An orange flag marks the location of underground telecommunications lines near the curb. VerticalScope Inc., 111 Peter Street, Suite 600, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 2H1, Canada. You cannot legally work from someone else's request. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Image Credit: Rick Beauregard, Shutterstock. In cases where you accidentally removed it, its best to call 811 for help. After a few passes, something catches my eye: a wire staff flag which was laying in the lawn, managed to implant itself in the sidewall of the back right tire of my VRide! Gunbuilder is right, they are good for 10 days to 2 weeks before requiring a relocate. At the same time, if your property is the only area neighbors can access to get to another street, that means you cant block the way or you cant even stop them from crossing your yard. A tip from many homeowners is to bug the company about your concern. But if it happens to you, you should know that it means someone is planning to turn it into an excavation site. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to submit the form, Do I Need a Permit to Build a Shed? Lets take this scenario for example: I wake up to find Verizon digging in my yard because of an service upgrade job. You can find this by searching the .gov website of your state of residence. (Highly Deer Resistant). Winds SE at 5 to 10 mph. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. We've been plugging sidewalls on mowers for years. The only person who should be removing them is the one responsible for the placement of the flags. (Answer Inside), Does Windex or Fabuloso Kill Roaches? For instance, she may place marks at the northeast and southwest corners of a piece of land to . The flags wont be there for long. If youre having trouble contacting the company or if you feel they are not attending to your concern, you have two ways to approach this: Is it possible to sue your utility company? And a damaged gas line can cause soil contamination and even explosion. But keep in mind that removing these flags are a big no-no. And at highway speeds, that is dangerous. What do normal homeowner's do about utility flags/markings? As a result, they will give an estimate, which includes your property. If the house you purchased came with an easement, theres nothing you can do but comply. Blue Water, slurry, and irrigation lines. Just because the flags are in your lawn does not mean your lawn will be effected. Should I expect them to pay for the damages? Have you ever wondered about orange flags? It only takes a minute to sign up. All they do it dump and run. While the purpose of easements are to mainly allow utility companies to access your area for work, your neighbor may also own easements. The removal usually happens when the job is done. 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. It looks like the link pointing here was faulty. According to the Pennsylvania Underground Utility Line Protection Act (Act 287): Seeing a utility flag on your lawn or elsewhere around your apartment calls for concern. The color codes are as follows: Proposed excavation will be marked in white, power lines will mark in red, gas lines will mark in yellow, all communication lines will mark in orange, water marks in blue, sewer marks in green and Purple is for Reclaimed Water, Irrigation and Slurry Lines. This means Yard Blogger may earn a commission should you make a purchase using any of our links. In an instance where you find a flag installed on your yard and no work is done after 14 days, you can remove the flag. When you see a pink flag utility flag on your yard, then you should not worry at the moment because there would not be heavy equipment moving, digging, or excavating. Utility companies usually place flags to mark . There are a few utility flags that you may remove, but you need to contact the utility company handling your area to do that. Before you buy a new tree, find out about its growth potential. (We Checked With the USPS)Continue, Electric fences are an efficient way to keep critters or other unwanted visitors out of your yard. That way, contractors will not dig it up. To take matters to court, you must be ready with proof that the utility company has been negligent with their task. When calling for locates, please have the following information ready: Who the work is being done for (general contractor or project) Type . To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Thanks for contributing an answer to Home Improvement Stack Exchange! Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. In the sections below, were going to provide you with tips on what you can do as a homeowner. Before deciding, you want to remove utility flags on your property because you did not authorize them to be placed. Question: is it my responsibility to remove the flags? Power, telephone, gas, and water lines are buried underground, likely on your property. She loves to take sunbathe and do a barbecue in her free time. Last month a dozen utility flags appeared on my front lawn, my neighbors front lawn and along our property line. You can guess at what company placed what flags based on you local utility providers. Its even more frustrating to see people come to your yard and put up flags without permission. Speak with the 811 operator and ask if they can provide any information about what is happening at your address. For more information, visit California811. For red flags, try to call your Electric Company. Then, plan accordingly when you're ready to plant so that there's ample space between the plant and utility line. The green flag has a sinkhole cover plate symbol; the flag indicates sewage and drain lines which are also very important. Flags protect you and your community. These flags aside, the color comes with symbols. It will be about 2 weeks before I can get the landscaping work done. Never allow anyone to dig on your property without contacting Missouri 811 first. The other reason flags have appeared in your yard is because someone is planning to do work. Those are the little white and yellow flags you . The mess they leave. The APWA color code guide can tell you which colors indicate which type of utility. The only person who should be removing them is the one responsible for the placement of the flags. Utility services such as cable TV, telephone, electric, gas, water and sewer are often buried underground. If you have blue flags, you can call the water company, and so on. But, they will almost certainly remove the flags upon work completion. Yard Blogger provides practical tips and friendly expert advice on everything relating to your home and yard. Do not remove the flags, stakes or paint marks until you have finished . You have permission to edit this article. When I can remove them? (Roofing Ideas & Options)Continue. The blue flag marking indicates portable water lines and is not to be tampered with for any reason. Utility companies usually place flags to mark . However tempting it may be, one should not remove those flags. The purple flag indicates Reclaimed water lines, irrigation lines, and slurry lines. When someone is going to dig up the ground for any reason, they are required to locate utilities first. These projects involve underground facilities that need to be protected. Thanks for the insight - I'll leave all the flags where they are and hope they're gone in time for spring cleanup around the yard. Its expected of a property owner to be bothered by the sight of colorful flags in their yard. Red utility flags are used to mark underground electric and cable lines. 4. 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. To know the exact kind of utility work and what the work may entail, you would find out from the kind of utility flags put in your yard; the flags are differentiated with varying colors. If the company or its subcontractors do damage to your land while doing their work, you must immediately notify the persons involved. I'm assuming the work hasn't been completed yet since the flags haven't been removed from their yard. Utility flags are placed to prevent any disturbances or accidents in the area as utility work is being carried out. Utilities companies are good at scattering the stupid things all over the lawn.but don't come back to clean up their mess. Water gas phone sewer.They flag the entire 1/4 mile rd frontage to work in 1 little stop grrrrr. More people now want to invest, Read More Can I Have a Shipping Container in My Backyard Legally?Continue, A pergola is a great way to add some extra shade to your yard or garden, and it can, Read More Can a Pergola Have a Solid Roof? The yellow flag marking indicates oil, gas, steam, petroleum, and gaseous materials utility lines. mine haven't leaked in years. The question of legality and the right to remove utility flags from your lawn or property can be tricky. 8 Ponder upsets No. Choose wisely! Stop mower. they never come back to remove them. The state requires utility companies and their subcontractors to locate and mark where underground lines are buried. That way, contractors will not dig it up. At this point you might start to wonder, Can I remove utility flags in my yard?. This allows utilities to come out and mark their buried lines before the project begins. You may have no idea what it is and you just see it as something that ruins the overall aesthetics of your yard. You may panic as someone just came to your property to put up the marking flags. Construction workers do road repair near the intersection of Alice and Egan streets in June. Utility flags can help prevent damage to expensive underground wires or stop gas leaks before they become possible catastrophes. Here are the different colors used in marking flags and what they mean: Red Electric power lines, cables, conduits, and lighting cables. 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. We will label this asEOI(End of Information). They should leave the yard in substantially the same condition they found it. Any paint markings aren't permanent and should fade over time. Please call the Public Works Department at 952-447-9896 or use this form to report sod damage. If youre asking, what color will CATV flags in my yard or at&T flags in my yard be, then the answer is orange. In fact, most homes have utility easements running through the yards, both front and back. Obviously the safety factor is greater if you're trusting a plug in a sidewall of a vehicle at highway speeds, they also don't externally plug vehicle tires in the tread either, they come from the inside which requires removal of the tire. The answer is NO, you can't remove any utility flags placed in your yard. You can get more details as to who requested the placement by calling the hotline. In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. To children, those colorful flags could be very attractive. There were 2 supermarkets on that circuit as well as many other business's. The lawsuits from just the two supermarkets was over $800,000 in lost perishables. 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. A pink utility flag indicates there is a temporary survey marking going on in the area. We will label this, When hiring a privateunderground utility locating company, you expect that they will find all of the underground utilities present within the project or location that, The release of last months Common Ground Alliance 2016 DIRT Report is a sobering reminder about how important it is to excavate safely around underground, Let's Discuss Your Project. The locators will mark your yard with paint or flags in various colors that indicate where utility lines are . Create a password that only you will remember. In most cases, it is illegal to tamper with these markings. They are there for a purpose, which is to protect underground lines that may be damaged during digging. The flags and paint marks may be an annoyance, but they are crucial for the safety of construction workers and others near a work site. If you are unable to gather the information from the state 811, you can simply refer to the color of the flag. First, we can help answer they "Why" part of the equation. You can then speak with this person to see if they have completed the work or if the flags are even needed in your yard. Utility lines are a matter of public or state-owned facilities that are meant to serve the public. (Yes. According to Krueger, once a project is completed, it's the responsibility of the contractor to remove the flags. In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. This does not mean that someone will be parking a huge excavator in front of your home and tearing up your entire lawn. If you happen to notice that these flags have shown up in your entire neighborhood, this is likely the case. In instances where youve seen the flag on your yard for 14 days without someone doing any work, you can remove them. Since they are placed to mark gas lines, removing them will defeat the purpose of protecting the lines. The other reason why there are flags on your lawn is that there is a bigger excavation project planned in your area. If youre dealing with this problem, you should probably stick around and read the rest of this blog post. one of them has like 10 plugs crammed into the same big hole. When they dig the holes do their work and leave. You also need to prove that they have failed to repair the damages or provide compensation. If you are unable to gather the information from the state 811, you can simply refer to the color of the flag. Instead, call 811 dig hotline, report what happened, and request for them to mark the utility lines again. 1 Madison in playoff rematch, Police: Mans car shot at as he sat in driveway in far west Denton, Purple-and-Gold powerlifters to compete at regionals, Tornado damage surveys for 3/2 and 3/3/2023. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'yardpit_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',116,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-yardpit_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Because utility lines and flags used to mark them are placed on public rights, private individuals do not have a right to tamper with utility flags and where they are placed in most cases. But the fact is, utility companies often do just that. In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. OK, so today I am on my virtually new VRide cutting an apartment complex which has some marking flags in the lawn. 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. I've got 2 properties that are peppered with these flags. If the utility flags are not in place, workers can just dig and end up damaging underground lines. (We Checked With the USPS). More importantly, its your responsibility to follow-up so dont be shy about it. You may be so tempted to remove utility color flags from your yard. In most states, it is illegal to tamper with any underground utility markings that were placed in accordance with your states Call 811 dig laws. If you discover utility lines put up in your garden, some repair or maintenance works will be carried on the utility lines in the area. You should always consult with an attorney or legal professional before taking any action. In some, they are valid for only two weeks especially if you havent observed any activity. If you do so, someone can file a complaint against you and you could face a lawsuit. What is utility easement anyway? and our Mr. Holder has over 15 years of subsurface utility engineering and utility locating experience on various engineering and construction phase projects across a variety of market sectors including DOT / Highway, Pharmaceutical, Energy, and Commercial / Industrial properties. I'll chat with them today. This does not necessarily mean that the work to be done would involve your lawn or house. Contact the state agency that supervises all public utilities. There are a few important reasons why there are flags on your lawn. However, waking up to utility flags scattered across your lawn and someone digging in your yard is another story entirely. Scan this QR code to download the app now. If you find a turtle in your yard, try to identify its species if you can. (Do This First)Continue, Well water offers many positive advantages, most importantly, fewer utility bills! infrared lenses You may have removed it before realizing its purpose. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. Can I Have an Electric Fence Around My Property Legally? Give the utility flag company a call first to inquire about their presence, and whether or not it's safe to remove them. We would advise that you do not remove the markings or flags. If your lawn is marked and you didn't know about it, then either your neighbors are planning . Removing Utility Flags. Come join the discussion about performance, modifications, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more! 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. At the same time, the flags on private property would be removed by the property owners. This is because the removal of utility flags can land you in trouble with the states authorities. "The contractor needs to know the location of the lines in the area in which they are digging in order to stay . they will stay there forever until you remove them or the home owner. 811 just marked my utilities, can I mow my lawn? Get exclusive coverage about business in Denton County in your inbox twice a month, with a focus on the housing market. Usually, the property deed comes with a utility easement, so that it remains valid and does not change even when the property has been sold or transferred. 5. You can speak with the operator at 811 and ask for the details about the project in your area. Also, most flags bear the name of the company that placed them, so you should be able to see the contact information. 7x14 Stealth SE Enclosed with 48" side ramp. Anyone who plans to dig should call 811 or go to their state 811 center's website a few business days before digging to request that the approximate location of buried utilities be marked with paint or flags so that you don't unintentionally dig into an underground utility line. Mow your yard. ; Orange Telecommunication systems, alarm and signal lines, as well as cables or conduits. In some, they are valid for only two weeks especially if you havent observed any activity. Children may also accidentally take those flags out. Manage Settings This means they can step on your yard and not be considered trespassing, as long as they use this access for a specific purpose.