Premarking Your Dig Site:
What Every Excavator Needs to Know
A new training video from PURA walks through the proper process and explains why skipping this step puts your crew and your project at risk.
Before a single utility locator sets foot on your job site, there is one step that is both legally required and critical to a safe, efficient markout: premarking your area of excavation. It sounds straightforward, but it is one of the most commonly misunderstood steps in the Call Before You Dig process. Getting it wrong can mean missed utility marks, project delays, and serious liability.
Sean Morris, Public Utilities Engineer in the Gas Pipeline Safety Unit at the Connecticut Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) , has produced a new training video walking contractors, excavators, and crew supervisors through the correct premarking process step by step. The video is produced in partnership with CBYD and covers everything from submitting your ticket to reading your confirmation PDF to marking your dig area correctly in the field.
Watch the Training Video
The full training video is produced by Sean Morris of PURA in partnership with CBYD. It includes real examples of correctly and incorrectly premarked sites, a walkthrough of the ticket submission process, and guidance on reading your confirmation PDF. Whether you are onboarding new crew members or refreshing your team before the dig season, it is a practical investment of about six minutes.
Why Premarking Is Required, Not Optional
Under Connecticut state regulations, the proposed area of excavation must be premarked in white before a CBYD ticket is submitted. This is not a best practice or a courtesy. It is the law.
The reason comes down to how the locating process works. Utility locators do not all receive the map that appears on your CBYD ticket confirmation PDF. They arrive on site with only the ticket description and whatever markings you have placed. Without clear premarks defining your area of excavation, a locator has no reliable way to know how large the work area is, how far into an intersection or right-of-way your excavation extends, or which utility facilities need to be marked. The result is often a partial markout or facilities that are missed entirely.
What a Proper Premark Looks Like
The video walks through real-world examples contrasting incomplete premarks with correctly executed ones. The standard that meets regulatory requirements is a bracketed area of excavation using white paint or stakes that clearly define all four boundaries of the work zone, with the company’s abbreviated name included in the marking.
For longer runs of excavation, offset marks are acceptable when corresponding marks exist at both ends to complete the bracket. For work taking place away from the roadway, offset marks on the road surface should be paired with corresponding marks in the field so locators can find the actual work area. For general site work covering an entire property, premarking the property corners is the recommended approach.
One point the video emphasizes that is easy to overlook: you are not covered under your CBYD ticket for any area outside your premarked zone. If excavation extends beyond those marks, even by a few feet, a new ticket is required. Digging outside the premarked area means working near potentially unmarked utilities with no legal protection.
Writing a Ticket Description That Works
Premarks alone are not enough. The description of work section of your CBYD ticket needs to clearly describe the type and location of the work so that a locator can find your site and understand what needs to be marked. A description like “Install sanitary sewer line from existing lateral in front sidewalk area to front right corner of the building, southeast corner” gives a locator everything they need. A vague description like “Starting at the intersection of Oak and going east 200 ft” without corresponding premarks leaves too much to interpretation.
If subcontractors are working at the same location, they can be listed in the excavator section or the description of work section of the ticket. And if a locator has questions, they will attempt to reach you using the contact information on file, so make sure it is current before you submit.
When Marks Are Lost During Excavation
Even when a site is correctly premarked and a thorough locating job is done, utility marks can be covered or disturbed during the course of excavation. Connecticut regulations are clear on this point: if surface markings are disturbed to the extent that the approximate location of a facility can no longer be identified, excavation must stop and the utility must be contacted to request a remark. Additionally, the excavator is responsible for maintaining markings throughout the duration of the project. This can be done by refreshing paint markings as needed using the appropriate color code.
Never assume you know where a utility is running based on the location of above-ground clues like meter sets or valve boxes. The actual path of a service line may not run the direction you expect. If the marks are gone, stop digging and make the call.
Download the Free Color Reference Card
Not sure what each utility flag color means? Download the free CBYD Color Reference Card , a printable 3 × 5 inch quick-reference guide covering all 8 APWA flag colors.
For informational purposes only. Always contact CBYD / 811 before any excavation project in Connecticut. Connecticut state regulations govern premarking requirements.