Do you plan to construct the necessary utilities in your freshly built home? You perhaps look forward to building a swimming pool in the backyard.
However, before starting any project, it’s a good idea to check whether it’s legal. How deep can you dig in your backyard?
If you are wondering about this question, it’s time to delve into this article to solve it immediately. Let’s get started!
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How Deep Can You Dig In Your Backyard?
When you dig a hole in the yard that ranges up to 5 feet in depth, there is little risk to underneath services, such as the power cable, flue pipe, or sewer lines.
Besides, digging trenches up to an additional 12 inches (300mm deep) is safe.
In the United States, most of the time, you can do it without asking for explicit approval from the local government or getting a permit.
However, it is advisable to consult your local government before excavating a hole 4 inches in depth or more profound.
What’s more, even if you have permission to excavate a hole or trench in your property, you can still be restricted from going any deeper.
So, you now have to learn how deep you may dig without needing a permit. The pit’s size and the excavation’s purpose determine how deep you may go.
Before excavating a trench in your lawn, you might occasionally require specialized tools.
You must submit the equipment you want to utilize and the expert you plan to engage in receiving approval from the appropriate authority.
Your local planners will determine the extent of your backyard digging.
They’ll consider the dangers you present to yourself, the worker excavating, and the neighborhood.
Additionally, they will offer advice on the likelihood of encountering services like T.V., telephone, cable, sewer, power, water, and gas.
It might be pretty troublesome to run through these utilities or damage them.
For this reason, before you begin digging, consulting with an expert on 811 may be essential.
However, you don’t have to get authorization if excavating is inevitable for an emergency.
What are the risks associated with underground excavation? You’ll unintentionally strike anything that might be significant or dangerous to your safety, like gas, power, sewer, or water.
These things occasionally threaten your safety and can affect your neighbors. Also, it might be frustrating to wait an extended period for repairs.
Do You Need Permission Before Digging In Your Backyard?
The answer depends on the law of the region you are living in. For instance, you need permission before digging in your backyard in the U.S.
Before excavating trenches or digging your garden, you must adhere to several laws and regulations.
The kind of permissions you require to vary depending on the location you reside, the place your backyard is, and your purpose for digging the trench or hole.
You might also want to check with local utility mapping services to see whether excavating in your backyard is legal.
You won’t be permitted to build a tunnel or hole where any utility goes through your backyard. Why do you need permission before digging in your backyard?
Below are the primary reasons:
1. A Underneath Power Cable
You might need to obtain authorization from the energy supplier if electrical lines run through your property.
Your utility company or the local government must thus provide its clearance before you start digging in the garden.
2. Sewage Pipeline
You might not be able to construct a pond or a trench there if a wastewater pipeline supplying your neighborhood passes underneath your property.
3. Water Supply
In every home, water is a vital resource. Both cooking and cleaning require it.Therefore, before constructing a ditch on your property, if the pipes that supply your town are located there, you must get a permit from your relevant council or utility administrator.
How Deep Can You Dig In Your Backyard Without Permission?
Depending on the location and the purpose of your excavation, you can excavate in your backyard up to a certain depth without needing a permit.
For example, excavating a hole for your dog is entirely legal, but you will need to ask permission if you go any further.
Some governments will view it as a crime if you utilize a device to shift the terrain without authorization.
You don’t need to ask for a permit if the holes you dig are not deeper than 60 inches.
Because the excavation may threaten the worker’s or nearby neighbors’ life, you aren’t allowed to build a hole or ditch deeper than 60 inches in the backyard.
Deep excavation is illegal if there aren’t supporting walls. Most civic rules require that you construct support to keep the trench from collapsing.
Is Digging Without Calling 811 Illegal?
According to the law, there is no set restriction on how much you can excavate on your property.
Before beginning to dig, call 811 regardless of how deep or shallow the area is.
Additionally, before excavating a trench for whatever reason, you should contact your local construction authority.
It seems absurd to contact the authorities before making holes in your property. Particularly if you own that property, it could seem a harmless activity.
In contrast to the U.K., where you need permission to dig deeper than 4 inches in your garden, the U.S. allows you to go approximately 12 inches.
Additionally, especially without consent, you should keep on your property and avoid digging in your neighboring property.
It would be best if you also refrained from excavating in the area of your property that borders the street.
Even shallow excavating outside of your backyard needs permission. If you don’t, you risk being fined and put in jail.
Before the official inspection, you cannot know what’s underneath your yard.
Overall, there are no legal repercussions for not calling 811 before excavating.
However, if you decide to dig holes without calling, you can break the law in the excavation process.
Therefore, contact 811 and learn about your rights before doing any excavating.
Why Don’t Many People Call 811 Before Digging The Background?
Although calling 811 before digging is advisable, some homeowners still don’t want to do the thing. Below are some main reasons:
1. They are unaware of 811.
A CGA study report indicates that more people have become familiar with the 811 excavation safe procedure over time.
Only 39% of individuals reported knowing how to contact 811 before digging in 2008—the number raised to 50% in 2020.
Even though this rise is positive, it still implies that 50% of the community is unaware of the phone number to contact before digging.
Getting homeowners to know about the 811 excavation safe procedure might be challenging.
2. They are unaware of the potential adverse effects of excavations without a call.
Numerous negative consequences may result from striking subsurface infrastructure.
Damage to a cable may prevent service from reaching a person’s house or the broader neighborhood.
The worst-case situation is if damage carried on by a dig that was not called for results in significant harm or death.
Calling 811 is mandatory by law, and failing to do so may lead to fines, sure to draw householders’ attention.
3. They believe calling 811 is for specialized excavators.
Homeowners may not contact excavations because they believe only professionals should call 811 before the digging procedure.
However, anyone engaging in digging activities must file an 811 permit request.
4. They believe a call is unnecessary for small projects.
Even though most homeowners are aware that they should call before excavating, they sometimes mistakenly believe it is just for significant tasks.
For many homeowners, putting up a fence, garden, mailbox, or shrubbery seems like a too-minor activity to get an 811 ticket.
There is underground infrastructure everywhere, with many utility services buried only a few inches underground.
However, many homeowners are unaware they may dig a hole with a shovel and strike a cable.
What To Consider Before Digging In Your Backyard?
Before you start your digging projects, it’s best to
1. Always put your safety first.
Make a temporary barrier around the trench site to keep loved ones from unintentionally falling into the pit.
Additionally, make sure your staff members always follow standard workplace safety protocols and use helmets.
2. Think about the region between your home and the digging site.
Your home shouldn’t be too near to the excavation site.
If you are constructing a pool, the perimeter should be set back from your house by at least 1.2 meters.
3. Dispose of the soil.
To transport the dirt from your property to a disposal site, you will need a large enough vehicle.
To learn the requirements for silt disposal, see the local regulations.
4. Acquire an excavator.
A mini excavator is available for purchase or rental.
When you dig, the arms on this equipment may swivel and retract, enabling you to operate efficiently even in small places.
Final Thoughts
After reading this article, have you solved your headache question: How deep can you dig in your backyard?
You are permitted to dig holes up to 60 inches in your property. You must contact 811 first to get a permit before starting your projects.
Hopefully, this post will be helpful for you. Thanks for reading!