Internet Ticketing Lite (ITIC Lite)

A customized version of our online ticket processing application built specifically for homeowners and occasional/one-time users. This tool is streamlined to ensure proper processing and accuracy for those less familiar with underground utilities and without the need to create a user account.

Submit a Ticket | ITIC Manual

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The Process

WA State Law defines excavation as any operation, including the installation of signs, in which earth, rock, or other material on or below the ground is moved or otherwise displaced by any means. [RCW 19.122.020 (8)]

Anytime you are doing a project that involves excavation, you are required to notify all utility companies that could potentially be affected by your excavation so that they may come out and mark their lines to avoid dangerous and/or costly damages. Rather than calling them all individually, you can simply contact 811, tell us where you are planning to dig, and we will notify all of the various utilities located in that area to come out and mark their lines.

You can contact 811 TWO, but no more than TEN, business days before planned start of excavating. Keep in mind, the day of the notice, weekends, and holidays do not count according to the two day rule set forth in WA State Law. [RCW 19.122.030 (1a) (2)]

Excavators are required to mark the boundary of the excavation area. [RCW 19.122.030 1(a)]

  1. Identify your proposed dig site on a map, taking note of city, county, and obvious landmarks.
  2. Determine distance and direction from nearest cross street.
  3. Proximity of planned work to overhead electric lines.
  4. Location of right-of-way and easements.
  5. If no specific street or address is applicable, the township, range, section, and quarter-section of the work site.
  6. The nature of the work.
  7. The date and time you plan to begin digging.
  8. The name of your customer (if applicable).
  9. A number where you can be reached.

When finished, you will be given an excavation confirmation number, or ticket number. The ticket number is proof that you called. If you need to call back for any reason, or you wish to look up your ticket later using our Ticket Search feature, you will need that ticket number – please keep it handy. Utility companies might require your ticket number if you contact them about your locate request or excavation plans. You might also be required to provide your ticket number to inspectors or law enforcement personnel.

Washington law requires that all underground facility operators be members of the CBYD system. When you contact the Dig Safe Washington Call Center before you dig, we will provide a list of member utility operators who will be notified of your intent to excavate. Those members have two business days (not including the day of notice, weekends, or holidays) to locate and mark their locatable buried facilities, or provide reasonably available information on their lines that are un-locatable.

Some underground lines in your work area may not be utility owned. These are considered private facilities and will NOT be marked by public utility companies. Types of private facilities include, but are not limited to, heating systems for pools, electricity for outbuilding, invisible fences, fiber optic lines, septic systems, and satellite dishes. If you think you may have private facilities you should contact a private utility locator to identify and locate them.

Private Facilities Diagram | WA Private Utility Locators

APWA Color Code

The American Public Works Administration (APWA®) is a non-profit organization of companies, public works agencies, and individuals who created the Uniform Color Code – the universal marking guideline that should be used by all professional underground utility locating companies. It provides unanimous understanding of the marking of underground utilities for both construction and engineering projects. It helps to prevent accidents and damage to subsurface utilities by contractors, excavators, and anyone else digging around underground utilities.

For more detailed information about what the marks mean, take a look at the CGA’s Guidelines for Operator Facility Field Delineation.

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Emergency Procedure

“Emergency” means any condition constituting a clear and present danger to life or property, or a customer service outage.

  • An emergency excavation is exempt from marking the boundaries of the job in white paint.
  • An emergency excavation is exempt from two business days’ notice provided that the excavator provides notice to 811 at the earliest practicable opportunity.
  • An excavator who, during excavation, contacts or damages an underground facility shall notify the facility operator and 811.
  • If the damage causes an emergency condition, the excavator causing the damage shall also call 911 to alert the appropriate local public safety agencies and take all appropriate steps to ensure the public safety.
  • No damaged underground facility may be buried until it is repaired or relocated. The appropriate facility operator shall arrange for repairs or relocation as soon as is practical or permit the excavator to do necessary repairs or relocation at a mutually acceptable price.
  • ALL facility operators and excavators who observe or cause damage to an underground facility must report the damage event via the D.I.R.T. system within 45 days.

Submit to D.I.R.T