Calling Sunshine 811
 

This is a utility question, NOT an ARC question.

Wanting to do some renovation and planting in my Veranda model within my enclosed backyard. I do have landscape lighting on my robelinnis near the back wall (rock bed) and of course irrigation. My air conditioner unit is back there, but all those wires seem visible above ground behind it (where I have rock bed). I doubt my Xfinity cable runs in the back yard. I believe their main box is in my front yard. My landscaper said 811 is just utilities and doesn't cover xfinity anyway. Should I call Xfinity too? My gas line is on side next to my garage. Other than irrigation and electric for my landscape lighting what other lines might I be forgetting about that would be in the backyard of a Veranda?

What is your experience calling Sunshine 811? The website says call a few days prior to your digging. Do they really come out that quickly? Nothing is quick in The Villages.

I would recommend that you call 811. It is the law and calling will protect you. Your landscaper is not correct that it doesn't include Xfinity cables. Calling Xfinity is a waste of time and they may even charge you to come out.

811 will mark TV and internet provider cable, if they come from outside. Not if it's your satellite. They tell you when you call in the marking, who they notify. It's a looooong list. I have had them miss some things, but if you called, you're covered.

That call is free insurance in my opinion. It only takes a few minutes. You’ll see flags and paint very soon; within 12 hours is my experience. The last utility to mark might be around the 72-hour mark.
I’ve seen landscaping projects start and finish and never saw a single mark on those properties. Those contractors are lucky, lazy, or prescient.

OR.... They see where the boxes are, where the utilities enter the home, and have landscaped 100s or 1000s of homes, and knowing that the markings have a +/- of 4' for accuracy... carry a couple of L shaped copper wires and "witch" the wire locations when they have to be digging nearby. I have noticed in the new construction the last couple of years, they stopped running cable on top of the finish grade for the sod to barely cover it up an inch. Ridiculous when you couldn't even run a sod cutter over a cable, and not to code. The further north you go, the shallower they are.