3.6 One Call & Underground Utility Damage Prevention

Relevance to the NC GC Exam

"One Call" is one of the five official subject areas on the North Carolina Business & Law exam. The rules come from the Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act, codified at General Statutes Chapter 87, Article 8A. The exam tests the excavator's notice obligations, the timing of locate requests, and what to do when you hit or damage a buried line. Striking an underground gas, electric, water, or communications line is one of the most dangerous and expensive mistakes a contractor can make, so these are high-value questions.

The Notification Center (NC811)

North Carolina operates a single statewide Notification Center — a member-owned nonprofit known as North Carolina 811 (NC811). Before any excavation or demolition, the person responsible for the work must provide notice of intent to excavate to NC811 by calling 811 or submitting an online locate request. NC811 then notifies its member utility operators, who mark the approximate location of their buried facilities free of charge.

An operator is any person, public utility, communications or cable provider, municipality, or electric or telephone cooperative that owns or operates an underground facility. Note that NC811 only covers member utilities — private lines (a contractor-owned irrigation main, a private gas line to a shop) are the excavator's responsibility to locate separately.

Timing: The Three-Working-Day Rule

The most tested fact is the notice window:

The three-day count begins the first working day after notice is given and excludes weekends and legal holidays. A locate ticket expires 28 calendar days after the work start date; excavation may not continue past expiration without a fresh notice. The excavator's notice must include the caller's name, address, and phone number; the anticipated start date and duration; the type of work; and a description of the area to be located.

Positive Response and Marking

Member operators respond through the NC811 Positive Response System, either marking their lines or reporting no conflict, within the three-working-day window. Facilities are marked with color-coded paint, flags, or stakes following the national APWA color code:

• Red — electric power
• Yellow — gas, oil, steam, petroleum
• Orange — communications, cable, alarm
• Blue — potable water
• Green — sewer and drain lines
• Purple — reclaimed water
• White — proposed excavation limits
• Pink — temporary survey markings

If an operator fails to respond in the Positive Response System, the excavator may request a three-hour notice from the facility owner, or — if there are no visible indications of a facility (no pole, marker, pedestal, meter, or valve) — may proceed carefully after the required time.

The Tolerance Zone and Hand-Digging

Once lines are marked, the excavator must protect them. Within the tolerance zone — the marked width of the facility plus a set distance on each side (commonly measured from the outside edge of the mark) — mechanized equipment is restricted, and the excavator must use non-destructive means such as hand-digging or vacuum excavation to expose the facility before continuing with machinery. Marks (flags, stakes, paint) must not be removed or disturbed while the work is in progress.

Damage Reporting and Liability

If a contractor damages, dislocates, or disturbs an underground facility, the Act imposes strict duties:

1. Stop and protect the area. If the damage results in the escape of any flammable, toxic, or corrosive gas or liquid, immediately call 911 and the utility operator, and evacuate the area.
2. Report the damage to both NC811 and the affected utility operator. Never attempt to repair or bury a damaged utility line yourself.
3. A contractor who excavates without placing a locate request and damages a facility is generally liable for the repair costs and may face civil penalties; failing to notify the Notification Center is itself a violation of Article 8A.

For the exam, remember the sequence: call 811, wait the required time, honor the positive response, hand-dig in the tolerance zone, and report any damage to both NC811 and the operator.