Stanford
Maps & Records

Call Before You Dig

Have Your Utilities Marked

 

All digging on the Stanford University campus (utilities excavations, tent staking, construction, etc.) requires a call to Underground Service Alert:

  •  Underground Service Alert (USA)  must be called at least (2) two days prior to digging on the Stanford campus.
  •  Every person planning to dig (or penetrate the ground) should call USA.

 

A Legal Obligation 
Maps and Records, in its service to Stanford University complies with the following laws: 
 
Mutual Agreement 
If excavators indicate that Power Equipment will be used within two feet of an existing Utility, Senate Bill 2416 requires that excavators obtain mutual agreement with Utility Operators.  Maps and Records coordinates this process with Utilities Division operators. 
 
High Priority Facilities
If excavators indicate their excavation site within 10 feet of a high priority facility, Senate Bill 2416 requires that a field meeting occur.  Maps and Records coordinates this process with Utilities Division operators.  
 
For more information, please see:  
         Maps and Records  |  USA Policy and Procedure 
           Maps and Records  |  Utility Locating for Design

Making a Request to USA North  (811 / 9-811)

 

Before You Call:  Outline Your Digging Site

Prior to calling USA North (local service provider), outline your digging location with white chalk paint or another manner sufficient to enable underground facility members to determine the area of digging to be field marked.

When to Call

Two (2) working days before your planned digging. USA suggest placing calls on Wednesday, Thursday or Friday afternoons (for the following week's requests) to avoid communication delays.

How to Place a Call

  •  National One-Call  #:          811  (9-8-1-1 from on-campus telephones)
  •  Alternative  #:                        1-800-227-2600

 

Questions You Will Be Asked

Please have the following information on hand when you call USA:

Contact Info           •   Phone Number and extension  
          •   Are you digging in CA,  NV  or HI?  
          •   Begin Date (2 days prior notice) and Begin Time  
          •   Your Name  
          •   Your Company's Name
          •   Your Company's Mailing Address
          •   City,  State,  Zip
Who the Work is Being Done for           •   Have you outlined your area with white paint as required?
          •   Work Permit Number  (city,  county  or state)  (yes / no)
          •   Foreman of Job
          •   Nature of Work  (blasting,  boring,  drilling,  grading,  trenching,  tunneling  and  other forms of digging)
Location of Digging                                                   
           		          •   County
          •   Place
          •   Address or Description
Mapbook Page  
          Thomas Brothers 		          •   Grid  (if known)

USA Ticket Number

At the end of your call, you will be given a ticket number referencing your digging number. Hold on to this number in case you need to call USA back.

Your USA number will only be valid for 14 calendar days from the day you called it in. If your digging is continuing past the active 14 calendar day period, call USA back two (2) days prior to the expiration of your ticket.

After the Call

After placing your call, Maps and Records will respond within 2 working days or otherwise make contact with you in case we need additional time. Additional time of two (2) days is needed when projects require Mutual Agreement (projects within 2-feet of an existing utility) or, if we are marking high priority facilities (projects within 10 feet of an existing high priority facility).

If you need to reach us, please contact:     Galen Schmidt,  (650) 444-5942

USA Response to Your Ticket

In response to your ticket, the USA members will either:

          •  Mark or stake the path of their underground facilities
 
          •  Provide you with information about their underground facilities
 
          •  Advise you that they do not have any underground facilities in conflict with your digging work

 

After the USA members have field marked their facilities, you are required to notify USA anytime those markings are no longer reasonably visible.

 
   Before Using Power Equipment

Before you use power equipment, expose the underground facilities in conflict by hand. See marking guidelines for hand digging requirements.

More information on Underground Service

USA North 811   Underground Service Alert of Northern California and Nevada
California Excavation Law   (pdf)
California Excavation Handbook   (pdf)
Call 811   Know what's below. Call before you dig