Before a stump is ground near buried power, gas, water, sewer or phone lines, the public lines are located through 811, which is free, and in both North and South Carolina the request goes in at least three full working days before work starts. Anything the utilities do not own is left unmarked, including sprinkler pipe, yard lighting cable, a buried dog fence and the water service between the meter and the house, so those have to be found and pointed out separately.
Why grinding needs a locate at all
A grinder does not only cut wood above the ground. It cuts down into the soil under the stump, further still where something is to be planted, and a root can run straight across a buried cable or pipe. North Carolina's damage prevention law defines excavation as moving earth, rock or other material by hand or by machine, and a wheel cutting below the lawn is doing exactly that. The photo at the top of this page shows a muddy cable lifted out of the ground in front of a grinder's wheel. That is the reason the locate comes first.
North Carolina: the rules in plain words
Under the state's Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act, notice must be given no less than three full working days before the work begins, not counting weekends and holidays. A request can be made by calling 811 or online through NC811, which has a separate form for homeowners. The notice expires 28 calendar days after the work start date. The law sets a tolerance zone of 24 inches on either side of the outside edge of a mark, or 24 inches plus half the line's width when its size is known. Inside that zone, the exact position of the line is not certain.
South Carolina: the same idea, slightly different rules
South Carolina's window is wider at both ends: SC811 wants the request in three or more full working days ahead of the dig, but no earlier than twelve working days out. Its tolerance zone is 24 inches on either side of the mark plus half the diameter of the line. SC811 tells excavators to hand dig to expose a line inside that zone and says powered equipment cannot be used there until the line has been seen, or it is confirmed that nothing lies at that depth. A locate request in South Carolina has a limited life, so a job that slips by weeks may need a fresh one. Requests can go in online through SC811's system.
Reading the paint and flags
Locators use the American Public Works Association's uniform color code. Red is electric power. Yellow is gas, oil or steam. Orange is communications, which covers phone, cable and fiber. Blue is drinking water. Green is sewer and drain lines. Purple is reclaimed water and irrigation. Pink is a temporary survey mark. White is used to show the proposed digging area, and outlining the stump in white paint or flags before the request goes in tells locators exactly where to look. Leave every mark in place until the stump is done, and photograph them in case rain or a mower takes them out.
When a mark runs right by the stump
A line inside the tolerance zone does not automatically stop the job, but it changes how it is done. The line may need to be exposed by hand first so its depth is known. The stump may be ground shallower on that side, with a margin left over the line. In some cases the honest answer is to grind the rest and leave a sliver of stump over a gas or power line rather than chase it. Send a photo with the marks visible, and ask at booking how the locate request is being handled for your job, so everyone is working from the same marks.
The lines 811 leaves to you
SC811 says standard locating covers public lines from the street to the main meter, and that property owners are responsible for identifying private lines. North Carolina's law also leaves out irrigation systems and septic tanks from the facilities operators must mark. In practice that means the water service from the meter to the house, a power feed to a shed, barn or well pump, a gas line to a generator or pool heater, sprinkler lines, low-voltage lighting, invisible dog fences and septic pipes are all yours to point out. A private locating company can trace them if you have no idea. See irrigation and invisible fence lines.
Poles, guy wires and lines overhead
Not every line is buried. A stump at the base of a power pole may have a ground wire running down the pole into the soil beside it, and a guy wire anchored into the ground at an angle a few feet away. Both need to be seen and kept clear of the wheel. A stump under an overhead line or along a road may sit inside a utility easement or a road right-of-way, where the utility or the state transportation department sets the rules. Check your plat and ask them before planning work there, and mention the pole in your photos.
If a line is hit
SC811's advice is the same as any utility's. Stop work at once. If you smell or hear gas, get everyone away from the area and call 911 from a safe distance, then call the gas company. If there is any immediate danger, call 911. Then contact the owner of the line and report the damage to 811. Do not try to cover up or repair a nicked line, even one that seems fine, because damaged coating on a gas or power line can fail later. For a stump grinding job near marked lines, a clear plan before the day is what keeps this section theoretical.
Common Questions
How many days ahead does 811 need to mark lines before stump grinding?
In both states, allow three full working days at the very least, and weekends and holidays do not count toward them. South Carolina also sets an outer limit: a request made more than twelve working days before the work is too early. Plan the grinding date around that gap.
Does 811 mark the water line from my meter to the house?
Usually not. SC811 says standard locating covers public lines from the street to the main meter and that property owners are responsible for private lines. The run from the meter to the house, and lines to sheds, wells or generators, are yours to mark or have traced by a private locator.
What do the paint colors around my stump mean?
They follow the APWA uniform color code: red for electric, yellow for gas or oil, orange for communications, blue for drinking water, green for sewer and drains, purple for reclaimed water and irrigation, pink for survey marks and white for the proposed digging area.
What to Do Next
Flags in the grass near your stump? Photograph them with the stump in frame, add a shot of the route in, and send both with your town, or ring (828) 574-4474, so the work around the marks is settled first.