Before the Fence Posts Go In: An Ohio Homeowner’s Guide to 811
SUGARCREEK TOWNSHIP, OH - October 23, 2026 - PRESSADVANTAGE - A new fence may look like a line across the yard, but
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SUGARCREEK TOWNSHIP, OH – October 23, 2026 – PRESSADVANTAGE –
A new fence may look like a line across the yard, but building it means digging a series of post holes. In Ohio, the person doing that excavation generally needs to notify OHIO811 first. The notice gives registered utilities a chance to respond before digging begins. It is not a certificate that every buried line on the property has been found.
Leave room in the schedule for the notice
Ohio’s ordinary notice window changed on June 9, 2026. Under Revised Code Section 3781.28, an excavator generally must notify the protection service at least two working days before digging, not counting the day the notice is made, and no more than 16 calendar days before work starts. The previous version said at least 48 hours and no more than ten working days. A weekend or legal holiday can make “we’ll dig in two days” the wrong assumption. Special statutory cases have their own requirements, so the ordinary window is a planning starting point, not a guaranteed start date.
If you hire someone to install your fence, ask who will actually dig and who will submit the notice. OHIO811 says the person making the excavation is responsible and recommends that homeowners ask a hired contractor for the ticket number and the status of the utilities notified. You do not need to guess whether a phone call was made or assume the permit, if one is needed, takes care of the locate request. Those are separate steps.
Read the responses, not just the paint
After a notice is submitted, registered utility operators review the proposed dig area. They may mark a buried facility’s route or report that their facilities do not conflict with the work. OHIO811’s positive-response guidance says excavators should check that the notified members have responded before digging. No flags in the lawn does not, by itself, mean every utility has cleared the job.
The colors can help you understand what has been marked: red indicates electric lines, yellow gas or other hazardous product lines, orange communications, blue drinking water, and green sewer or drainage. But the mark shows a route, not the exact depth of a line. Ohio law treats any depth indication as an estimate unless the facility has actually been uncovered or probed. Digging near a marked line still calls for care under the excavator’s legal duties.
For a fence, compare the proposed post and gate positions with the markings before anyone starts boring holes. If a mark appears where a post is planned, that is a question to resolve with the excavator and relevant utility, not a reason to assume the hole can simply shift a few inches. A drawing of the fence cannot answer where the buried facility runs on that particular lot.
Remember the lines a standard 811 response may miss
A standard OHIO811 notice reaches registered utility owners, not necessarily every line installed or owned by the property owner. OHIO811 gives examples such as power running to a shed, water to a pool, a septic line, and underground pet fencing. Some service lines may also need a private locator. Mention known lighting, irrigation, drainage, or other buried features when discussing the route, and ask whether separate locating is needed. An old sketch or your recollection is helpful context, but it is not a substitute for locating an uncertain line.
Tom’s Mulch Fence & Deck offers fence installation in the Miami Valley. If you’re planning a fence, ask the installer how the dig area will be described on the ticket, who will review the utility responses, and how a conflict with the intended fence line will be handled.
If markings disappear before excavation is complete, the excavator must notify the utility through the protection service so it can remark them. Check OHIO811’s homeowner FAQ for the current process rather than relying on a last-project ticket. The useful order is simple: agree on the proposed route, allow for the required notice and responses, identify possible private lines, then settle any post-location conflict before digging.
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For more information about Toms Mulch Fence and Deck, contact the company here:
Toms Mulch Fence and Deck
Corey Hughes
+19377076878
cjhughes3139@gmail.com
2107 Ferry Rd, Sugarcreek Township, OH 45305, United States
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