Preparing Your Property Before Fence Installation

If you've recently accepted a quote to install a new fence, then it's important for you to prepare your property for digging. Under California State Law, an Underground Service Alert organization must assess the area where digging will be required. For the safety of you, your property, and our contractors, we cannot start work on your property until this has been done.

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What do I need to do to prepare my property for digging?

Once you've accepted a quote, our team will submit the ticket to survey your property. Afterwards, your first step is to mark the area where digging will take place as soon as possible. You want the markings to be visible so the survey company will know where the work will be done. The markings must be white to differentiate it from the utility markings. You can use flour, stakes, flags, or white paint to mark the area. It's important to do this before the survey company comes to your property, as they can refuse to complete the inspection if this hasn't been done. Your installation date could be pushed back if you fail to prepare your property beforehand.

What happens next?

After the ticket is submitted, your address will be routed to the appropriate company. They will assess either remotely or on-site whether or not there are any lines underground that could be damaged due to digging.

Once your property has been surveyed and is marked as safe, our contractors will be able to proceed with installation.

Why is this necessary?

It's required by law to have your property surveyed before any digging takes place on your property. Failure to do so can result in fines up to fifty thousand dollars, and even potential repair costs to public utilities.

Safety reasons are a major concern. If a gas or electric line is hit during installation, property damage, serious injuries or even loss of life could be the end result.

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What company serves my area?

DigAlert serves nine counties in Southern California, including: Imperial, Inyo, Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, Santa Barbara, Riverside and Ventura. Those in Northern and Central California will use USANorth811.

If you'd like to learn more about DigAlert you can go to their website.

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