Blue Stakes and Utilities

Before a fence crew comes out to begin digging post holes and begin installing a fence, by law Blue Stakes must be contacted to mark any existing utility lines. Blue Stakes is an organization that is contracted to mark any and all public utilities on a property, inclusive of water, power, cable TV, telephone, Internet and fiber-optics and natural gas lines. Blue Stakes uses flags and different colored spray paint throughout the property to mark the location of these utility lines if they exist. Once the order for blue staking a property is placed it takes 48 hours before a crew can legally dig on the site. This allows the Blue Stakes crew time to get out and mark any lines on the property. Blue Stakes can be contacted at 1-800-662-4111 and ordered online at www.bluestakes.org.

Blue stakes will not be able to mark any sprinkler systems or rogue electrical lines that a homeowner may have installed to take power out to a shed or yard lights etc.

By law the fence crew cannot dig within 24 inches of any marked line. If blue stakes markings are in conflict with a property line or where a customer wants a fence line placed there are a few options to consider:

  • The property owner can decide to move the location of the fence line so as to avoid the utility that is in the way.
  • The property owner can elect to call the respective utility company and negotiate to have the utility line relocated off the property line or away from the chosen location for the fence line. Many utility companies will do this but they will charge the customer for that service.
  • We have a form in our paperwork where our crews will very carefully dig the post holes near the blue stake markings, but the customer will indemnify our crew/company and take full responsibility in writing in the event we hit and break any utility line that was marked.
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