Before You Dig in Ontario: Locates, Ontario One Call and Permits

Gas lines, hydro cables, water and sewer laterals, fibre — Ontario's ground is crowded, and hitting any of them ranges from expensive to deadly. That's why locating underground infrastructure before you dig isn't just smart: in Ontario, it's the law.

Ontario One Call: free, and not optional

• Request locates through Ontario One Call (OntarioOneCall.ca or 1-800-400-2255) — the service is free.
• Request at least 5 business days before you plan to dig; locate crews need time to visit and mark.
• Each utility owner marks their lines with paint and flags, and provides a locate report — keep it on site.
• Locate marks are valid for 60 days. If your project slips past that, request a re-mark before digging.
• Dig carefully within the tolerance zone either side of a mark — hand-dig or vacuum-excavate to expose the line before machine digging nearby.

Private services are your responsibility

Ontario One Call covers public utilities up to your property connection. Private lines — a gas line to a pool heater, a backyard hydro feed, septic components, wells, irrigation — are not in their database. Tell your excavation contractor about every private service you know of before work starts; surprises underground are how projects (and pipes) get broken.

Permits your project may need

• Building permit: foundations, additions and demolitions generally require one from your municipality.
• Road occupancy / encroachment permits: if trucks, bins or machines need the street or boulevard.
• Demolition permits: with a designated-substance survey where the building's age calls for it (asbestos rules, O. Reg. 278/05).
• Conservation authority permits: if your land sits in a regulated area near water or valleys.

None of this is difficult — it's sequencing. Locates and permits first, machines second. On 51 Excavation jobs, that order is never reversed.

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