In Florida, call 811 before you dig. That three-digit number connects you to Sunshine 811, the state’s official one-call notification center for underground utilities. If 811 won’t connect from your phone, dial the toll-free line at 1-800-432-4770. Both lines run 24 hours a day, the service is free, and Florida law requires at least two full business days of advance notice before most excavation work begins.1Sunshine 811. Sunshine 811
How to Reach Sunshine 811
You have two ways to file a locate request. Calling 811 or 1-800-432-4770 puts an operator on the line who takes your information and generates the ticket while you’re on the phone. If you’d rather do it yourself, the Exactix online portal at exactix.sunshine811.com accepts requests at any hour. Both methods produce the same ticket and send the same notifications to utility companies with lines near your dig site.
Information to Have Ready Before You Call
An incomplete request delays everything, because the two-business-day clock only starts once the system accepts a complete submission. Florida Statute 556.105(1) spells out what every excavator has to provide:2Florida Senate. Florida Code 556.105 – Procedures
- Your full name, employer name and address, phone number, and an email address for the positive response notification
- The dig site’s county, city or nearest city, street address or nearest road or intersection, and the boundaries of the excavation area
- Start date and estimated duration of the project
- Whether you’ll use machinery or dig by hand
- Who the work is for (property owner, general contractor, and so on)
- Type of work (fence, pool, drainage, etc.)
- Approximate depth of the planned excavation
Pre-marking your dig area with white paint, flags, or stakes is only required when the site can’t be described precisely enough for a locator to find it from the address and written description alone.3Florida Statutes. Florida Code 556.114 – Additional Requirements Many contractors white-line every job anyway because it speeds locates and cuts down on miscommunication. If your site is a large open lot or the dig area isn’t obvious from the street, mark it before locators arrive.
Timelines and How Long Your Ticket Lasts
You must submit your locate request at least two full business days before excavation begins. The day you submit doesn’t count, and neither do weekends or state-observed holidays.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 556.105 – Procedures If you call on a Wednesday, the earliest you can dig is the following Monday, assuming no holidays fall in between. Underwater excavations need ten full business days of notice.
Your locate ticket stays valid for 30 calendar days from the submission date.2Florida Senate. Florida Code 556.105 – Procedures If the job runs longer, renew the ticket before the window closes. Renewal also refreshes the paint and flags, which fade quickly in Florida sun and rain.
What Happens After You Submit
Sunshine 811 accepts your information, issues a ticket number, and forwards the details to every member utility with infrastructure near your dig site. Those companies dispatch locators to mark their buried lines.4Sunshine 811. Homeowner Keep your ticket number. It’s your proof of compliance and the key to tracking each utility’s response.
Locators use the national APWA color code, so a glance at the ground tells you what’s underneath:5American Public Works Association. Uniform Color Code
- Red: electric power lines and lighting cables
- Yellow: gas, oil, steam, or petroleum lines
- Orange: communication, alarm, or signal cables
- Blue: potable water
- Green: sewer and drain lines
- Purple: reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines
- Pink: temporary survey markings
- White: proposed excavation area
Before you break ground, check the Positive Response system on the Sunshine 811 website. Every utility on your ticket has to log a status such as “marked,” “clear,” or “no conflict.”1Sunshine 811. Sunshine 811 Don’t start digging until each one has posted a final response. A bare patch of ground doesn’t necessarily mean nothing is buried there. It could mean the locator hasn’t arrived yet.
Digging Near a Marked Line: The Tolerance Zone
Florida defines the tolerance zone as 24 inches measured horizontally from the outer edge of either side of a marked utility.6Florida Statutes. Florida Code 556.103 – Definitions Inside that zone you cannot run mechanized equipment unless the excavator directly supervises it, and even then Florida law requires hand digging, potholing, vacuum excavation, or another careful method to expose the line before you continue.7Florida Statutes. Florida Code 556.105 – Procedures
Use round or blunt-edged shovels near marked lines rather than mattocks or pry bars. Dig alongside the mark first, then work toward it. Never leave an exposed line unattended at the end of a workday.
When Homeowners Are Exempt
Not every shovel triggers a legal obligation to call. Florida’s exemptions include:8Florida House of Representatives. Florida Code 556.106 – Exemptions
- Homeowners of single-family homes digging 10 inches or less entirely on their own property, provided the work doesn’t touch a utility easement or right-of-way. Due care is still required.
- Normal agricultural and railroad activities, as long as the work stays off any marked utility right-of-way or easement.
- Licensed surveyors and pest control professionals hand-digging 18 inches or less, provided they stay clear of marked utility corridors.
- Member utility operators hand-digging to repair or maintain their own facilities at depths of 30 inches or less.
The 10-inch homeowner exemption catches people off guard. Planting a small shrub probably qualifies. A fence post does not, because post holes typically run 24 to 36 inches deep. When in doubt, calling 811 costs nothing.
What Sunshine 811 Won’t Mark
Member utilities only mark the lines they own, which usually stop at the meter. Everything on your side of the meter is a private line, and 811 won’t locate it.9Sunshine 811. Private Facilities Private lines include:
- Electrical runs to detached garages, sheds, barns, or pool equipment
- Sprinkler and irrigation systems
- Septic and sewer laterals
- Propane or natural gas lines to grills and pool heaters
- Invisible dog fences, landscape lighting, and data cables
Commercial sites face the same gap with parking lot lighting, fire mains, and building-to-building connections.9Sunshine 811. Private Facilities If you suspect private lines run through your dig area, a private locating company can scan the site with ground-penetrating radar or electromagnetic detection for a few hundred dollars, well below the cost of repairing a severed irrigation main or shorted pool heater.
Penalties for Skipping the Call
Florida treats unauthorized digging as a noncriminal infraction, but the fines climb quickly. A standard violation, such as digging without a valid locate ticket, carries a civil penalty of up to $500 plus court costs per infraction. An enhanced violation involving damage or repeat offenses jumps to $2,500 plus court costs.10Florida Statutes. Florida Code 556.107 – Noncriminal Infractions, Penalties, and Enforcement
If a violation causes a high-priority subsurface installation incident, the State Fire Marshal can impose a civil penalty of up to $50,000.11Florida Statutes. Florida Code 556.116 – High-Priority Subsurface Installation Incidents Intentionally removing or destroying valid utility markings is a second-degree misdemeanor, punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a $500 criminal fine, and ignoring a citation carries the same misdemeanor charge.10Florida Statutes. Florida Code 556.107 – Noncriminal Infractions, Penalties, and Enforcement None of that includes the cost of repairing the utility itself, which the responsible party typically pays.
If You Hit a Line
Strikes happen even with careful planning. The first few minutes matter.
- Stop all work. Don’t try to fix, cap, or contain the damage yourself.
- For a gas line, evacuate. Don’t operate vehicles, cell phones, or anything that could spark near the leak. Move upwind and a safe distance away before calling 911.
- For an electrical line, keep everyone clear of the exposed line and any equipment touching it. Electrocution risk extends through the ground around the contact point.
- Call 911 for any fire, explosion, gas odor, or live electrical hazard.
- Call the utility company once everyone is safe.
- Document the scene. Take photos, note the time, and file an incident report with the utility company and Sunshine 811. Your locate ticket number proves you followed the law before digging.
Secure the area with barriers or warning tape before you leave. Resuming work or walking away without notifying anyone is the worst response.