The color of the flags are typically going to follow The American Public Works Association (APWA) Uniform Color Code. There won’t be any excavating in the near future, for a while anyways. If you happen to notice that these flags have shown up in your entire neighborhood, this is likely the case. This practice is often refereed to as Subsurface Utility Engineering. Engineers will request to have utilities marked out so that they can design new utility systems around the old ones. The other reason flags have appeared in your yard is because someone is planning to do work. Typically they will replace the pole in the exact same location of the existing pole, or within a few feet, but regardless they always seem to call in way more than they need. For instance, it is not that uncommon for an electric company to call in a 150′ radius of a utility pole that is going to be replaced. Instead, they will call in several properties for one small excavation just to make sure that the locators have marked the proposed work area. Many times, the individuals or companies who call in the “Call 811 Ticket” request to dig does not have all of the information needed to pin-point the locate technicians to the exact spot of the work. Just because the flags are in your lawn does not mean your lawn will be effected. The excavation could be for anything, maybe the fire hydrant across the street is being repaired, or your next door neighbors are installing a new mailbox or clothes line. This does not mean that someone will be parking a huge excavator in front of your home and tearing up your entire lawn. Before you blow your stack, relax a little bit. The primary reason is because there is a planned excavation in the vicinity of your property. There is typically only a few reasons these types of little colored flags will appear in your yard or lawn. Why are there utility flags in my yard?įirst, we can help answer they “Why” part of the equation. For the quickest answers, call you local Call 811 center by dialing 811 from any land line or cell phone. Although we can’t specifically answer your question here, we can help shed some light on a few of the possibilities about what is happening. If you found this article, chances are that you have just discovered a new set of colored little flags in your yard, but your not sure why.

Little pink houses meaning