Florida Utility Locating Laws: 811, Call Before You Dig,
and What GPR Covers That 811 Doesn't

Every contractor breaking ground in Florida is legally required to notify utilities before digging — but the 811 "Call Before You Dig" system only covers a portion of what may be buried on a given site. Understanding exactly what the law requires, what it protects, and where its limitations lie is critical to staying compliant and avoiding costly utility strikes.

Florida's Underground Facility Damage Prevention Act

Florida's Underground Facility Damage Prevention Act (Florida Statute § 556) governs excavation near underground utilities statewide. It is administered by Sunshine 811, Florida's notification center, and applies to any excavation, demolition, or mechanical digging activity that could damage buried facilities.

Key provisions of the law include:

• Contractors must notify Sunshine 811 at least 2 full business days before excavating (not counting the day of notification or the day of excavation)
• The notification must include the exact location, type of work, and start date of excavation
• Member utilities must mark their facilities within the notice period using the APWA Uniform Color Code
• Excavators must maintain marks and hand-dig within 18 inches of any marked facility
• Violations can result in civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation and liability for all damage caused

The APWA Utility Marking Color Code

When utilities respond to an 811 notice, they use paint or flags in the following standard colors:

Color	Utility Type
Red	Electric power lines, cables, conduit, lighting cables
Orange	Telecommunication, alarm or signal lines, cables, conduit
Yellow	Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials
Green	Sewers and drain lines
Blue	Potable water
Purple	Reclaimed water, irrigation, slurry lines
Pink	Temporary survey markings
White	Proposed excavation area

What 811 Marks — And What It Doesn't

This is the most critical point for Florida contractors: 811 only marks utilities owned by member companies that subscribe to the Sunshine 811 system. A significant portion of buried infrastructure is not covered.

What 811 Does NOT Cover:

• Private utilities — Internal water, electric, and gas lines on private property that were installed by previous owners without utility company involvement
• Non-member utilities — Small, rural, or municipal providers that are not enrolled in Sunshine 811 (membership is voluntary for many entities)
• Private irrigation systems — Residential and commercial irrigation piping, especially common in Florida's HOA communities
• Private fiber and low-voltage wiring — Sprinkler control wires, security system conduit, low-voltage lighting circuits
• Abandoned utilities — Pipes and conduit that were taken out of service but never removed from the ground
• Inaccurate marks — 811 marks are approximate. Utilities must be marked within 24 inches of their actual position, but depth is never guaranteed

How to Call 811 in Florida — Step by Step

1. Call 811 or submit a ticket online at sunshine811.com — at least 2 full business days before excavation
2. Provide your name, company name, phone number, and the full project address
3. Describe the type of work and the planned excavation area (white-lining your area first is best practice)
4. Receive a ticket number — save it; this is your proof of compliance
5. Wait for all utilities to respond. If a utility marks "clear," that means they have no facilities in that area. If they mark their lines, locate the marks on the ground before digging
6. Hand-dig (or use vacuum excavation) within 18 inches of any mark until the utility is confirmed clear or exposed

Where Ground Penetrating Radar Fills the Gap

GPR is not a replacement for calling 811 — you must still call. But GPR is the primary tool for locating the utilities and buried features that 811 will never mark.

GPR Finds What 811 Misses:

• Private utilities — Any conductive or dielectric material below grade will produce a GPR reflection, regardless of whether it was ever registered with a utility provider
• Depth information — 811 marks are surface-level only. GPR shows the actual depth of the pipe or conduit
• Non-metallic lines — PVC water and sewer pipes, HDPE conduit, and fiber optic cables with no tracer wire will not be detected by electromagnetic locators. GPR detects them by dielectric contrast
• Voids and sinkholes — Florida's limestone karst geology makes subsurface voids a genuine hazard. GPR identifies air pockets before excavation
• Rebar and structural elements — When cutting or coring through existing concrete, GPR locates reinforcement and post-tension cables that 811 does not cover at all

Best Tools for Florida Utility Locating

For tracing active utility lines on surface soil, the Radiodetection RD8000 is the industry standard — it uses active signal induction and passive detection to trace metallic pipes and cables at depth. For private lines and non-metallic utilities, GPR scanning with a system like the GSSI StructureScan Mini XT or the Quantum Imager gives you the full picture.

Using both tools together — EM locator for member utilities, GPR for private and non-metallic lines — is the safest practice and the professional standard in Florida construction.

Contractor Liability: What You Need to Know

Florida's damage prevention law shifts liability based on compliance. If you called 811, received your ticket, waited the full notice period, and followed the hand-dig requirements near marked facilities, you have significant legal protection if a marked utility is damaged. But that protection does not extend to:

• Utilities that were incorrectly marked (the marking utility may share liability)
• Private utilities you had reason to know existed (e.g., visible cleanouts, meter boxes, or electrical panels indicating internal service runs)
• Situations where you deviated from the notice ticket scope or started early

Documenting your GPR scan before excavation — including scan data files and a field sketch — is one of the strongest defenses against liability claims involving private utility damage.

Training Your Team on Florida 811 Compliance

Florida does not require a license to call 811, but it does require the contractor of record to ensure the notice is made correctly and that excavation personnel understand how to respond to marks in the field. Our Utility Locating Training course covers Florida law compliance, EM locator operation, GPR-assisted private utility location, and field documentation — everything a crew needs to work safely and legally on any Florida excavation project.