For the past few years, Americans have canceled vacations and postponed travel plans, as the pandemic kept people at home. Forced by this reality, homeowners realized it was time to make some important updates to their homes.
By mid-2020, nearly 80% of people had started a home improvement project, a trend that has continued in the years following.
But what house projects are worth the effort? One of the best is the addition of a privacy fence. Visit this website for fence ideas for your property.
While it’s an easy enough project for most, there are considerations, such as a utility mark out, that you may need to plan ahead of time. You can’t just start digging deep holes in your yard and expecting everything to be fine.
Keep reading below to learn more about how an underground utility mark-out works and if you need one for your upcoming fencing project.
What Is a Utility Mark out?
First off, what is a utility mark out service, and why are they important? Underneath nearly every home in America are utility lines.
These are pipes or conduits that run your utilities to and from your home; natural gas, electricity, clean water, and sewage.
Without these utility lines, your home would be isolated and very inconvenient to live in.
These lines are usually quite durable. But that isn’t always the case, especially in older neighborhoods.
Because digging a hole to set fence posts requires deep, aggressive digging, it’s possible to come into contact with utility lines. And given that most people will use power tools like an auger to dig on their behalf, it’s can be very easy to puncture these utility lines.
Doing so can lead to costly repairs (which will be your responsibility). And depending on what you hit, it could be dangerous. Injuries and deaths can occur.
But by using a private utility mark out, local professionals will come to your property and mark out where exactly the utility lines run through your property.
They use flags and grass paint to show you where the lines are. Then, you can adjust your digging plan accordingly.
Do You Need to Mark Out Utilities for a Backyard Fence?
Fence posts require deep digging. You need to utilize utility mark-out companies before digging any holes on your property, even if they will only be a foot or two deep.
As mentioned earlier, puncturing lines can lead to disruptive utility service for you and your neighbors, injuries, or even death. It’s not worth it, especially considering that it’s free. And they can usually come within three days of starting your project.
Just make sure to ask what the various utility mark-out colors mean when they are at your property.
Your local utility mark-out companies will likely use advanced technology like the subsite 750 to effectively transmit data from deep underground.
Plan Ahead by Marking Out Utility Lines
So you should schedule a utility mark out before starting your fence project? Absolutely. There’s no reason to start digging blind in your yard, knowing that you can potentially do a lot of damage to your property and to your body by doing so.
Mark outs are free and need to be utilized before digging any type of hole in your yard.
Looking for more home improvement tips? Visit our blog now to keep reading.
