Fencing (C-13) · Lesson 1 of 6

Before You Dig Post Holes: The 811 Ticket and Marking Rules

"Before You Dig Post Holes: The 811 Ticket and Marking Rules" is lesson 1 of 6 in the Fencing (C-13) Learning Hub. It opens with "A Post Hole Is an Excavation" and works through 6 short steps, then a worked example you can check yourself against.

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Steps in this lesson

  1. A Post Hole Is an Excavation
  2. The Call and the Timing Window
  3. The 28-Day Ticket Clock
  4. Mark the Area, Then Find the Lines
  5. Hand Tools Before the Auger
  6. Damage, High-Priority Lines, and Penalties

The worked example in the course applies this lesson to a realistic job in 5 steps, from "Check the timing window" through "Before the first hole".

What you'll be able to do

  • Explain the main idea of "Before You Dig Post Holes: The 811 Ticket and Marking Rules" in plain language you can use on the exam.
  • Apply this step with confidence: "The 28-Day Ticket Clock".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Mark the Area, Then Find the Lines".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Hand Tools Before the Auger".
  • Apply this step with confidence: "Damage, High-Priority Lines, and Penalties".
  • Test yourself on the worked example and the quick-check quiz inside the classroom.
Call 811 Before Digging Post HolesOne ticket, a timing window, and a 28-day clockTICKET TIMELINE (CALENDAR DAYS)Ticket 1 (day 0): valid 28 calendar daysTicket 2: revalidate before day 28Digging: day 7 through day 3932 days of work071421283539days after the 811 call (6 px per day)Day 0 = Monday of week 1WHAT THE RULES SAYCall 811 or (800) 640-5137 (free)Call 2 working days to 14 calendardays before the first hole is dugTicket number lasts 28 calendar daysWhite paint marks the dig areaOperators mark their lines in colorHand tools or vacuum before the augerDamage: tell the operator at onceEvery contractor needs its own ticket number.RESULT: call on day 0, dig day 7, revalidate before day 28Source: License Law Book 2026, Sec. IV Ch. 4 (pp. 61-63); 8 CCR §1540(b), §1541(b); Gov. Code 4216.CC
The diagram for this lesson, exactly as it appears in the Learning Hub.

The first steps of this lesson

Step 1: A Post Hole Is an Excavation

Digging a post hole feels small, but the California rules treat it as excavation. 8 CCR §1540(b) defines an excavation as "any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in an earth surface, formed by earth removal." The License Law and Reference Book (Section IV, Chapter 4, p. 62) says the notification duty applies to "any person or entity who plans to disturb the surface of the ground by digging, drilling, boring, etc." An auger hole for a fence post qualifies, so the 811 call comes before the first hole, not after a line is hit.

Step 2: The Call and the Timing Window

Contact the regional notification center, 811 or (800) 640-5137 (the call is free), at least two working days but not more than 14 calendar days before work starts, except in an emergency (License Law Book p. 62; 8 CCR §1541(b)(2) also requires at least 2 working days). The center issues an inquiry identification (ticket) number, and the book notes that an excavation permit is not valid without it (p. 61). Every contractor or subcontractor excavating at the jobsite must have its own ticket number, so the fence contractor cannot rely on the grading contractor's ticket (p. 62).

The remaining 4 steps, the worked example and the quiz are in the course. This is a preview. The full lesson, with the step-by-step explanations, a worked example and a quick-check quiz, is inside the classroom.

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