utility companies are pretty good about cooperating. Get in favor with the county or city foreman types, and have them call for you. They are more than happy to if you demonstrate you're just trying to provide a complete and professional product. It's a win win for everybody.

> Our 811 service tried to tell us that they did not mark for surveyors. Our lawyer questioned how a state funded agency that operates totally off tax dollars could refuse to provide services for a tax paying entity. They now mark for surveyors.

What is your lawyers' phone number?

In Oklahoma they locate for design purposes. It wasn't always that way and everyone played the game of 'ficticious work' to get the required locates. Our OSLS lobbied hard and it is now official that they locate for design work but it requires the call of the Engineer. I call them in and just give them the name of the requesting party, which is generally our project engineer. They are classified as non-emergency but I guess our town is relatively small so we usually get next day service from all of them.

Our gas company is really good at locating their lines but we have their GIS map to at least have an idea where there might be lines. It's not accurate at all on exact locations but at least we know if a 4" HP main is running down an alley.

Deral

Same here - They used to refuse to show up for design stuff.
DUH - How are you going to include it in the design? It is a
relatively new service and they are getting better. Just re-located
a water transmission main that was marked in the wrong place originally I
think. No telling.
I didn't do it;)
They mark things here every 8 days after construction begins.

"Target's Blasting, Boring, and Burying Company".

Kinda has a ring to it. I like it.

I was told back in the 90's that the local power company was too busy to locate for surveyors. Back in the 2007 or so I asked why I couldn't get markings and they said they were hiring markings done and didn't want to spend the extra money. If I would mark up this 400 scale drawing and send it back, they would tell me if they had anything in the area. If I think we're close to driving a pin into something, I call and say I'll be doing some test bores. If I'm doing a topo I say I'm doing some exploritory digging all across the site. If they give me any grief I say "hey I called, either mark your stuff or don't, doesn't matter to me". Usually they show up.

> All I can say is god help you if the “fence company” severs a tv cable line on a Friday afternoon while “Mrs. I’d rather kill you than look at you” is completely absorbed in her soap opera.

Most of the soaps are no longer on the air.