Call 811 Before You Dig: The JULIE Guide Every Chicago Homeowner Needs
You’re planting a tree, setting fence posts, digging for a patio, or running a new line to the garage — and somewhere under that soil could be a gas line, an electric feed, a water main, or a fiber cable. Hit one and a Saturday project becomes an emergency, an outage for the block, a big repair bill, or worse. Illinois has a free, legally required service that prevents exactly this: it’s called JULIE, you reach it by dialing 811, and using it before any digging is one of the genuinely non-negotiable rules of working on Chicago property. Here’s how it works, why it matters so much for gas specifically, and what every homeowner needs to know before the shovel goes in.
What Is JULIE and What Does 811 Actually Do?
JULIE — the name stands for the Joint Utility Locating Information for Excavators — is Illinois’s one-call notification system, the statewide clearinghouse that connects anyone about to dig with every utility that might have buried infrastructure at that spot. You place one free request, by phone at 811 or online, describing where you plan to dig. JULIE notifies the member utilities, and each one sends a locator (or a contractor) to come mark the approximate location of their buried lines on your property with color-coded paint and little flags. Once everything’s marked, you can dig with a map of what’s underground instead of a prayer. The system exists because the alternative — guessing — causes thousands of utility strikes a year nationally, many of them by homeowners who assumed their yard was empty. It almost never is. Even a modest Chicago lot typically has gas, electric, water, sewer, and communications lines threaded under it, often shallower than people expect.
The Color Code: What Those Paint Marks Mean
| Color | What’s buried there |
|---|---|
| Yellow | Gas, oil, steam, or other flammable material — the one that matters most here |
| Red | Electric power lines and cables |
| Blue | Potable (drinking) water |
| Green | Sewer and drain lines |
| Orange | Communications — telephone, cable, fiber |
| White | Proposed excavation — where you plan to dig (you can pre-mark this) |
| Purple | Reclaimed water or irrigation |
Yellow is the one to respect most. A yellow line means a buried gas main or service line runs there, and it’s exactly what you must not put a shovel, an auger, or a fence-post digger through.
Why 811 Matters Even More for Gas
Every buried utility is worth avoiding, but a gas strike is in a category of its own. Cut a communications line and you knock out someone’s internet; cut a water line and you make a muddy mess and a repair bill. Cut a gas line and you release a flammable, explosive fuel into the open, potentially near your running equipment, potentially into a nearby structure — a genuine life-safety emergency, not just an inconvenience. This is why the buried gas runs I install to garages, grills, and firepits always begin with an 811 locate before a single shovelful comes out, and why I treat it as part of the job rather than an optional courtesy. It’s also why hitting an existing gas line during a dig is one of the emergency scenarios on our who-to-call guide: if you ever strike one, you evacuate the area, call 911 and Peoples Gas (1-866-556-6002) immediately, and keep everyone away from ignition sources. Prevention via 811 is enormously cheaper and safer than that phone call.
How to Use JULIE: the Homeowner’s Steps
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| 1. Plan ahead | Contact JULIE at least a couple of business days before you dig — it’s not same-day, so build it into the timeline |
| 2. Place the request | Call 811 or file online, free; describe the dig location as precisely as you can (pre-marking the area in white paint helps) |
| 3. Wait for marks | Utilities mark their buried lines with the color-coded paint and flags; wait until all expected utilities have responded |
| 4. Dig carefully | Respect the marks — hand-dig with care near them, and never assume a mark is exact to the inch; they’re approximate locations |
| 5. If a fitter’s doing the work | A licensed installer handles the locate as part of a buried-line job — but the rule applies to your projects too, right down to planting a tree |
811 & JULIE Questions, Answered Straight
Do I really have to call 811 to plant a tree or set a fence post?
Yes — the requirement covers essentially any digging, and trees and fence posts go exactly deep enough to hit buried gas, electric, or communications lines. It’s free and it’s the law. The homeowner who “just dug a small hole” is a big share of utility strikes. A couple of days’ notice is all it takes to dig with confidence instead of luck.
How much does JULIE / 811 cost?
Nothing — the locate service is free to the person digging. The cost of skipping it, on the other hand, can be enormous: liability for the damage, repair bills, outages for your neighbors, and in the case of a gas line, a genuine emergency. Free prevention versus expensive disaster is not a close call.
How far ahead do I need to call before digging?
Contact JULIE at least a couple of business days before you plan to dig — it’s not an instant service, because real people have to come mark the lines. Plan it into your project timeline rather than deciding to dig on a whim Saturday morning. Confirm current lead-time requirements when you place the request.
The marks are down but I’m about to dig right next to a yellow line. Is that safe?
Hand-dig with real care near any mark, and treat yellow (gas) with the most caution — the marks show approximate location, not exact depth or a to-the-inch position. If your project genuinely needs to be right on top of a gas line, that’s a conversation with a professional, not a solo shovel job. When in doubt near yellow, stop and call.
What happens if I hit a gas line while digging?
Treat it as an emergency immediately: get everyone away from the area, avoid anything that could ignite (no equipment, no phones near the leak, no flames), and from a safe distance call 911 and Peoples Gas (1-866-556-6002). Don’t try to fix or cover it yourself. Our who-to-call guide covers this scenario — but the whole point of 811 is to never reach it.
Does my contractor handle 811, or do I?
A licensed contractor doing buried work handles the locate as part of the job — it’s standard practice, and I do it on every buried gas line I install. But for your own projects — landscaping, fencing, a DIY patio — the responsibility is yours, and the call is free. When in doubt about who’s calling, call; a duplicate request is harmless, a missed one isn’t.
Planning a Buried Gas Line? We Handle the Locate and the Install.
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☎ Call (773) 200-2148Related guides: Outdoor Gas Line Installation · Who to Call for a Gas Leak · Chicago Gas Line Costs · All guides
This guide is general information for Chicago-area homeowners. 811/JULIE requirements and lead times are set by law and can change — confirm current details when you place your locate request. If you smell gas or strike a line, prioritize safety: leave and call 911 and Peoples Gas (1-866-556-6002).