Before You Plant A Tree: The Rule Most Homeowners Don't Know

Planting trees is an excellent way to beautify your landscape and boost curb appeal. And when they're planned and chosen right, they can help create cozy shade, etch out a pollinator paradise, or establish a privacy screen. However, before you dig any holes, be sure to follow the essential step when planting trees that most homeowners don't know or skip over: calling 811.

811 is a toll-free phone number you can call from anywhere in the United States. The purpose is to alert local utility companies about impending plans to dig, trench, or excavate around an area. Many utility lines, such as gas, electricity, telephone, internet, water, and sewer, are located underground. And you risk hitting them while shoveling out soil, which can lead to damage. For instance, contact with electrical or gas lines can lead to electrocution or explosions, respectively, which endangers lives. Plus, any overflow or leakage can, in turn, harm water and soil quality, with serious environmental and ecological consequences. Common Ground Alliance's 2025 Damage Information Reporting Tool found that 22.3% of pipeline infrastructure damage cases were caused by the failure to alert 811 beforehand.

In worst-case scenarios, the entire area's services may be disrupted, and you may be required to foot the expensive bill for repairs and replacements. Not contacting 811 before digging may also make you liable for fines and penalties, as many states, like Texas, mandate such notification by law.

811 is a nationwide number that you can call for free, after which you'll be connected to local services. Alternatively, you can find your state's page on the website 811beforeyoudig.com to send a request online or locate a phone number for your state. Visiting your state's page is recommended before making the actual call, since rules can be highly variable. 

For example, in New York, excluding the date of the call, it's necessary to notify the state of your project two days in advance. In contrast, in South Carolina, you must give at least three days but no more than 10 days of notice from the planned project date, since markers have a limited life. Similarly, some states may have exemption limits in place. In Oregon, for instance, you are exempt if you're digging shallowly to a depth of up to 12 inches, but this may not apply to planting trees, where you often need to dig deeper.

During the call, you'll be required to tell the operator your tree planting project's parameters. For a start, you must have the address of your nearest cross street and the county. You must also know the dimensions of the project — in this case, it would be the size of the area where you'll be planting all your trees.

After your call, local utility operators will be notified. They will then visit your property and put down stakes or flags or make spray paint marks to highlight various utility points. This process can take a few days to complete, as it can require the involvement of around seven or eight companies. While not compulsory, it's a good practice to mark the area where you'll be planting your trees with white flags or white paint.

To make sure every utility in your area has made a pass, you can either individually check for details on the ticket issued to you or call back the hotline so a representative can confirm. Most companies follow a distinct color-coding scheme. For example, water lines are marked blue, electric lines are red, and gas lines are yellow.

After the confirmation, you can carefully proceed with tree planting. Most states have a tolerance zone of 18 to 24 inches around utility markers. In other words, to avoid causing harm, you must not dig any closer than that to the markers. While it may not be immediately obvious, this also means you must account for tree growth, roots included, lest they infiltrate underground lines in the future. That being said, 811 is also the number you want to call before digging other holes in your lawn or undertaking any of these eight DIY yard projects, such as installing a mailbox or an irrigation system.