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Safe Digging for Homeowners

Why take the risk? Know what’s below before you dig.

Whether you’re building a fence or planting a vegetable garden, find out where underground utility lines are located before you start digging. Hitting a buried natural gas line can cause serious injury and expensive repairs for you and/or your contractor. It can even be fatal.

Contact Ontario One Call to locate underground utilities no less than five business days before starting digging projects of any size. It’s free and it’s the law.

Dig safely around natural gas lines to avoid:

Seriously hurting yourself, your family or neighbours.

Damaging property from a leak, fire or explosion.

Interrupting natural gas service to your community.

Incurring expensive repairs, charges or legal action.

Causing harm to the environment.

Won’t my contractor take care of this?

Never assume your contractor has taken care of it. Work in collaboration with them, and ask for verification that they’ve requested a locate before they start digging.

Get a locate for projects of all sizes

Landscaping

Building a fence

Digging a garden

Installing a driveway

Planting a tree

Building a deck

Installing a pool

Waterproofing a basement

What to do before you dig

Request a locate


Call 1-800-400-2255 or visit OntarioOneCall.ca at least five business days before starting your project.

You’ll be asked to provide:

  • Your name and address.
  • When work is expected to begin.
  • The type of project (fence, pool, etc.).
  • How you plan to dig (by hand or machine).
  • How deep you’re planning to dig.

Wait for buried lines to be marked


Locators from natural gas, water, sewer, electric and telecommunications companies will visit your home and paint or put flags to mark underground lines.

Private lines installed by you or a contractor, such as a gas line from your house to a pool heater or barbecue, are not included as part of this work and will require a separate locate. You’ll need to hire a private locate company to mark these lines and there is a charge for this service.

Respect the marks and dig safely


Once locates have been completed, follow the instructions and proper excavation practices to ensure a safe and smooth project. Review the how-to videos below prior to digging to make sure you are fully informed on what to look for and how to dig safely.

Refer to Enbridge Gas’ Third-Party Requirements Standard for details.

How to dig safely around natural gas lines

How to understand your locate

Locates show the approximate position of underground lines and cables, while locate sheets map out your work area. Here’s how to review both carefully before you dig.

How to dig around a natural gas line with a shovel

Buried lines may not be as deep as you expect. If you’re using equipment within one metre of a locate mark, here’s how to expose the natural gas line with a small shovel or a spade.

How to recognize a natural gas line

Several types of natural gas lines may run below your property. Learn how to identify each type so you can dig carefully around them and avoid serious injury and damage.

Know the colour codes

Locates show the direction and approximate location of the natural gas line, but do not show their depth. A natural gas line could lie just a few inches below the surface.

Yellow: Natural gas, oil, steam
Green: Sewer, storm
Red: Electric
Orange: Communication
Blue: Water
Purple: Irrigation, slurry
Pink: Temporary survey markings
White: Proposed excavation

What to do if you damage a natural gas line or smell gas

Stop work immediately.

Clear everyone from the area.

Call 911 if you smell or hear gas escaping.

Call the Enbridge Gas emergency line at 1-866-763-5427.

Are you a contractor?

Hitting an underground utility can delay your project and put your crew, company and community at serious risk. Learn how to excavate safely to prevent injury, fines and penalties.

Planning work near vital pipelines?

When you request a locate from Ontario One Call, the locate service provider may identify that a vital natural gas pipeline is within 30 metres of the proposed work area. Legally, you can’t begin work until a you obtain a clearance.

Request your free locate

Call 1-800-400-2255 or submit your request online no less than five business days before starting your project.

Frequently asked questions

Locates are colour-coded ground markings identifying the approximate position of underground lines and cables on your property. They are made using temporary paint or flags. Locates are always accompanied by a locate sheet that maps out where lines are buried in relation to fixed objects, such as poles, sidewalks or driveways.

Any time you are digging on your property, a locate is required. Even small projects such as adding a garden or planting a tree require a locate. It’s free and it’s the law.

To get a free locate, contact Ontario One Call by visiting OntarioOneCall.ca or calling 1-800-400-2255.

Ontario One Call will notify all owners of buried infrastructure in your area on your behalf. These include but are not limited to: electric, water, sewage and Enbridge Gas, as well as telecommunication companies.

Utility locates are a free service. There’s no cost to you. Any privately owned infrastructure, such as a gas line that runs from your meter to your pool heater or barbecue, will not be covered under the Ontario One Call request. You’ll need to hire a private locate company to mark these lines and there is a charge for this service.

A utility locate request must be made no less than five business days prior to the planned start date of your project. You must have locates marked prior to starting work—it’s the law.

Your contractor should contact Ontario One Call before they start digging on your property. However, we recommend checking with your contractor beforehand to ensure they have obtained the required locates.

You’ll need to provide Ontario One Call with your name and address, the date work is expected to begin, the type of project being completed, how you plan to dig (shovel, excavator, etc.) and how deep you plan to dig.

Any privately owned infrastructure, such as a gas line that runs from your meter to your pool heater or barbecue, will not be covered under the Ontario One Call request. You’ll need to hire a private locate company to mark these lines and there is a charge for this service.

A qualified utility representative will visit your property and mark the location of all underground cables and pipes. They do this by painting or inserting flags in the ground along the path of the pipe or cable. They’ll also provide accompanying paperwork and locate sketches for you and/or your contractor.

You can check the status of your request on the Ontario One Call web portal. Owners of buried infrastructure will mark the status of their lines as either “clear” or “complete.” A clear status means there is no risk and that your proposed digging area is safe. A complete status means the locate has been marked on your property. All utilities must be marked as either clear or complete to proceed.

The actual location of the buried line may be within one metre on either side of the paint or locate flags placed on your property. This is referred to as the tolerance zone. When digging in the tolerance zone, you must first dig using hand tools (such as a shovel or a spade) to expose any hidden pipes before using machinery.

An Enbridge Gas locate is valid for 60 days from the date that the locate was completed. If you have not finished digging within those 60 days, a new locate is required.

Moving or removing locates makes them invalid and you’ll be liable for any damage that occurs on your property. You must call Ontario One Call to arrange a new locate before you or your contractor start digging.

If you smell rotten eggs, hear an unusual hissing sound, or see dust or leaves blowing in a localized area, you may have damaged a line. You may also see a physical puncture or gouge on the line.

If you think you’ve hit a natural gas line, stop work immediately and shut off all equipment to avoid ignition. Do not attempt to control the release of gas yourself. Move a safe distance away from the area (e.g., a neighbour’s house), call 911 and contact Enbridge Gas immediately by calling 1-866-763-5427.