What MISS DIG and 811 Are, and Why You Call Before You Dig
Before any shovel goes in the ground in Michigan, there's one step that comes first, and it's not optional: you call MISS DIG. If you've ever seen colored paint lines or little flags scattered across a yard before a project, that's the result of this process. Here's what it is, why it matters, and how it works.
What MISS DIG Is
MISS DIG is Michigan's call-before-you-dig service. The national number is 811, and a request to that system in Michigan reaches MISS DIG. When you submit a request, the system notifies the utility companies that have public lines in the area you're about to dig. Those companies — or contractors they use — come out and mark where their buried lines run.
It's a free service, and in Michigan it's required by law before any excavation, by contractors and homeowners alike. That includes a lot of jobs people don't think of as digging: setting fence posts, planting a tree, putting in a mailbox, building a deck footing.
What Gets Marked, and What Doesn't
The locate covers the public, utility-owned lines: gas, electric, water mains, communications, and the like. Crews mark them with paint and flags using standard color codes, so anyone working the site can see roughly where each line runs.
What the locate does not cover is private lines. A water line out to a barn, electric to a shed, a sprinkler system, a private septic line — those are the property owner's lines, and the public locate won't find them. That's part of why John walks the site and plans the route carefully, because the marked utilities are only part of the picture.
Why It's Worth Taking Seriously
Striking a buried line is dangerous and expensive. Hitting a gas line can cause a fire or explosion. Hitting an electric cable can injure or kill. Even a struck water or communication line means a repair bill and an interruption for the whole neighborhood. The locate exists to prevent all of that, and it works — but only if the request goes in and the marks get respected.
There's a waiting period after you submit a request, to give the utilities time to come out and mark. We build that into the schedule. Digging before the marks are down, or ignoring them once they're there, defeats the whole point.
How We Handle It
For every job we run, the MISS DIG request goes in before we dig. Once the public utilities are marked, we plan the trench route around them, hand-dig or pothole carefully near marked lines, and keep clear of the marks. It's a normal part of the work, not an afterthought — and it's why we can dig clean without nasty surprises.
Frequently asked
Is calling MISS DIG actually required, or just a good idea?
It's required by law in Michigan before any excavation, for contractors and homeowners. It's also free. There's no reason to skip it and a lot of reasons not to.
Do I need to call if I'm just planting a tree or setting a post?
Yes. Any digging counts, including fence posts, tree planting, mailboxes, and deck footings. Shallow digging can still reach a buried line, so the request goes in regardless of the project's size.
Does MISS DIG mark my private lines too?
No. The locate covers public, utility-owned lines. Private lines — like electric to a shed or a water line to a barn — aren't covered, which is why route planning and careful digging still matter once the public lines are marked.
If I hire Rock Solid, do I still need to do anything?
For the work we do, we handle the MISS DIG request. If you're doing your own digging on the property, you submit your own request first.