Call Missouri 811 Before You Demolish or Excavate

Buried gas, electric, water, sewer and communications lines can run through a demolition site, and striking one is dangerous and expensive. Missouri One Call System, known as Missouri 811, exists to help excavators find out where underground utilities are before they dig.

Locates and disconnects are different

• A locate: Utility owners mark the approximate location of their underground lines, requested through Missouri 811.
• A disconnect: The service to the building is shut off and capped by the utility or its approved contractor, arranged separately with each provider.

Typical steps

• Contact Missouri 811 before any excavation and follow its current rules for notice periods.
• Wait for utilities to respond and mark lines before breaking ground.
• Request service disconnects with each provider ahead of demolition.
• Treat marks as approximate and use care near them, such as hand digging where appropriate.
• Keep records of the request and responses.

Things that catch people off guard

• Private lines, such as an owner-installed gas line to a detached garage, may not be marked by utilities.
• Older neighborhoods can have abandoned or poorly documented lines.
• Marks fade or get disturbed, so long projects may need new requests.
• Disconnect lead times can exceed locate lead times, so request them early.

Check Missouri 811 for the current notice period and rules, since they can change. Kansas City Demolition Co schedules locates and coordinates disconnects as part of project planning. Call (714) 333-0178 to start.