Area of
Continual
Excavation

Excavation work in California, which includes agricultural activities, has required a “call before you dig” ticket since the 1980’s. Standard tickets are valid for 28 days and can be renewed if work is ongoing. In 2017, lawmakers created an ‘Area of Continual Excavation’ (ACE) ticket that is valid for one calendar year and available to farmers and certain flood control facility operators. The goal was to create a safe and less burdensome option from the normal ticket process that complies with safe digging laws.

Whether you need an ACE ticket or a standard ticket, follow these steps:

1. Mark your work area in white

Delineate your dig site in white paint, flags, stakes, whiskers, or chalk.

2. Contact 811

Submit a ticket by dialing 8-1-1; we're available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week (including holidays). If you are requesting an ACE ticket, just let us know over the phone, or select the appropriate option when submitting your ticket online.

3. Wait the required time

Utility owners have at least two working days, not including the day of notification, to respond to your ticket by marking the site, providing information on the location of their facilities underground, or giving an ‘all clear’ if there are no facilities in the dig area.

4. Confirm all utility companies have responded

Excavators must confirm that ALL utility members on the ticket have responded before excavation can begin, even if the start date and time has passed. If you are missing a response from a utility company, submit a 'No Response' on your ticket by calling 811 or using your E-Ticket account.

5. Dig safely and respect the marks

Excavators are required to use hand tools only within 24 inches on either side of the underground line and are responsible for the safety and protection of any facilities while they are exposed.

ACE tickets are ONLY available to farmers and flood control facilities where the excavation is part of “normal business activities.” A flood control facility is defined in Title 19 of the California Code of Regulations as “an engineered basin operated by a state or local agency, used for the temporary slowing and storing of storm water runoff and for which regular removal of debris is required."

For areas of continual excavation that include or are within 10 feet of a high priority subsurface installation, an onsite meeting between a representative of the excavator and the operator of the high priority subsurface installation is required, and must be facilitated by using an Area of Continual Excavation Agreement (form below).

An onsite meeting must take place at a mutually agreed upon date and time on the property where the high priority subsurface installation is present. Representatives must be authorized to enter into an agreement and be prepared with all the relevant information of their respective operations.

If there are contrary understandings of the exact location of the high priority subsurface installation, the operator must demonstrate a conflict with the area of continual excavation by providing documentation of the exact location of the facility or by exposing the facility with hand tools or vacuum excavation at a mutually agreed upon date and time.

If the ACE does not contain a high priority subsurface installation (or is more than 10 feet away from a high priority line), then the operator or excavator has the option to request an onsite meeting using the Area of Continual Excavation Optional Agreement (form below).

IF THERE IS

a high priority facility within the area of continual excavation, or within 10 feet of the area of continual excavation

Agricultural Operations - ACE Agreement 1
Flood Control - ACE Agreement 2
IF THERE IS NOT

a high priority facility within the area of continual excavation, or within 10 feet of the area of continual excavation (optional)

Agricultural Operations - ACE Agreement 3
Flood Control - ACE Agreement 4