Yes. California treats post-hole digging as excavation. The person digging has to contact the regional 811 center at least two working days before work starts, and no more than 14 calendar days ahead. In this part of the state the center is DigAlert. The service costs nothing.
What could a post hole hit?
Gas lines, electric service, water mains and laterals, sewer lines and fiber or cable lines. A strike can mean injury, an outage and a repair bill that dwarfs the fence.
The steps, in order
- Outline the fence line in white paint or with white flags.
- Call 811 or submit the ticket online with DigAlert.
- Wait at least two working days for utility marks.
- Dig by hand within the tolerance zone around any marked line.
How long do marks last?
California Government Code section 4216.2 makes a ticket valid for 28 days. If the job takes longer, the ticket is renewed before it lapses.
What is not marked?
Lines the owner put in after the meter: irrigation, landscape lighting, a power line to a shed or a backyard unit. Tell your contractor about them before digging.
On our jobs
We file the DigAlert ticket and wait for marks before any digging on a Santa Ana job, including small repairs that only replace a post or two.
Sources, as of November 2026: California Government Code section 4216.2; DigAlert (Underground Service Alert of Southern California). General information, not legal advice.
Updated November 2026