can i remove utility flags in my yard

For instance, a water company may ask to have that area marked with yellow flags so that when there is an installation, repair, or maintenance on the water lines, the marked spot wont be touched. At the same time, the flags on private property would be removed by the property owners. Utility operators mark any underground line that is directly in the way of construction, or even near it. This does not mean that someone will be parking a huge excavator in front of your home and tearing up your entire lawn. Sewer lines need to be preserved if there are in-ground projects. This will result in everyday inconveniences that can affect not only you but also other people in the community. (Yes. And as I said, I'd rather plug a sidewall than screw around with a leaking tube that has to have the bead broken, tire removed and the tube patched. Generally, flags should not be taken off. In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. Never fear, because in this article, were going to go over what utility flags are, what the different color utility flags mean, as well as what you can do as the property owner. Removing these flags could disrupt any project planned in the area. 2. 1. If your lawn is marked and you didn't know about it, then either your neighbors are planning . A pink utility flag indicates there is a temporary survey marking going on in the area. The answer is NO, you can't remove any utility flags place in your yard. Some may notify you ahead of time, while most companies wont. You're better off leaving them where they're. Can I remove the MISS DIG flags in my yard? If a utility does not mark its underground utility facilities or contact the excavator within that time, the utility is deemed to have given notice that it does not have any facilities at the excavation site. But keep in mind that removing these flags are a big no-no. If you found this article, chances are that you have just discovered a new set of colored little flags in your yard, but your not sure why. As you spot those flags, you may not be sure what to do or what they mean. However tempting it may be, one should not remove those flags. This will result in everyday inconveniences that can affect not only you but also other people in the community. When you get close to the flags, stop the mower. This year they pulled into the drive and drove their trucks and equipment across the lawn at a angle to get to the NW corner. If the utility flags are not in place, workers can just dig and end up damaging underground lines. Ive had to go back to the property owner a couple times over utility company's mess. The excavation could be for anything, maybe the fire hydrant across the street is being repaired, or your next door neighbors are installing a new mailbox or clothes line. Utility contractors install utility locate flags across any city or state. How do I align things in the following tabular environment? Utility flags have been in use for as long as they can be remembered. Utility flags can help prevent damage to expensive underground wires or stop gas leaks before they become possible catastrophes. If you have these flags and paint in your yard, it means that someone in the area is planning to dig and they did the responsible thing and called 811 . (Do This First)Continue, Well water offers many positive advantages, most importantly, fewer utility bills! A utility easement gives utility companies the right to access any area in your property for work on gas, electric, sewer, telephone, and water lines. Give the utility flag company a call first to inquire about their presence, and whether or not its safe to remove them. I can just imagine the neighbors questioning what we're doing to the yard. You might also enjoy our post on Can I Dig a Pond on My Property? 3 Advantages of Progressive Metal Stamping Services The Master Products Co. A detailed comparison to help you transition, Transcription of genes coding for metabolic key functions in Nitrosomonas europaea during aerobic and anaerobic growth. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. The locators will mark your yard with paint or flags in various colors that indicate where utility lines are . Manage Settings It could be that individuals or companies calling in the dig request cant provide the exact location to mark. An orange flag marks the location of underground telecommunications lines near the curb. It's been two weeks now the lawn is a mess because we are unsure of how to avoid all the markings and flags. Yellow locator flags are crucial for avoiding damaging gas lines. ; Yellow Lines used for natural gas, oil, steam, petroleum, as well as other gaseous or flammable materials. These flags aside, the color comes with symbols. That way, contractors will not dig it up. While you cant really prevent a utility company from coming on your property, its good to know what theyre doing when they are there. When someone is going to dig up the ground for any reason, they are required to locate utilities first. The standard utility service paint or flags colors are: Red: Electric; Orange . The blue utility flag has a water drop symbol on it. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to submit the form, Do I Need a Permit to Build a Shed? they never come back to remove them. Calling 811 will get your underground utility lines marked and your project off to a safe start. Ir Lens OK, so today I am on my virtually new VRide cutting an apartment complex which has some marking flags in the lawn. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. If you see yellow flags across your yard, it means that there will be a planned work involving natural gas lines. 175. A tip from many homeowners is to bug the company about your concern. How can I explain to my manager that a project he wishes to undertake cannot be performed by the team? The question of legality and the right to remove utility flags from your lawn or property can be tricky. Utility color flags help workers who carry out the digging identify which utility line is running under the marked spots. Do not remove the flags, stakes or paint marks until you have finished . nitrosomonas converts and our If you need or want to remove the flags, our suggestion is that you call your local state-run dig center by simply dialing 811 . How 811 works. If the company or its subcontractors do damage to your land while doing their work, you must immediately notify the persons involved. If you must dig within 24" of utility marks/flags, be sure to dig with care. They are there for a purpose, which is to protect underground lines that may be damaged during digging. Before they do this, they'll mark and protect any other buried utility lines in your yard by working with 811 Call Before You Dig. Digging works could involve installation, repair,and maintenance of underground lines. The other reason why there are flags on your lawn is that there is a bigger excavation project planned in your area. Question: is it my responsibility to remove the flags? 8 Ponder upsets No. Generally, flags should not be taken off. For the quickest answers, call you local Call 811 center by dialing 811 from any land line or cell phone. The yellow flags will help identify contractors that a gas line is on that spot. For instance, it is not that uncommon for an electric company to call in a 150 radius of a utility pole that is going to be replaced. The quick answer is yes, you can. If they damage your property and try to make you pay for the damages, its just going to be your word versus theirs. Known as "locate flags," the person who called for their placement is responsible for removing them when the job is complete. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Seeing a utility flag on your lawn or elsewhere around your apartment calls for concern. Norm of an integral operator involving linear and exponential terms, Styling contours by colour and by line thickness in QGIS. If you remove the flags before the plans are set in place, it could screw up the plans and the project as a whole. Usually, this involves potable water. She loves to take sunbathe and do a barbecue in her free time. However, you may wonder why there are flags on your lawn without your permission or if it is allowed for utility companies to mount utility flags on your property without permission. When they dig the holes do their work and leave. The first one is that there will be an excavation project planned in the spot where the flags are. How to follow the signal when reading the schematic? There wont be any excavating in the near future, for a while anyways. If there is an easement, they don't need your permission to run the cable. We'll come out and mark the underground lines for free. juan.betancourt@dentonrc.com, Beth Maries has churned up a new flavor, North of Ordinary, to represent Denton, By John Fields They are there for a purpose, which is to protect underground lines that may be damaged during digging. Here's a key to the flags' colors: If flags are in your yard, please do not remove them, they may have a logo and/or the name of the utility that has placed it there. plug them and put some tire slime in the tire. This center will take care of communicating with your local utilities, who will send their people out to mark line locations. These will help workers locate important marked spots. Each color of paint/flag represents a unique type of underground utility. Inline Figure Skate Frames An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. bcolombo@dentonrc.com, Stranger walks into unlocked home in Denton; resident pushes him out, Denton man sentenced to life in prison for murder of 7-year-old boy, By Juan Betancourt This allows utilities to come out and mark their buried lines before the project begins. custom marker flags That way, contractors will not dig it up. The American Public Works Association (APWA) has color-coded all utilities so it's easy for those in the industry to immediately identify what utility is running where. So, if you have been considering digging a, Read More Can I Dig a Well on My Property? It can be very tempting to play with them or even remove them. Plastic Antioxidants A utility company can dig in your yard without permission. The red flag indicates Electric power lines, lighting cables, and conduit cable lines. An easement is typically granted by property owners to an electric utility for the purpose of constructing and maintaining power lines and other equipment. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. If you have blue flags, you can call the water company, and so on. Please let us know if that helps answer your . Can I remove the flags in my yard? Utility companies usually place flags to mark underground facilities for projects like repair and maintenance. Removing Your Lawn. Legal Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is provided for informational purposes only, and shouldnotbe interpreted aslegal advice or acted upon as such. Talk to an Expert Today | Weekdays 6AM - 6PM. But it does not call for removal. Utility Flag Color Code. For instance, a water company may ask to have that area marked with yellow flags so that when there is an installation, repair, or maintenance on the water lines, the marked spot wont be touched. For more information, visit California811. When they could have accessed the area by driving over a curb from the highway. They usually have a validity of 30 calendar days. If youre unsure, a more helpful way to deal with this is to call 811. Can I Have an Electric Fence Around My Property Legally? Damages to your property resulting from negligence or accidents is inevitable, especially when a utility company digs in your yard. Although we cant specifically answer your question here, we can help shed some light on a few of the possibilities about what is happening. The colors are as follows are noted in this handy chart. Can I Remove Utility Flags In My Yard: Is this Illegal? In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. Note that if you see any white paint or flags, this is typically marking the route of the proposed excavation. It can be very tempting to play with them or even remove them. Underground Utility Lines. Did any DOS compatibility layers exist for any UNIX-like systems before DOS started to become outmoded? The 8 Likely Reasons There Are Utility Flags in Your Yard. ; Orange Telecommunication systems, alarm and signal lines, as well as cables or conduits. Removing the marks and flags put them at risk. Utility flags are important in the functions they play in informing people of utility lines that are specially placed underground. If the line is damaged, the neighborhood could experience a flood or that water will not be safe for drinking for days. As a result, Verizon or the utility company damaged my driveway. The red flag utility marking is probably one of the most important ones that should be tampered with for any reason. Utility flags can be of several different colors, with each of the flag colors indicating a different utility line or component. Flags can be used to mark even simple digging projects like installing clothesline or repair and maintenance projects such as repairing the fire hydrant nearby. The purple flag indicates Reclaimed water lines, irrigation lines, and slurry lines. One way to do this is to call them three times a day. Power, telephone, gas, and water lines are buried underground, likely on your property. For more information, please see our (We Checked), Can You Demo a House With a Mortgage? Refresh Marks requests may be submitted via our online, self-service option know as REV or by calling 8-1-1 or 800-892-0123. This color is used for communication systems, TV cables and alarm lines. There was an error processing your request. mine haven't leaked in years. Can I remove utility flags in my yard? . In the mean time is it OK to mow the spraypainted marks? Your purchase was successful, and you are now logged in. Specifically, about these utility flags and markings - why are they on my yard? They Do), Do Butterflies Like Roses? Step two: Wait the required time . But, they will almost certainly remove the flags upon work completion. Also, most flags bear the name of the company that placed them, so you should be able to see the contact information. Its expected of a property owner to be bothered by the sight of colorful flags in their yard. Instead, they will call in several properties for one small excavation just to make sure that the locators have marked the proposed work area. Give the utility flag company a call first to inquire about their presence, and whether or not it's safe to remove them. Before a power line is built, Duke Energy acquires easements . I've yet to . Automatic Can Seamer This means Yard Blogger may earn a commission should you make a purchase using any of our links. The short answer is yes, utility companies can dig up your yard and they can do so legally to gain access to pipelines and cables. Sometimes calls come in for landscaping and these flags need to be placed, or sometimes it's a year long project that needs a long time to plan. Even neighbors can have easement over your property, giving them access to your land. They usually have a validity of 30 calendar days. I deal with the stupid flags all the time. Or maybe a utility company decided to pay my property a visit without my knowledge and started digging in my backyard. How do I get utility lines marked on my property? Construction workers do road repair near the intersection of Alice and Egan streets in June. In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. Ok rant off "Every step we take towards making the State the Caretaker of our lives, Eh, I've tried to plug mower tires before most of the time they don't take too soft of rubber. Am I allowed to mow my yard? In most cases, it is illegal to tamper with these markings. When calling for locates, please have the following information ready: Who the work is being done for (general contractor or project) Type . Part of their maintenance program is to mark their lines whenever someone places a "notice" or "ticket" with the Virginia 811 center. If there has been no action for more than 14 days, the property owner can delete the find flags because they are no longer valid. Here is the official color code chart that is used to depict the location of underground utilities. (Do This Before Digging), utility companies do have the right to come onto your property, even without permission, the utility company is going to start digging up your yard. Before you buy a new tree, find out about its growth potential. That said, If you are the subsequent owner of the property or if you are planning to buy a house in general, it helps to know the easements of your chosen property before sealing the deal. (Quick Answer), Will a Porch Light Keep Raccoons Away? . And a damaged gas line can cause soil contamination and even explosion. This is especially true if the utility company or the subcontractors didnt acknowledge the damage. A working day is defined as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, not including holidays. Worse, you could end up in court. You can see these markings in your yard if you have an upcoming project and if your neighbor or city is doing a digging project. Utility flags are placed to avoid any disturbances or accidents in the area while utility work is ongoing. Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. At least they didn't try spraypainting the snow like they did here not long agothat didn't work out well. Why are Suriname, Belize, and Guinea-Bissau classified as "Small Island Developing States"? Your state's 811 center will then contact your local utility companies. ROUTINE: A regular locate. Technically, you shouldnt be removing flags the moment you see them.

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