Know What's Below. Call Before You Dig
Calling before you dig is the law in Minnesota
Minnesota State Statute Chapter 216D requires anyone who engages in any type of excavation to provide advance notice of at least two working days to Gopher State One Call.
There are two ways to report excavation activity in Minnesota. You can visit www.gopherstateonecall.org and enter your dig information online, or you can dial 811 and speak to a phone representative.
The service provided by Gopher State One Call to excavators is free of charge. The cost of Gopher State One Call is provided by Minnesota's underground facility operators.
How to dig safely
Check out our
safe-digging fact sheet for everything you need to know before tackling an excavation project in your yard.
What you need to do after calling
Mark the digging area with white stakes or white spray paint, otherwise the utility may mark your entire lot.
The excavator will need to provide the information about the work site when they call. Have the following ready before calling:
- Your name
- Phone number
- Street address
- Dig location
- Nearest Intersection
- Type of work
- Start date, Time
Gopher State One Call can only locate services that utilities have installed. You or a private contractor will have to locate privately owned facilities such as sprinklers, power lines to a garage, or a gas grill line.
If you hire a professional excavator they are responsible for contacting Gopher State One Call.
Once you have submitted your dig information to Gopher State One Call, any organization with underground facilities near the dig site will review where any underground lines may be. If it is determined there are underground facilities in or near the dig site, a locator will visit the site to mark their location. Colored paint or flags are used to mark the location of underground facilities. The color of the marking signifies the type of facility that is underground.
Failure to report excavation ahead of time and wait to dig until facilities are marked can result in fines against a person or company, accidents, explosions, or even the possibility of injuries or death.
