Utility Locates in Calgary: What to Know Before You Dig
It is not just fence posts and deck footings that can hit a buried line. Grading a yard, cutting in a retaining wall, or stripping sod for a new lawn can all disturb gas, power or telecom lines that sit closer to the surface than most homeowners expect. Here is how utility locates work in Calgary.
Why locates matter for landscaping, not just construction
Buried gas, power and telecom lines run to the house, the garage and sometimes a detached shed or hot tub, often cutting straight across the yard. A Bobcat regrading a lawn, a trencher digging a drain line behind a retaining wall, or a crew stripping old sod can all hit a line at a shallower depth than people assume — which is why a locate is worth requesting even for projects that are not permit work.
How to request a locate
In Alberta, locate requests go through Utility Safety Partners’ Click Before You Dig service, online or by calling 1-800-242-3447. The request reaches the companies that own buried gas, power and telecom lines in the area. Lines you or a past owner installed yourself, such as irrigation piping or low-voltage landscape lighting, are usually not part of that and need to be located separately.
How long it takes
Submit the request at least three full working days before digging. Utility Safety Partners notes that responses can take 5 to 10 business days during busy periods, so book early in spring when every contractor in the city is requesting locates at once.
What gets marked
- Public utilities are marked with coloured paint or flags showing the approximate location of each line — the marks do not tell you how deep it is.
- Markings are approximate, not exact — hand-dig within the marked tolerance zone rather than running equipment straight through it.
- Private lines (irrigation, a landscape lighting transformer, a buried propane tank) are the homeowner’s responsibility to locate separately.
Planning your project around the locate
- Order materials and book equipment after the locate is confirmed, not before, in case the markings change your layout.
- Grade so water slopes away from the foundation, not toward it, once the lines are marked and clear.
- Keep the locate ticket on file — it is useful if a dispute ever comes up about what was marked and when.
How Josan Construction & Landscaping can help
We do Bobcat work, yard grading, sod and retaining walls across Calgary, Airdrie and Chestermere. Estimates are free, and we speak English, Hindi, Punjabi and Urdu.
Sources
Sources checked October 17, 2026. City guidance changes and has no legal status — always confirm requirements with the City of Calgary for your property.
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