I work for a company that the locateing work is subcontracted to. I locate for Verizon and Comcast and other local utilites.If no one complains about a lack of service then you hit a dead line, when ever a line is considered dead or not worth repaing they just leave it in the ground and run a new one. Verizon likes charging an arm and a leg for reparing there copper line and even more for pulp lines. Around here the rule is 18 inches and 36 inches in one county for the distince you can use equipment from the marks and it is called Miss Utility or the One Call center. Besure to call Ticket check to make sure all the utilites have been maked before you dig.

 

Here is a close call I had with a gas line. it was 18" deep and missed marked!

 

One of the biggest problems has been mentioned here in several posts,
There are so many unused lines underground, that getting them marked
can quickly look like a maze. An old house maybe 30 years or more,could
have allready had to replace utility lines once or twice. It gets nuts.

 

I've been an inspector on highway construction jobs for almost 20 yrs, and I've seen all kinds of underground hits (you haven't lived until you've seen a phone line the size of your wrist come up on an auger). I was once on a job where we had to drill 350 4' deep foundations at approx 1 mi. intervals along the highway. The contractor marked out and USA'd (Underground Service Alert) all the locations causing the various utility companies to be completely overwhelmed by the sheer no. of locations. At one of the urban locations, the contractor had just finished drilling (I was nervous as there were obviously multiple underground utilities present), when a guy in a gas co truck pulled up, painted "No Gas" on the pavement, and drove away. It made me feel better to know, now that we were done drilling, we weren't going to hit a gas line!

 

Interesting reading. Much general knowledge here about the strangest topics.

Back in the mid 50's my parents built their house with all underground wiring, then cable tv comes along and now it's the only wire running to the house.

Could I dig myself or do I have to let someone do it for me? I would have to go under a public sidewalk. I know if I ask the city they will get money out of it someway thru permits or something else they may find. I recently had a natural gas generator installed and they had to run the lines and wires from the backyard underground to the house. After they were finished they said they should have gotten a permit but the city electrical codes inspector would have gotten me for numerous electrical violations over the years (54).
Am I asking for trouble if the city inspector gets involved or should I just beg for forgiveness if I get caught rather than ask for permission and maybe have multiple code violations?

 

Just slowly bring everything up to code, without causing anyone to notice.

 

If you have already finished everything I wouldn't get the city inspector involved. It will lead to trouble. I am a residential construction superintendent and I know they will love to stick it to you.

I cannot tell you how many times my bobcat guy has hit something. We hit water lines all the time. One time my plumbers were trenching service to my construction trailer and hit a gas main. I was in my trailer when it happened right were the flash point would be. Had to leave my poor F150 and proceed on foot out of there. Just crossed my fingers.

 

If you have an inspector come and look at it and it is not right they they will make you rip it out and do it over. But a lot of inspectors are Aholes so I hope you get a nice one. Also make sure you know where you utility right of way is because if you build something there and they need to run there utility there, they will remove it and not give a crap.

 

Very true. They will mess it up in spite of you.

 

i say go for it and try and not get caught. just have someone come out and mark the things needed to be marked

 

I know it's to late now but you could have just fixed that yourself. Standard phone line, no fiber optic (like mentioned earlier). I've seen Verizon bury lines 3"-5"!!! What happens when the homeowner puts the lawn in or plants some flowers?!?! Dumbasses

How did things turn out for ya'

 

Thanks for all your inputs...

Well verizon came out and spliced the phone line back together that was for my neighbor. The other phone line he said no to worry about because they did not get any calls from anyone about there phone being out. He said he they would just come back out and burry another line for them if someone does end up without phone service... AND THIS BRINGS ME TO THE NEXT BIG PROBLEM.

After verizon told me that, i continued to dig that hole a little deeper and when i did i hit a *** cable line that services over 6 houses. (basically i cut off 6 houses).

Again i thought i was screwed. *** came out and layed a temp line and said they would come back to reburry the line. He asked if it was me or a contractor that did it...I had to fess up and he said it would be like a $3,000 repair, BUT they dont usually charge homeowners (i dodged a bullet there)..

In fact, verizon, ***, and Va-Power (Because i originally thought i hit a power line when i hit the *** line, and they came out to check) they all said they dont usually charge homeowners, unless its a blatent f-up or maybe if i hit fiber optics.

So I lucked out and no bills, just some pist off neighbors.

Thanks for your posts

 

i was deployed, constructing an aircraft ramp (3 ft dig, 18 inch fill, 18 inch PCC slab) anyway, we had a dig permit and hit a line.. when we hit a mis marked line and have the dig permit we dont sweat it.... the base commander and every other O-5 and above came out. i was like WTF!!!! we killed the fiber optic link for the predator and the stateside base that controled it... it made me rethink every dig. that is one mission i dont want to mess with..

glad your all fixed for free. that is how it should be. no harmeful intent, no foul in my opinion.

 

lol Was nothing marked before you started digging?? one mess after another lol. In my past dealings, if you hit something that has been marked. you pay to fix it but if you didnt call anyone then you can get fined.

p.s. its amazing how fast people run away when they see a shovel go into the hole and here Gas pissing out of a line. That one cost me ZERO dollars to fix. Thanks Boss!! lol he saved me a few dollars there.

We were replacing a water line into a house. old house and the buffalo box was full of dirt so we couldnt get it shut off and while we were digging the back hoe opperator snaged the line. UH OH!!! you'd be amazed how fast a 6' by 4' by 4' hole will full up with water off of a 1.5" line lol