The utility company performing the work will put door hangers on residents’ and businesses’ front doors in the work area before the job begins explaining what it entails, what company is performing the work, and how long the project is expected to take.

The door hanger will also include contact information of someone you can call if you have questions about the job before it begins and as it progresses.

Utility companies have the right to work on any public rights-of-way and dedicated utility easements due to Franchise Agreements between local and state governments and the utility companies. Utility easements exist on private property.

Utility companies apply to the City for a permit to perform needed work and must outline in detail what will be done, why, where and for how long.

Rights-of-way are public property dedicated to and controlled by the City for the purpose of maintaining public infrastructure.

Utility easements function similarly to public rights-of-way. Utility companies have the right to install and maintain their utilities within these easements even though the land is the responsibility of the property owner.

Rights-of-way boundaries vary depending on the road, but can generally be determined by looking from the edge of the road or curb to the back edge of the sidewalk or curb, or beyond if there are utility poles or fire hydrants in the grass after or on the other side of the sidewalk, away from the street.

Rights-of-way are noted on plats and deeds. To find your plat (sample plat), visit Guilford County GIS to look up your address. Questions? Call 336-641-2549 or email.

Older developments may not have a plat, so visit the Guilford County Register of Deeds for help finding the deed for your address. Questions? Call 336-641-7556 or email.

In some cases, you may need to contact a licensed surveyor to determine the easement and right-of-way info for your lot.

Utility company crews are required to mark the specific, mapped-out location(s) of excavations and can do so with soluble paint, stakes, flags or a combination of these. If the diameter or width of an excavation is more than four inches, the above markers must be located every 50 feet.

Check out this short video about the process of identifying buried utilities. 'Call before you dig' is the law in NC.  

* As per NC General Statute Article 8A "Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act" 87-121.

As noted above, the location of an excavation is clearly marked according to the precise location of whatever line or main the company needs to work on or install.

But to make sure other utility lines are not damaged, a crew may dig holes to physically see those lines so they can be avoided. This protects all underground utility lines as well as your own property.

Check out this short video about the process of identifying buried utilities. 'Call before you dig' is the law in NC. 

* As per NC General Statute Article 8A "Underground Utility Safety and Damage Prevention Act" GS87-122 (c) (9) and 8.

The utility company is responsible for restoring the area to “as good or better condition than before work began.” Specific instructions for each job are outlined in a letter (sample letter) the City’s Engineering and Inspections Department staff sends to each utility company, along with its permit to proceed with the work.

Then, the City enforces quality control of these jobs by inspecting the work’s progress as well as the final restoration and cleanup.