Question for any installers regarding Dig Safe

[gadgtfreek]

During my install Fri, they setup a temp tripod and said Dig Safe would have to come out next week, but Im leaving today and will be gone until Friday. I'm assuming they will have to go into the backyard and paint lines, so I am going to leave my back gate unlocked. No one has called me, but Dish already emailed me about a new window next Sat, from 8-12, which I assume is the pole install.

Should I expect a call from Dig Safe, or are they just going to show up next week?

 

[Bobby]

Here in California we call it USA (Underground Service Alert). You do not get a call form them when they are contacted for a utility marking. They actually call the utilities, gas, electric, telephone, catv, and wet utilities to do the markings. They come out and mark the ground with water soluble paint where utilities might be in the area of your dig so that your installer can work around them. If there are no markings, there are no underground utilities.

 

[gpflepsen]

In my area, they just show up. They usually have a 48 hr response time, not counting Holidays, before you can dig.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Cool, thanks. I'll just leave the gate unlocked and they can do their thing. I was just concerned they'd show up, and with noone there theyd call it off.

 

[Elkview]

Here they generally don't go on customers property unless you are there and ask them to

 

[gadgtfreek]

Im pretty sure they wanted to put the pole in the back, so Im not sure whats gonna happen. I explained all this to the tech, but...

 

[Hall]

In many areas, do they NEED to physically come out ? For example, in my neighborhood, there are NO underground electric lines (all lines are overhead). Or, in backyards, for instance, there will not be any gas, sewer or water lines (they all run down the street and come in the front of homes). Of course, they don't know specifics of why they need to mark, so the sewer or water departments may still need to come out but the electric company certainly wouldn't need to.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Only thing in my back yard is sewer, because there is a grinder pump. Its right next to the house though, so you can easily avoid it. Im not sure what the big deal was. The Gas and Electric are out front on the side, by where they put the node, so maybe they dont want to bury the cable until they know where that is.

 

[Elkview]

Here they have to come out and even mark no on the ground

 

[Hall]

Im not sure what the big deal was. The Gas and Electric are out front on the side, by where they put the node, so maybe they dont want to bury the cable until they know where that is.

I'm referring to the utilities, not Dish or the installer. It's not for Dish or the installer to know or worse, assume where things are.

 

[mike123abc]

It is a liability issue. If they call for markings and nothing is marked and they dig and hit something, they are off the hook. If they do not call the service because they assume everything is out front but for some reason something is in the back they could owe a lot of $$ if they hit it.

 

[gadgtfreek]

Understood, but I'm just thinking about all the pole installs I've had in 10 yrs and not one time this has come up.

 

[jarvantgroup]

Understood, but I'm just thinking about all the pole installs I've had in 10 yrs and not one time this has come up.

Dish Network requires their installation division (DNS) to have a completed Dig Safe ticket or markings done before they'll put a pole in the ground. Their subcontractors are not required to do so. You might have had a subcontractor install your previous dishes.

In our area DNS was getting really nasty with it by putting every job on a temporary mount just to speed up their installation process. They'd set up a Dig Safe ticket, and automatically schedule the follow-up (permanent pole-mount) installation a few days later. Before they confirmed whether or not the Dig Safe ticket was done. It got so bad, they'd put temporary mounts next to busy streets, in apartment common areas, or next to concrete culverts, just to get a job completed as quickly as possible. Now any pole-mount work orders automatically get rejected and go back to whoever did the original installation. That's only fair.

 

[gadgtfreek]

That's what I thought was funny. Some other guy has to come in later and do the work.

 

[Elkview]

Here they have to come out and even mark no on the ground
We have "miss utility" which marks for the utilitys

 

[navychop]

Yes, we have Miss Utility here too. In my experience, they'll put down marks vaguely in the area of the underground utility. I always locate the stuff myself, esp when putting in a fence.

 

[gadgtfreek]

When I got back from vacation dig safe had not made any marks. Dish installer showed up this am, put the pole in the same spot as the tripod and was done in 45 mins. I just felt the other guys left the work for him.

 

[stardust3]

The guy that done the temp mount should also be the 1 to install the pole.
While I don't disagree with having the utilities marked, having a clear locate ticket does not guarantee anything. There is also a huge void of other stuff that nobody will mark. Things like storm & drain piping, septic lines, water piping & electrical wire going to a well head, electrical wires going to outbuildings & other structures, sprinkler systems, electric dog fences, the list is endless. Installers really should have waivers signed by customers releasing them from liability for this "other" unmarked hazards.