Call Before Digging in the Yard of Your Denver Home

Now that fall is here, many Denver-area homeowners decide it's a great time to plant a tree or do some project that involves digging in the yard. Perhaps it's running an electrical line out to your detached garage or installing a fence. This economical do-it-yourself project could be a costly venture if you dig without considering what could be buried beneath your lawn.

Telephone, gas, and electrical lines are the most likely hidden dangers; striking one of these lines can knock out service to the home (yours and the neighbor's), result in a leak, or even cause a fire or death if an electrical wire is severed. Often, these lines were buried long before you moved in, so you do not know the location or how deep the wires are buried. It is estimated by Common Ground Alliance, a group concerned about underground wire safety, that Americans strike underground utility lines once a minute. Fortunately, homeowners and the professionals they hire can prevent service disruptions (and worse) by calling their utility companies before digging. It's actually a law that you must call. There's even a national call-before you dig number 811 that maintains 62 call centers throughout the United States and DC to dispatch someone to come out within two days and mark the location of lines with spray paint. If you hit a line, you get a bill!

Call 811 can't help with hidden lines for systems installed after the home was built. If your yard has an automatic sprinkler system, for example, there is very likely a grid of PVC pipes buried a few inches below the surface. Experts suggest you find the main water supply pipe and then carefully dig up the area around where pipes might be hidden before digging any deeper (or with any power tools!) Hitting a water delivery line will not kill you like slicing a power line might - but repairs are messy, time consuming, and potentially expensive. Similarly, if you have landscape lighting along the driveway or wiring that leads to a lighted outbuilding, dig cautiously! Better yet, call a professional who can scope out the area for any hidden lines.

Especially in older neighborhoods, oil tanks or even gas or chemical tanks could lurk below the surface and leak remnants of fuel or chemicals into the soil. If you suspect there may be an old tank in the yard, you should call the local EPA for directions on how to remove, test, or officially abandon the tank before digging. Click here for a fuller discussion of how to deal with an old tank. Your attempt to plant a tree could cost thousands in environmental damage if you hit a tank.

If you're thinking of buying a home in Denver or a neighboring community like Parker or Highlands Ranch, the pros at Bandy Homes can help you find your next home quickly and easily. We even offer free buyer reports with tips for buying a home with no unpleasant surprises.

Marianne Bandy

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