Yard Blogger provides practical tips and friendly expert advice on everything relating to your home and yard. . This is because they are placed on public right of way. Utility companies usually place flags to mark . (We Checked)Continue, Deciding to demolish a house may save you from some expensive renovations that seem too much to take on, Read More Can You Demo a House With a Mortgage? (The Official Answer)Continue, Seeing furniture on the side of the street is common and sometimes even a little exciting if youre looking, Read More Is It Illegal to Leave Furniture on the Street? Is someone ever going to come? mine haven't leaked in years. The only person who should be removing them is the one responsible for the placement of the flags. To children, those colorful flags could be very attractive. I've got 2 properties that are peppered with these flags. Damaging this line could release poisonous gases and may cause a flood in the neighborhood. But this authority only takes place after the initial need for the flags is completed. Utility lines are a matter of public or state-owned facilities that are meant to serve the public. ROUTINE: A regular locate. It is our state law that the flags can not be removed by ANYONE for the duration of the valid mark out. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. 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? "They can tell you whether a utility flag has outstayed its 30-day limit, at which point you can remove it.". First, we can help answer they "Why" part of the equation. No person shall intentionally remove or tamper with a marking provided for under this act.. The operator should be able to provide the name of the company or individual who requested the dig and their contact information. They show what's buried beneath them before the first shovel hits the ground. (We Checked With the USPS). They are often placed in the city. This will result in everyday inconveniences that can affect not only you but also other people in the community. You may have removed it before realizing its purpose. The American Public Works Association (APWA) has color-coded all utilities so it's easy for those in the industry to immediately identify what utility is running where. The primary reason is because there is a planned excavation in the vicinity of your property. We would advise that you do not remove the markings or flags. In cases where you wont, its best to work with a lawyer. Uniform Color Code set by the American Public Works Association. And a damaged gas line can cause soil contamination and even explosion. 175. This will result in everyday inconveniences that can affect not only you but also other people in the community. This center will take care of communicating with your local utilities, who will send their people out to mark line locations. In certain cases, temporary repairs will be made to avoid disruption in your mail delivery. If for instance you have built a structure or landscaped an area, which is over an easement, the company has the right to remove them to maintain that easement. 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. When they could have accessed the area by driving over a curb from the highway. For instance, a water company may ask to have that area marked with yellow flags so that when there is an installation, repair, or maintenance on the water lines, the marked spot wont be touched. Automatic Can Seamer Before you blow your stack, relax a little bit. A utility company can dig in your yard without permission. 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. Utility operators mark any underground line that is directly in the way of construction, or even near it. If you see yellow flags across your yard, it means that there will be a planned work involving natural gas 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. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. :laugh: when a construction site pops up on my properties, i will mow around the junk and tools, no trimming, i didnt quote all the debris in the mowing price. 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? You may also see a marking in the street or near a pole or structure with an arrow that says Call 811, Miss Utility, One Call, Dig Safe, UFPO, etc. The other reason why there are flags on your lawn is that there is a bigger excavation project planned in your area. It will be about 2 weeks before I can get the landscaping work done. Making statements based on opinion; back them up with references or personal experience. Try to avoid digging on top of or within 18-24" on all sides of utility marks, which may mean moving your project to another part of your yard less congested with buried lines. Removing turf with water-efficient plants can be cost-effective, beautiful, and low-maintenance. If you must dig within 24" of utility marks/flags, be sure to dig with care. rev2023.3.3.43278. 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. Sewer lines need to be preserved if there are in-ground projects. Why are there utility flags in my yard? As electricity lines involve great danger to digging personnel and people living nearby, cables and power lines are marked in red. (Do This Before Digging)Continue. ), Do You Need a Permit to Dig a Pond? By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. I can just imagine the neighbors questioning what we're doing to the yard. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Yellow locator flags are crucial for avoiding damaging gas lines. In some, they are valid for only two weeks especially if you havent observed any activity. White flags usually mark the area where there is a proposed excavation. 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. Utility companies usually place flags to mark . Green flags are put up to mark drain lines and sewers. Having a decent security system like a Ring Video Doorbell or Outdoor Security Cameras (both on Amazon) is a smart thing to do. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. (Somewhat Deer Resistant), Do Deer Eat Hellebores? Blue Water, slurry, and irrigation lines. (Try Doing This First), Can a Mailbox Be Any Color? Ive had to go back to the property owner a couple times over utility company's mess. More importantly, its your responsibility to follow-up so dont be shy about it. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. They should be able to let you know the best times for them to make the repair. A shed can add a wonderful charm to your property and provide ample storage space if you are running, Read More Do I Need a Permit to Build a Shed? A pink utility flag indicates there is a temporary survey marking going on in the area. Continue with Recommended Cookies, Privacy Policy | Powered by UtilitySmarts. The reason flags are put in your yard is to notify you of repair work on utility lines or the installation of a new utility line passing through your yard. Sometimes calls come in for landscaping and these flags need to be placed, or sometimes it's a year long project that needs a long time to plan. If you see plenty of white flags wrapped around an area, that should give you an idea of how big the project is. they never come back to remove them. In addition, you will be held responsible for damages to the utility. Easements can easily be considered a burden for most property owners. If youve called them and did a follow-up on your concern several times but to no avail, you can move to the next step by taking the issue to court. 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. For the quickest answers, call you local Call 811 center by dialing 811 from any land line or cell phone. Call the . Red flags - Red is the most common flag. Never heard what happened. There are a few utility flags that you may remove, but you need to contact the utility company handling your area to do that. Or maybe a utility company decided to pay my property a visit without my knowledge and started digging in my backyard. Do not work off someone else's marks or ticket. 8 Ponder upsets No. Residential customers. The 8 Likely Reasons There Are Utility Flags in Your Yard. This is because the removal of utility flags can land you in trouble with the states authorities. There are a few important reasons why there are flags on your lawn. JavaScript is disabled. They Do), Do Butterflies Like Roses? Staff Writer Denton city spokeswoman Jessica Rogers recommends that a property owner concerned about lingering flags call 811 to get more information about who called in and requested utility locations. Good point! Privacy Policy. Other states place a validity of the flags for 30 calendar days. (Roofing Ideas & Options), and they can do so legally to gain access to pipelines and cables. . If you remove the flags before the plans are set in place, it could screw up the plans and the project as a whole. Its even more frustrating to see people come to your yard and put up flags without permission. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. The quick answer is yes, you can. Can I Have a Shipping Container in My Backyard Legally? 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. Utility flags are placed to prevent any disturbances or accidents in the area as utility work is being carried out. Waking up to the sound of construction going on near your area is not an uncommon occurrence. I had 811 mark my utility lines. PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881 and via Twitter at @phwolfeDRC. 0. These will help workers locate important marked spots. But if it happens to you, you should know that it means someone is planning to turn it into an excavation site. They mark these existing utilities with painted lines and flags to help our crew determine where they'll bury the new cable. (Roofing Ideas & Options)Continue. Mailboxes come in all shapes and, Read More Can a Mailbox Be Any Color? What do the different colors mean? 2. This would help you know what kind of possible disruption the repair would cause to help you plan accordingly. If the house you purchased came with an easement, theres nothing you can do but comply. We've been plugging sidewalls on mowers for years. By Brooke Colombo They are often placed in the city. You may have removed it before realizing its purpose. Mow your yard. This is so given the role they play to mark public utility lines and help protect these lines in that manner. I had 811 mark my utility lines. Be mindful of these flags; you may not like seeing green flags on your yard but dont consider removing them. So what does this rainbow of marking flags in your yard mean? Have you ever wondered about orange flags? One way to do this is to call them three times a day. No such luck. But when I called 811 they directed me to the seller's listing agent before the home was sold, and she was at a loss as to what to tell me and told me to just remove them. Rutted up the lawn to the point you could forget about mowing it. Maybe try searching.
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