Miss Utility: 811

Anywhere within the state of Maryland call 811. Have utility lines marked before you dig - at home, in your neighborhood, at work.

Be Safe

Striking an underground utility line while digging can cause harm to you or those around you, disrupt service to entire neighborhoods, and potentially result in fines and repair costs defined by Maryland’s Miss Utility law.

Never assume you know what is below. Nationwide, one out of every three damages to underground utilities is the result of digging without calling 811.

Steps to Safer Digging

Make the call. One free, simple phone call to 811 will notify all appropriate utility companies of your intent to dig. You can also contact Miss Utility online at missutility.net/itic (professionals) and missutility.net/iticlite (homeowners/residents).

Provide advance notice. Contact 811 at least two full business days (but no more than ten days) prior to digging to ensure utility lines are properly marked.

Provide your project info. When you call, a representative from Miss Utility will ask for the location and description of your digging project.

Allow utilities to mark underground lines. Miss Utility will notify electric natural gas, water, cable television/phone distribution companies, and any other affected utilities. These companies will then send professional locators to the dig site to mark the exact location of any underground lines. Use your ticket number to check on the status of your request with Miss Utility at 1-866-821-4226 or www.MissUtility.net/searchstatus.

APWA Uniform Color Code

Understand the location marks. Each type of buried utility has its own color code. Marks may be painted or located with flags.

Color Utility Type
Red Electric, Cables, Conduit, Lighting Cables
Yellow Natural Gas, Oil, Steam, Petroleum
Orange Communication, Phone, Cable, Fiber Optic
Blue Water
Green Sewer
Purple Reclaimed Water
White Proposed Excavation
Pink Temporary Survey Marking

Dig Carefully. Once lines have been properly marked, carefully hand dig with a shovel around the marked areas. Also consider designing your project to avoid digging close to the underground facilities. Never use mechanized equipment near marks or exposed pipes or wires. Remember that utility marks will not indicate depth, and settling ground, erosion and other factors cause the location of pipes and wires to change over time.