Add to the questions to ask before digging

[BigEddy]

Digging a trench for a friend last night.
All utilities marked
Gas
Phone
Cable
Electric
Water
Septic
Heat Pump lines

What else can you hit?

Well
5 minutes into it - caught the ground bar for the electrical panel and pulled it out. No harm done - but had to buy some more bare copper, a couple of clamps, and hammer the darn thing back in.

Got that fixed and finished the trench, only to dig up the invisible fence for the dogs. Again - an easy fix - but just goes to show the number of things that are out there. Ask before you dig!

And finally - the whole project was required because the buried drain line from his sump pump had been broken previously. I would have hit it too if it hadn't already been broken.

So I've added 3 more things to my list.
Anyone have any other things they ask about before they dig?

 

[rdln]

How much am I getting paid?

Does that include beer?

 

[Junkman]

Any animals buried on the property? A friend dug up a pets grave because it wasn't marked. Upset everyone.. /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[keeney]

Some intersting questions and answers during the building of my house. I won't say which of these were me digging vs. the professional contractors and utilities that were involved in the project.

Any sprinkler main lines? Answer: Yes, and the pump will be on, so make provisions to drain the trench before backfilling.

Any sprinkler lateral lines that are where I thought they were? Nope, they are in a different location.

Any old abonded septic tanks? Answer = Yes, but please don't find them because then the city will make me remove them.

Any really hard old concrete foundations from a previously removed house? Answer = Yes, but don't worry, the demolition contractor said he removed it all.

Any neighbor's invisible fence lines installed 15 feet across property line? Answer = Yes, but their dog won't know its off except for the incessant beeping of the transmitter unit.

Any neighbor's power lines that were installed across the property? Answer = Why would the electric company mark lines for an address that hasn't called for a locate?

What about this cable TV line? Answer = Don't worry about it, I don't have time to watch TV anyway, I'm too busy building a house.

Any man-holes from abandoned sanitary sewer lift stations in this sewer easement? Answer = No, the as-built drawings from the city indicate that the lift station was built several feet outside of the easement.

What about this other man-hole the trencher hit? Answer = leave it, we can connect my sewer to it.

What about this marked gas line that was way shallower than expected that I hit while hand digging? Answer = its not leaking, cover it back up.

Any new houses in the way of this retaining wall attached to this new house? Answer = not any with siding yet, but there is some just-installed-today custom aluminum roof fascia 12' above where you are digging.

Any "really big rocks"? Answer = yes, and they are sure to be right in the path of the trench.

OK to destroy the silt fences? Answer = no, but I know you will anyway.

What about these young trees? Answer = they are unlikely to survive everybody else who will be here with a Bobcat or a trencher, so don't worry about them.

Any city water line main valve covers that were marked, but are now buried under a pile of black dirt that was recently delivered? Answer: yes, you will find it when you are moving the black dirt.

Any survey stakes at the corners? Answer = no, the neighbors pulled them out.

Any really sharp, broken-off 2x2" stakes driven into the ground down here by the sandy lakeshore where we walk with bare feet? Answer = no, the sod installers said they removed the silt fence stakes when they put in the sod.

Is it OK to drive this old house you sold us across the neighbors crumbling old driveway? Answer = Yes, they want a new driveway.

What about these cement trucks? Answer = Sure, you can split the cost of the neighbor's new driveway with the house movers.

What about this truck full of prestressed and this crane? No, the neighbor's new driveway is already fully funded.

Any recently excavated areas I shouldn't drive over and sink into with this truck full of stone? Answer = just the foundation backfilling 3' from the house, but you won't be driving that close to the house, will you?

What about this Lull construction forklift? Answer = it looks lighter than the truck, maybe it won't get stuck in that same place.

Can I unload my steel-tracked excavator on the neighbor's driveway? Answer = Maybe, but the other contractors like to park there and there might not be enough room.

 

[hobbyfarm]

Most important:

<font color="blue">"Did you start the fire for the barbeque yet? 'Cause time I'm done diggin' it'll be time to eat." </font>

 

[Soundguy]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Any neighbor's power lines that were installed across the property? Answer = Why would the electric company mark lines for an address that hasn't called for a locate?

What about this cable TV line? Answer = Don't worry about it, I don't have time to watch TV anyway, I'm too busy building a house. )</font>

Funny that you mention that... when i installe dmy fence about 4 years ago, I did the 'call before you dig' deal, and got my lines located. Here's the clencher. between my property and the neighbors property, there is a 50' easement for ...get this.. power lines. So what did the power company do when they installed the power lines to my neighbors house ( before I moved in ). The started at the power pole that wis in the county easement ( front 70' from the road ) and then instead of following that easment across the front of the property, and then down the 50' easment between the two platted properties, they instead installed the power diagonally across the front of my property. We found this out after diggin ou the neighbors phone line, and then his cable tv. Hit the power line but didn't cut it. The point of exit for those three lines was about 100' in on my property, due to the diagonal. I found it strange that no-cuts didn't locate them.....? in any case.. I didn't have to pay... I guess it was the locators? fault? Or who knows.. maybee the bone headed contractor who installed them?

Soundguy

 

[keeney]

"maybee the bone headed contractor who installed them?"

Sounds pretty smart to me - he saved himeself the expense of trenching and the cost of the copper by maybe 75'. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

- Rick

 

[Varmintmist]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Sounds pretty smart to me - he saved himeself the expense of trenching and the cost of the copper by maybe 75'.)</font>

Till you go back and bill him for moving the trench to the right of ways and onto the correct property. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

..............

All-Cuts (no cuts) is responsible to mark ALL utilities on a property. It doesnt matter if they are going to your house or they pass through your property, if they are undreground they should be marked.

 

[Junkman]

If it were my property, they would have been removing them and properly installing them in the correct place, along with repairing all the damage to the lawn. If they are not where they are supposed to be, then it is their problem, not yours..

 

[Soundguy]

I tried to go that route, and found that short of suing the utilities.. they really didn't care about moving them /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Their attitude shocked me. Unfortunately I'm good friends with the neighbor, and didn't feel it was fair to him for me to have his utilities dug up.

I havn't come up with a good soloution to this problem yet.. so far it is still 'buried'.. out of site / out of mind.. but the fact remains that the lines are burried diagonally across the front right corner of my property... /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

Soundguy