no..... they should indicate all the different lines (electricity, cable, phone, etc).

Unless i did it wrong, you can do all you want, but you need to be careful.. like at home house... the cable line was just below the sod... so it was quite easy to cut with one shovel dig.

The individual utilities will mark the line with paint or flags if you request. And if you ask, they can give you the approximate depth of the line. Gas and electric are usually quite deep - +/- 15" here. Telephone not very deep. And as Nevermore says, cable barely covered.

Urge that you do it. Keeps you safe!

My DH will never again dig before calling; it's ...
A) Expensive
B) Embarassing
C) Frightening
D) Dangerous
E) All of the above

Correct answer...EEEEEE

As a builder, I can tell you that it isn't so simple. Those guys simply wave the metal detector over the areas where they think incoming lines should be. It isn't a forensic examination of an entire property. I did a project a couple years ago where it turned out the power was coming in from a completely un-anticipated direction and my excavator nearly cut the line with his machine. Dig-safe didn't find it because they didn't look for it, it made no sense for the line to be there yet there it was.

Phone and media cables are not dangerous, and in fact if they are not a foot deep those providers cannot get away with trying to make you pay for damage. The whole point of burying lines (as opposed to laying it on the ground, as they used to do here for years) is so that people can use their property.

yep make a mistake and it gets costly.

but!! with gardens and normal tree/shrub planting no deeper than say 10"s or so there should be no issues as all underground utilities should be at least 2' deep.

in most case you can pretty much work out their path from footpath connection box to the house.

over here we can phone or they have a web site.

len

Here is a link that might be useful: lens garden page

"all underground utilities should be at least 2' deep."

Not around here, that's for sure. Phone and cable will never be that deep. Sometimes even gas and power are not.

Call, and when they mark the lines, take a picture of the marks for future reference.

Cable lines are usually the worst-protected. They scrape a groove with their foot and scuff some dirt over the cable.

If you're in an old country property be careful! We found out that our property was many years ago split and the origional owners buried the gas line about 6" deep! (I'm sure illegally!) I called PG&e out to see about moving the line legally to our driveway and street. They said it was our responsibiliy and that digging alone would be at least $10,000.00! Then the plumbing after that!
Needless to say, it is still as it was, and the meter readers (who complained from the start) are still falling into the ditches trying to read the gas meter!
Luckily the other property is abandoned.
I don't know what we'll do if that property ever sells! Nancy

You'll need to mark the area you want to dig so they know which part of the yard you're interested in. If you're just tilling, Taking pics is a good idea for future reference.

Lots of great advice here!

the procedures and depths vary per state. You should call before you dig, every dig. I do not recommend taking pictures for future reference. If you're planning a project, just call or go online and enter a request. This is the safest (legally and physically) way to dig.

Generally you can dig in the area where underground lines have been marked. However, you MUST use extreme caution and preferably hand tools. Don't go hacking away with a backhoe on top of a marked area.

www.call811.com will provide ALL information needed (FAQ, local information, and helpful tips). HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. THIS IS THE 'GO-TO' SITE PRIOR TO DIGGING.

Here is a link that might be useful: CALL811.COM

What's wrong with taking pictures? I would use them for general reference - i.e., is the next thing I want to do anywhere near any of the flags from last year. I doubt a major utility line is going to get moved without my knowing it.

I suppose, for safety's sake, a new marking every time is a good idea. I wasn't suggesting to abandon common sense.

toxcrusadr, I like your ideal.
I would add a white cardboard sign with black writing with feet & inches from home or large tree or deck before taking the photo, like cops do at a crime site.
Sounds like over kill, but power can kill.

Indeed, if there aren't landmarks in the photo for scale it may be hard to tell. I would only use them for general ranging, and if it looked like I was within feet of something, I'd call. It's a service we already pay for as utility customers, might as well use it.