Homeowners

The call or internet request to Miss Utility is FREE!!

According to Maryland Title 12 Law; If a contractor is working for you, the contractor must have a ticket in their company name. They cannot perform any work using a homeowner’s ticket number.

The notified utility owner-members will not mark privately owned underground lines. These include but are not limited to; invisible fencing, sprinkler systems, well and septic systems and their power or electric service, water and sewer pipes from the meter to your home, etc. If you have private underground lines and want them located, you should contact a private locating company before digging. Please refer to your local telephone directory for companies providing private locating services.

Call the Miss Utility Call Center for assistance. If the damage results in a release of natural gas or other hazardous material or the damage creates an emergency – immediately take steps to safeguard life, health and property AND call “911” or your local emergency personnel to report the emergency.

YES, simply dial 811 or 1-800-257-7777 to reach a Miss Utility Call Center customer service representative. Please be prepared and have a pen/pencil and paper ready to receive important information.

The customer service representative will ask you a series of questions needed to process your locate request that will include the following;

• Your home address and contact information including alternate contact information.
• The County the work or digging will take place in.
• The type of work you will be doing.
• The city or town the work will take place in.
• The physical address of the work site.
• The name of the closest intersecting street.
• Will you be digging on State property or within 15 ft of a State Rd?
  • If yes, what state agency is involved and what is the permit number
• The area you will be working and digging in.
• Driving directions from a well-known intersection may be needed if your street can not be found on our maps.
• Additionally, if you need to add notes or remarks to your ticket (i.e. gates will be unlocked) we will be happy to provide those additional remarks on your ticket.

If you are digging in:

• Maryland: not sooner than 3 business days after the ticket is initiated and not later than 12 business days after the ticket is initiated.
• Delaware: at least (2) full working days, but not more than 10 working days.
• District of Columbia: at least 96 hours, but no more than 10 days before the commencement of the proposed excavation or demolition.

The Miss Utility Call Center will provide you a unique ticket number after we collect all the data that is required to complete the notice process. Keep the ticket number in a safe place and be prepared to provide the ticket number whenever you call the Miss Utility Call Center. In addition, the customer service representative will provide:

• A list of utility owner-members who will receive your ticket
• The ticket’s work to begin date
• The ticket’s expiration date (MD and DC only)
• The marking color codes
• Ticket Check® information
• Safe work clearance
• Updating procedures

No, you do not need to be home for the notified utility owner-members to perform their locating work on your property. But, please make sure gates are unlocked and pets are secured if access is needed to those areas.

Locating technicians will identify underground owner-member utility lines by using a colored paint that relates to the particular owner-member’s underground lines. The paint is temporary, solvent, biodegradable and either chalk or water based.

APWA Uniform Color Code

The facility owner or their contract locator will mark the ground with either flags or paint. The colors below are industry standard and each color identifies a specific type of utility.

In Maryland, DC, and Delaware, the notified utility owner-members will provide their locate status to the Ticket Check® System. Before digging, use Search & Status, or call 1-866-821-4226, to check each of the owner-member responses to your ticket. REMEMBER, you cannot begin digging until all notified utility owner members have provided a positive response to your ticket.

If you believe the notified utility owner-members have not responded to your ticket and after you have verified their response via the Ticket Check® System, call the Miss Utility Call Center for assistance.

The Maryland and District of Columbia law states you must hand dig 18 inches (24 inches in Delaware) on each side of the utility mark(s) to expose the utility line in your excavation area. Once you expose the line, no mechanized equipment is to be used within 18 inches (24 inches in Delaware) on all sides of the outermost extremity of the line/pipe. If you are using a contractor to work on your property, the contractor must have a Miss Utility ticket in their company name. The contractor cannot dig on your homeowner ticket.

Call the Miss Utility Call Center, Monday-Friday from 7:00am to 5:00pm (excluding holidays) and we will process a cancellation notice for you.

• While digging, please respect the marks. If they are obliterated or washed away by rain, call the Miss Utility Call Center so we can inform the utility owner-members listed on your ticket that a re-mark is necessary.
• It is suggested that you identify your dig site by using white paint. This will save valuable locate time and eliminate unnecessary paint markings on your property.
• When calling the Miss Utility Call Center regarding your excavation notice, be prepared to provide your ticket number.
• Contacting the Miss Utility Call Center for ticket processing and using the Ticket Check® System are free services.
• Remember to provide at least a 96-hour notice when planned digging will take place in the District of Columbia, a minimum of 3 business days after the ticket is initiated in Maryland and 2 full business days when planned digging will take place in Delaware.
• Underground lines are continually being installed, it is important that each time you plan on digging; you process a locate request regardless of excavation depth.