Typically, residential powerlines are buried between 18 to 24 inches (45 to 60 cm) deep. Local building codes and utility regulations often dictate the minimum depth to which power lines must be buried to ensure safety and minimize the risk of accidental damage.
There is no prescribed depth that you are allowed to dig before you call 811. Regardless of whether you are installing a few small shrubs or putting in some fence posts, it is important to reach out to the authorities to make sure you do not hit anything important.
Underground power lines of any type have very thick insulation. In addition, National Codes dictate the depth, below ground, these lines must be buried. Some low voltage underground circuits could be as shallow as 18 inches, while most higher voltage circuits will be deeper than 24 inches.
The depth of lines varies depending on type. Cable and phone lines are typically buried at one foot or less. Electrical lines and water lines are typically buried at around 2 feet or 24 inches underground. Things like high voltage electric lines and water pipes are buried at around 3 feet underground.
What happens if I hit a buried pipe or wire? It can be dangerous if you accidentally hit a buried pipe or wire. A gas leak can lead to explosions or fires, especially in crowded areas. Electrical lines can give you a shock or start a fire, putting everyone nearby at risk.
Tracing an underground cable can be done in several ways, such as using a line tracer, a ground-penetrating radar, or an electromagnetic locator. However, the best way to trace the location of an underground cable and map it out simultaneously is by using RTK-enabled wire locator devices.
Digging without a DigAlert® ticket is just simply dangerous, not to mention illegal! You can damage a basic telephone cable and disrupt service to a home or you may cut a fiber optic cable carrying millions of calls and expose your company to costly repairs.
Responsibility for underground power lines typically falls on the local utility company or provider in a given area, which is responsible for the installation, maintenance, and repairs of these lines.
The most popular idea is to bury lines underground; but it sometimes makes more sense to keep them above ground and optimize them to better withstand natural disasters. Moving lines underground would make the power system more resilient overall, but it is very expensive.
A utility company owns and maintains public utility lines and cables. They will determine where the lines end. Private utility lines go beyond that point and must be owned and maintained by the property owner.
Although there is no specific rule regarding the allotted depth of a project dig before calling 811, it IS important to note that ANY DIG requires a call to 811. This is not a suggestion; it is a requirement by law.
For power lines above areas used only by pedestrians, including sidewalks, decks, and patios, the minimum vertical clearance of wires above the ground is generally 14.5 feet. These distances are regarded as enough to provide safe passage to all pedestrians, even when they are carrying tools or other objects.
Utility mark outs are often inaccurate. Whenever you're doing some excavation work, always proceed with caution. You never know whether mark outs are inaccurate or incomplete. Don't trust mark outs, since they may be based solely on records.
The fines for digging without first calling 811 vary. In California, for example, you could face up to a $50,000 penalty if you cut a utility line. In Utah, there's a $5,000 penalty for each line damaged, up to a maximum of $100,000—and you can be fined $500 just for digging without calling 811.
In general, any time you disturb 2500 square feet of soil or change the grade more than 24 inches (either taking away or adding), you must apply for a permit. The precise rules may vary based on your county or state, but this is a basic rule of thumb.
Remember to call Blue Stakes (811) well in advance anytime you dig or grind a stump. Just because a tree was planted there does not mean there aren't utilities buried there as well.
While underground lines are protected from wind, wildfires and tree branches, they are vulnerable to earthquakes and flooding. They are also more expensive to build and maintain. By comparison, it costs approximately 3-5x more per foot to construct underground power lines versus overhead lines.
Additionally, the current generation of underground systems requires less maintenance, and refurbishment is only required every 40 or 50 years, which is the specified lifespan of a transmission line. Underground cables are better protected against extreme weather and other catastrophic events than overhead lines.
Anything that is too close to high-voltage lines can cause electricity from the lines to “flash” or cause a short circuit.
Easy, you write the electric utility a check for the cost, just several hundred to a few thousand dollars per foot depending on the Voltage, power, complexity and ground conditions. Don't forget to pay the telephone and cable companies to bury their lines also.
Usually there is a minimum of 18 inches underneath the surface that utilities are buried, but we'll go into this more. Electric and communications lines fall around the range between a foot and a half to 2 feet of ground cover for easier access and maintenance. Gas lines typically fall around 3 feet in depth.
In electric power distribution, a service drop is an overhead electrical line running from a utility pole, to a customer's building or other premises. It is the point where electric utilities provide power to their customers.
Although undergrounding may eliminate the causes of some outages, underground cable and equipment can still fail, and other issues can lead to power outages.
If you or your contractor did not request that 811 mark the utilities before digging, you are responsible for paying the costs of the damaged gas line. It still might be worth fighting the penalty, though. It's almost always worth fighting the penalty for hitting the gas line, as some companies back down immediately.