Diggers Hotline is Wisconsin's one-call center. One request reaches every utility with buried lines in your dig area, and each one sends someone to mark its lines.(Diggers Hotline) Diggers Hotline doesn't mark anything itself.(Diggers Hotline) It's free to you; the utilities pay a fee for each request.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
- The law: give at least 3 working days' notice before you dig, not counting Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175) Diggers Hotline's working hours are 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on working days.(Diggers Hotline)
- The holidays that don't count are Wisconsin's state holidays, plus the partisan primary and the November general election in even years. A holiday on Sunday moves to Monday; one on Saturday stays on Saturday.(Diggers Hotline)
- Online requests wait for staff review, so you may get a 4-working-day start instead of 3. Diggers Hotline suggests allowing four.(Diggers Hotline)
- Your ticket shows your legal start date and time. Digging before it is prohibited and can cost you your protection under the law.(Diggers Hotline) Diggers Hotline can't move it up; every utility on the ticket would have to agree directly.(Diggers Hotline)
- You can't file more than 30 calendar days ahead.(Diggers Hotline)
Who Has to Call
- Homeowners do, in their own yards.(Diggers Hotline) The law defines digging as moving earth "by means of any tools," and anyone who digs counts. There's no homeowner exception.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
- Hand tools and shallow holes count.(Diggers Hotline) Lines can be very shallow, and locators don't tell you how deep they are.(Diggers Hotline) The only exemption written into the law is for burials in a cemetery.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
- Diggers Hotline's examples of projects that need a request: trees, fences, retaining walls, irrigation, mailboxes and landscaping.(Diggers Hotline) Gardens count too.(Diggers Hotline)
How to File
- By phone: dial 811 from any phone in Wisconsin, or 800-242-8511.(Diggers Hotline) Phone requests are taken 24 hours a day, every day of the year.(Diggers Hotline) MGE lists a TDD number for callers who are deaf or hard of hearing.(MGE)
- Online: homeowners can use the DIY Portal. Staff review online requests, usually the same day between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.(Diggers Hotline)
- What you'll need: your name and contact information, the county and town, street address, nearest cross street and how far you are from it, where on the property to mark, what the work is, and when you'll start. The law requires all of it.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
- Mark your dig area in white first, with paint, flags or rope, and say so in your request. It's not required, but it helps locators.(Diggers Hotline)(Diggers Hotline)
- One address per request. If you dig outside the area you described, you need a new one.(Diggers Hotline)
- No ticket email, no digging. Online filers get the ticket from operations@diggershotline.com; check your spam folder. If staff can't reach you about an online request and you don't call back within 3 business days, it's voided. Questions about an online request: 800-722-4120.(Diggers Hotline)
What the Colors Mean
Wisconsin law sets the colors utilities use. Marks can be paint, flags or stakes, depending on the ground.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)(Diggers Hotline)
| Color | What's buried there |
|---|---|
| Red | Electric power lines, cables and lighting cables |
| Yellow | Gas, oil, steam or other flammable material |
| Orange | Communications, cable TV, alarm or signal lines |
| Blue | Water, irrigation and slurry lines |
| Green | Sewer and drain lines |
| Pink | Temporary survey marks |
| White | Your proposed dig area (you mark this) |
- Marks show the approximate location only.(Diggers Hotline) MGE marks with paint or chalk plus flags or stakes, and adds its initials.(MGE)
- One utility marking "no conflict" doesn't mean the others have no lines there.(Diggers Hotline)
- Cities that own water and sewer mains must mark the laterals in the public right-of-way, or provide records. The part of a lateral on your property isn't covered.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
The 18-Inch Zone
- Keep power equipment at least 18 inches from either side of a mark, and dig only by hand inside that zone.(Diggers Hotline)(Wis. Stat. 182.0175) The same goes for utility structures.(Diggers Hotline)
- Power augers and rototillers count. A fence post closer than 18 inches to a mark has to be dug by hand,(Diggers Hotline) and a rototiller has to stay 18 inches away.(Diggers Hotline)
- Planting a tree? Diggers Hotline suggests keeping it four or five feet from marked lines, never right on top of one.(Diggers Hotline)
Lines Nobody Marks
Utilities mark the lines they own. Lines you own aren't marked, because their owners don't have to join Diggers Hotline and are never notified.(Diggers Hotline) The law makes Diggers Hotline tell every caller this, and name propane specifically.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175) Lines that won't be marked include:
- Anything after the meter, including gas piping past it, which belongs to you.(Diggers Hotline)(Alliant Energy)
- Propane lines, and privately owned fuel lines to a garage, pool or fireplace.(Diggers Hotline)(Alliant Energy)
- Sewer and water laterals, sprinkler lines, yard lighting and lamp posts, power to a barn or detached garage, and invisible dog fences.(Diggers Hotline)
Finding private lines is up to you. You can hire a private locating company; Diggers Hotline keeps a list of them.(Diggers Hotline) Since 2007, anyone installing a plastic water or sewer lateral has had to bury a locating wire with it, so newer laterals can be traced.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
Keeping Your Ticket Good
- Start within 10 days of your ticket's start date, and don't stop work for more than 10 days. Diggers Hotline counts calendar days.(Diggers Hotline)(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
- If marks get destroyed or covered, by rain, mowing or anything else, request a relocate.(Diggers Hotline) On a valid ticket, the new start is generally 24 hours later, not counting weekends and holidays. If your ticket has lapsed, it's a new 3-working-day request.(Diggers Hotline)
- Keeping the marks intact is your job.(MGE) Pulling up a utility's marks on purpose, other than while digging, is a misdemeanor.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175) When the project's done, pull the flags.(Diggers Hotline)
- Tickets don't carry over the winter: after February 1, a ticket that wasn't filed or relocated since before November 1 needs a full 3-working-day request.(Diggers Hotline)
Did Everyone Mark?
- Look up your ticket with Ticket Search using its 11-digit number. It lists the utilities notified and their phone numbers.(Diggers Hotline)
- Many utilities post a status for each ticket, which online filers also get by email: green means marked or clear, red means not done yet, black means the utility doesn't take part. Taking part is voluntary, but every utility still has to mark.(Diggers Hotline)
- If a utility hasn't marked by your start time, check the yard for its marks, call the number on the ticket, or request a No-Show Relocate through 811.(Diggers Hotline)(Wisconsin PSC)
- Keep your ticket number. It's your proof you called.(Diggers Hotline)
If You Hit a Line
If gas is escaping: put out anything that could spark, leave upwind on foot without starting a vehicle, and call 911 from a safe place, then the gas company.(Diggers Hotline) Don't try to stop or fix the leak, and never bury it.(Diggers Hotline)
- Report even a nick: dents, scratches and cut tracer wire all count.(Diggers Hotline) The law requires you to tell the line's owner right away, and not to backfill until the owner has inspected and repaired it.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
- MGE: 608-252-7000 or 1-800-245-1125. MGE inspects possibly damaged lines at no charge.(MGE) Alliant Energy: 1-800-255-4268; it says small nicks can lead to failure later.(Alliant Energy)
- Electric lines: treat them as live, keep everyone away, and call the electric utility to cut power.(Diggers Hotline)
- Fiber-optic lines: never look into a cut end.(Diggers Hotline)
Fines and Liability
- The state's fines for not calling, up to $25,000 per violation for gas and hazardous lines and $2,000 for others, don't apply to a homeowner or tenant digging on their own property. They do apply to a contractor you hire.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175)
- You still have to call, and you can still be sued for the damage: the law leaves other claims in place.(Wis. Stat. 182.0175) MGE says damage will be expensive if you didn't call first.(MGE)
- Hiring someone for a fence, deck or landscaping? Ask for their Diggers Hotline ticket number before they dig. The permit guide covers which of those projects also need a permit in your town.
Questions
Do I have to call Diggers Hotline to dig in my own yard?
Yes. Wisconsin law covers anyone who moves earth with any tool, shovels included, and Diggers Hotline says homeowners digging in their own yard must call. The only exemption in the law is for burials in a cemetery. Gardening, hand digging and shallow holes aren't exempt.
How far ahead do I have to call Diggers Hotline?
At least 3 working days before you dig. Saturdays, Sundays and legal holidays don't count. Online requests can get a 4-working-day start because staff review them first, so Diggers Hotline suggests allowing 4.
Is Diggers Hotline free?
Yes. The utilities pay a fee for each request; the person digging pays nothing.
What is the Diggers Hotline phone number?
Dial 811 from any phone in Wisconsin, or call 800-242-8511. Phone requests are taken 24 hours a day, every day. Homeowners can also file online through the DIY Portal.
Will Diggers Hotline mark my sprinkler lines or the line to my garage?
No. Private lines aren't marked: anything after the meter, propane lines, sewer and water laterals on your lot, sprinklers, yard lighting, power to a detached garage, and invisible dog fences. Finding those is up to you; Diggers Hotline keeps a list of private locating companies.
How long are the flags and paint marks good for?
Start within 10 days of your ticket's start date and don't stop work for more than 10 days. If you do, or the marks get washed out or covered, request a relocate.
How close to a flag can I dig?
Keep power equipment, including augers and rototillers, at least 18 inches from either side of a mark. Inside that zone, dig only by hand.