Ohio law requires notice before digging, and a fence post hole counts. The state’s own material names fence post holes first on the list of jobs that hit buried lines, alongside deck footings, swing set anchors and tree planting.
In Toledo the holes go about 36 inches down to match the frost line, which is deeper than most of the digging people do in their own yards. That is exactly the depth where gas, electric, cable and water runs live.
How it works
Call 811. You can also call 1-800-362-2764 or file the notice online at oups.org. Tell them the address and where on the property the digging will happen.
Wait at least two working days. The statute says at least two working days, not counting the day you call, and not more than sixteen calendar days before you start.
You will see other numbers quoted. The utilities commission and the City of Perrysburg’s own fence permit form both say 48 hours, excluding weekends and legal holidays, and no more than 10 working days. The statutory wording on the OUPS site is the one to work from, and in practice both mean the same thing. Call at the start of the week for work at the end of it.
Then the lines get marked. Utility crews come out and mark what they own across the ground where you are digging.
Dig after the marks are there, not before. If a mark sits on your fence line, that is a conversation with your installer about where the post goes, not something to work around quietly.
Who has to call
A contractor has to call, every single job. There is no exemption for a small crew, a short fence or a company that has dug that street before.
A homeowner doing the work themselves is exempt from the notification requirement on their own single or multi-family residential property. The exemption falls away if you hire a designer, or if you are digging in a utility easement or a public right-of-way, which plenty of fence lines run along.
The exemption is about the law. It is not advice. A buried service does not care whose shovel it is, and the repair bill for a struck line lands on whoever dug.
The lines 811 does not mark
This is the part that surprises people. OUPS marks the utilities’ own lines. It does not mark private lines, which are anything running from the meter onward across your property:
- The electric run from the meter out to a detached garage or shed
- A gas line out to a grill, a fire pit or a pool heater
- Irrigation pipe
- An invisible dog fence
Those need a private locator. If you have any of them, say so when you get your fence quote, and point out roughly where they run.
What it costs to skip it
Ohio penalties run up to $2,500 for a first violation, up to $5,000 for later ones, and up to $10,000 for persistent non-compliance. That is before the cost of the repair and before anyone is without gas or power for a day.
Commercial excavators also have to register with the Public Utilities Commission and pay an annual safety registration fee of up to $50. Not registering carries fines up to $2,500. Anyone who digs as part of the 811 process has to be trained when they start and retrained every five years.
A fair question for your installer
Ask who calls it in and when. A company that answers straight away, and can tell you the notice period without checking, is a company that does this properly on every job.
If a quote comes with an offer to start tomorrow morning, ask when the notice was filed. Speed is worth a lot in fence work, but not that.
See your price range
Get your number first, then plan the dates around the 811 notice. Put your fence runs into the estimator, see the installed range for your yard, and request a quote from local fence pros.
Questions people ask
Do I have to call 811 for fence posts?
A paid contractor does, on every job, with no exception. A homeowner digging on their own residential property is exempt from the notification requirement unless they hire a designer or are digging in a utility easement or a public right-of-way.
How long do I have to wait after calling?
At least two working days, not counting the day you call. The notice is good for up to sixteen calendar days before you start digging.
Is 811 the same as OUPS?
Yes. 811 is the number you dial for the Ohio Utility Protection Service. You can also call 1-800-362-2764 or file the notice online at oups.org.
Does 811 mark my own buried lines?
No. The run from the meter to a garage, a gas line out to a grill, irrigation pipe and an invisible dog fence are private lines, and OUPS does not locate them. You need a private locator for those.
What happens if someone digs without calling?
Ohio penalties run up to $2,500 for a first violation, up to $5,000 for later ones and up to $10,000 for persistent non-compliance, on top of paying for the damage.
Where these numbers come from
- Ohio 811 / OUPS ‘The Law’ page, https://oups.org/law/ (retrieved 12 Sep 2026), citing Ohio Revised Code Chapters 3781 and 4913
- notice period: at least two working days, not including the day of notification, and not more than sixteen calendar days before excavation begins; emergency repairs may notify after starting
- PUCO and other sources commonly state 48 hours excluding weekends and legal holidays and not more than 10 working days; the research says the statutory text on oups.org (two working days / sixteen calendar days) is the one to use
- how to notify: call 811 or 1-800-362-2764, or file online at oups.org
- ‘Lines have been hit digging such things as fence post holes, anchoring supports for decks and swing sets, planting trees, removing tree roots and driving landscaping stakes into the ground’
- homeowners working on their own single or multi-family residential property are exempt from the notification requirement unless they employ a designer or work in utility easements or public rights-of-way; the exemption does not cover a paid contractor
- commercial excavators must register with the Public Utilities Commission and pay a safety registration fee not to exceed $50 annually; failure to register carries fines up to $2,500; training required at initial assignment and every five years
- penalties: first violation up to $2,500 or training, subsequent violations up to $5,000, persistent non-compliance up to $10,000
- private lines (meter to garage, gas line to a grill, irrigation, invisible dog fence) are not located by OUPS; a private locator is needed
- the City of Perrysburg fence permit form carries the OUPS warning in red: 8-1-1 or 1-800-362-2764, at least 48 hours but no more than 10 working days before beginning any digging project
- Toledo post holes are dug to around 36 inches to match the Lucas County frost line
Checked September 2026. Prices move; the estimator is updated when the list is.