Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Owner Rights According to the Pennsylvania Underground Utility Line Protection Act (Act 287): Call the . Please refer to our full affiliate disclosure policy for full details. The 8 Likely Reasons There Are Utility Flags in Your Yard. It will be about 2 weeks before I can get the landscaping work done. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. 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. I'm assuming the work hasn't been completed yet since the flags haven't been removed from their yard. Those are utility location flags. But the fact is, utility companies often do just that. If you own property, it is in your best interest to know if any easements exist on your lot. (Do This First), Can I Dig a Well on My Property? Utility Locator, LLC is a division of Trinity Subsurface Engineering, LLC and specializes in locating underground utilities on private campuses and other properties where most of the underground utilities are privately owned. Last month a dozen utility flags appeared on my front lawn, my neighbors front lawn and along our property line. Residential customers. Worse, you could end up in court. If you see plenty of white flags wrapped around an area, that should give you an idea of how big the project is. While tempting, you should never remove these flags, as doing so can cause serious damage that you may be responsible for. And a damaged gas line can cause soil contamination and even explosion. Bunch of BS IMO. Avoiding the flagged areas, of course. 8 Ponder upsets No. As electricity lines involve great danger to digging personnel and people living nearby, cables and power lines are marked in red. It would also help you know if you can request removal or need to wait a while before requesting one. Accidental removal of the flags is inevitable. They were here today.They marked with both spraypaint and flags. Invalid password or account does not exist. The yellow flag marking indicates oil, gas, steam, petroleum, and gaseous materials utility lines. You also need to prove that they have failed to repair the damages or provide compensation. Lets say you wanted to build a deck over a certain area in your property other people can legally access. Utility flags are placed to prevent any disturbances or accidents in the area as utility work is being carried out. 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. Cannot fix sidewall punctures, its either a new tire or a tube. 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 companies usually place flags to mark underground facilities for projects like repair and maintenance. Can I Have a Sheep in My Backyard? How to follow the signal when reading the schematic? Error! Once you see little flags in your yard, you can start digging. While you cant really prevent a utility company from coming on your property, its good to know what theyre doing when they are there. So what does this rainbow of marking flags in your yard mean? If you found this article, chances are that you have just discovered a new set of colored little flags in your yard, but your not sure why. Utility flags are placed to avoid any disturbances or accidents in the area while utility work is ongoing. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Use Marking Flags for Safety and Many Other Purposes Marking flags offer a way to clearly identify underground electric lines or mark construction borders. The colors follow the Uniform Color Code set by the American Public Works Association. How do I align things in the following tabular environment? Yard Blogger provides practical tips and friendly expert advice on everything relating to your home and yard. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Asked 8 years, 9 months ago. The locators will mark your yard with paint or flags in various colors that indicate where utility lines are . It's been two weeks now the lawn is a mess because we are unsure of how to avoid all the markings and flags. Power, telephone, gas, and water lines are buried underground, likely on your property. These will help workers locate important marked spots. As you spot those flags, you may not be sure what to do or what they mean. These will help workers locate important marked spots. While you cant really prevent utility companies from doing their jobs, its good to know who is setting foot on your property and what theyre doing. (Quick Answer), Will a Porch Light Keep Raccoons Away? Once flags are moved out of the way, mow over area where flags were. 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. White flags usually mark the area where there is a proposed excavation. (Is This Illegal to Do? Please let us know if that helps answer your . In this case, you may see your neighbors passing through your yard just to access a street. Never heard what happened. coronavirus test kits supplier When they could have accessed the area by driving over a curb from the highway. Can I remove the flags in my yard? This will result in everyday inconveniences that can affect not only you but also other people in the community. An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup. We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. Other states place a validity of the flags for 30 calendar days. 2. I deal with the stupid flags all the time. Norm of an integral operator involving linear and exponential terms, Styling contours by colour and by line thickness in QGIS. (Roofing Ideas & Options), and they can do so legally to gain access to pipelines and cables. For yellow flags, try to call your natural gas provider, and for green flags try to call your local sanitary sewer authority or DPW. If locate flags are in place for more than 14 days without any activity, the property owner can remove them because they are no longer valid at that point. So you know dig company and utilities do not have to inform home owner of rite of way work unless it will expand the ROW the markings in your yard are important to protect the utilities from damage. In fact, most homes have utility easements running through the yards, both front and back. Power, telephone, gas, and water lines are buried underground, likely on your property. In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. To put it simply, an easement gives a company or individuals the right to legally use a landowners property for a specific purpose. This means Yard Blogger may earn a commission should you make a purchase using any of our links. The color of the flags are typically going to follow The American Public Works Association (APWA) Uniform Color Code. You can get more details as to who requested the placement by calling the hotline. If you are unable to gather the information from the state 811, you can simply refer to the color of the flag. When you see flags, you not only tend to question what it is and what purpose it serves but also what the different colors are. I've got 2 properties that are peppered with these flags. In general, you should not remove utility flags in your yard. The markings are valid per their rules for 30 days. Custom metal stamping We would advise that you do not remove the markings or flags. Modified 8 years, 9 months ago. If youre surprised by the sight of a trench dug on your yard by a utility company, its normal to be upset and wonder whether or not a utility company can dig in your yard without permission. In cases where you accidentally removed it, its best to call 811 for help. Ok rant off "Every step we take towards making the State the Caretaker of our lives, Eh, I've tried to plug mower tires before most of the time they don't take too soft of rubber. Knowing the different flag colors representation helps you know what plans to make, and the kind of excavation or utility work would be done in your neighborhood. Before you buy a new tree, find out about its growth potential. When calling for locates, please have the following information ready: Who the work is being done for (general contractor or project) Type . Removing these flags could disrupt any project planned in the area. Instead, they will call in several properties for one small excavation just to make sure that the locators have marked the proposed work area. Other states place a validity of the flags for 30 calendar days. I had 811 mark my utility lines. This approval must come from the relevant state laws and the government-assigned contractor or utility company in charge of the utilities in your neighborhood. (We Checked With the USPS)Continue, Electric fences are an efficient way to keep critters or other unwanted visitors out of your yard. Part of their maintenance program is to mark their lines whenever someone places a "notice" or "ticket" with the Virginia 811 center. Unfortunately yes, they can. I had 811 mark my utility lines. Press J to jump to the feed. Before you blow your stack, relax a little bit. Moving or removing flags and paint markings will ultimately make you liable for any damage that occurs to that utility, and trust us those can be expensive. Is a PhD visitor considered as a visiting scholar? Green flags are put up to mark drain lines and sewers. Since they are placed to mark gas lines, removing them will defeat the purpose of protecting the lines. In some states, property owners are the ones that have the responsibility of removing locate flags. If there is an easement, they don't need your permission to run the cable. (Highly Deer Resistant). We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. She often shares practical tips and friendly expert advice on everything relating to home and yard on this blog. As you spot those flags, you may not be sure what to do or what they mean. There is typically only a few reasons these types of little colored flags will appear in your yard or lawn. But just because there are flags on your lawn it doesnt always mean the utility company is going to start digging up your yard. If the species is a foreign one, it likely escaped captivity, or the owner let it out, and it might threaten those species in your region. Here's a key to the flags' colors: If flags are in your yard, please do not remove them, they may have a logo and/or the name of the utility that has placed it there.