Kansas 811: required before digging
Kansas law requires anyone excavating — homeowners included — to notify Kansas 811 before digging, so underground utilities can be marked for free.
- Call 811 (or 1-800-DIG-SAFE), or file a request online.
- Timing: at least two full working days before you dig — not counting the day you call, weekends, or holidays — and no more than 20 calendar days ahead.
- White lining: marking the area you plan to dig with white paint, flags, or stakes helps locators mark the right place.
- Tolerance zone: the marks show the approximate location. Kansas uses a 24-inch tolerance zone on each side of the marks; dig carefully by hand inside it.
- Private lines aren't marked. Utilities mark their own lines up to the meter. Lines you own — to a shop, a sprinkler system, a private sewer line — usually aren't covered by 811 marks.
Not sure which day you can dig, or which office permits your town? Use the before-you-dig checklist and 811 date calculator.
Kansas One Call and Kansas 811: same system
Older paperwork, utility bills and contractors still say "call Kansas One Call." It's the same thing. The state's call center runs as Kansas 811, which a 2023 Kansas Corporation Commission seminar presentation describes as a wholly owned subsidiary of Kansas One-Call System, Inc., a not-for-profit owned and run by its member utilities. The rules behind it are the Kansas Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act (K.S.A. 66-1801 and following), and the Corporation Commission enforces them.
- Lead time and ticket life. K.S.A. 66-1804 requires notice at least two full working days, and no more than 20 calendar days, before the start date. The ticket stays valid for 20 calendar days after the start date (it was 15 until January 1, 2024, per the same KCC deck). A long job needs a new ticket.
- How to file. Call 811 or 1-800-DIG-SAFE (800-344-7233), use the homeowner web form (ITIC Lite) on kansas811.com, or the Kansas 811 app. Kansas 811 says changes or questions about an existing ticket have to be made by phone.
- White lining. The statute says the person digging has to white-line the site if a utility asks. Paint or flags around the dig area do it.
- What doesn't get marked. Kansas 811 lists private facilities the utilities won't mark: power to outbuildings, sprinkler systems, septic systems, invisible pet fences, pool heating lines and satellite dish cables. Add the sewer lateral from the house to the main and any propane line from your own tank. A private utility locator finds those for a fee.
When you hire an excavation contractor, they normally place the locate request themselves. It's fair to ask for the ticket number. More on vetting an excavation company in Wichita.
MABCD permits
Building and trade permits for Wichita and unincorporated Sedgwick County are handled by the Metropolitan Area Building and Construction Department (MABCD), 271 W. 3rd St. N., Wichita, (316) 660-1840, with applications through the MABCD portal. Excavation itself is usually part of a larger permitted job — a new house, addition, foundation, or plumbing work — rather than its own permit. Check Do I need a permit? or call MABCD for your specific project. Some other cities in the county run their own permitting, so check with your city if you're outside Wichita.
Tell us about the dig
(316) 869-0053Which permit for which dig
The dig itself rarely has its own permit. The permit belongs to the job the hole is for, and it's usually pulled by the licensed trade doing that job, not by the excavator. In Wichita and unincorporated Sedgwick County, these are the usual matches:
| Job | Permit | Who files it |
|---|---|---|
| Sewer line repair or replacement | MABCD sewer permit, form 77A (also covers sealing off the sewer when a building is wrecked or moved) | A licensed sewer contractor |
| Water service line, new or replacement | MABCD plumbing permit, form 3, line item "water service new or replacement" | A licensed plumber, with their license number on the form |
| Septic system or lagoon in the county | MABCD wastewater permit | A licensed wastewater installer; homeowners can't pull it |
| House, garage or slab removal | MABCD wrecking permit; for a commercial or public building, also an asbestos inspection and a KDHE notice 10 working days ahead (the asbestos step before demolition) | The wrecking contractor, with name and license number |
| Retaining wall over 4 feet, measured from the bottom of the footing to the top of the wall | Building permit; walls 4 feet or less (and not holding back a surcharge) are exempt under UBTC section 2.4.030 | Usually the wall contractor; ask who pulls it before work starts |
| Egress window and window well | Building permit for the wall cut and window (a structural change); the well has to meet the local egress sizes, ladder and drainage rules in Ordinance 50-833 | Usually whoever cuts the wall and sets the window; the excavator digs under it |
| Power or gas to a shop or outbuilding | Electrical permit for the feeder; plumbing-code permit for gas piping. The trench stays open until the inspector has seen it | The licensed electrician and gas fitter |
Whatever the job, the excavator still places the Kansas 811 locate, so ask anyone quoting excavation services in Wichita who will call it in. If the work reaches a City of Wichita street or easement, add the right-of-way permit below.
Floodplain
Filling, grading, or excavating in a mapped floodplain requires a floodplain development permit. MABCD can tell you whether a property is in the floodplain.
Streets, right-of-way, and easements
Digging in a City of Wichita street, alley, right-of-way, utility easement, or drainage easement requires a City of Wichita permit — common for sewer and water service work that reaches the street.
Common questions
Do I have to call 811 just to set fence posts or plant a tree?
Yes. Kansas 811 asks homeowners to request locates for digging projects, including fence posts and planting. It's free.
How long do I have to wait after calling 811?
At least two full working days, not counting the day of the call, weekends, or holidays.
Is Kansas One Call the same as Kansas 811?
Yes. Kansas 811 is the statewide notification center, run as a subsidiary of Kansas One-Call System, Inc. Calling 811 or 1-800-DIG-SAFE, or filing online, satisfies the notice the Kansas Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act requires: at least two full working days and no more than 20 calendar days before you dig.
Who pulls the permit, me or the contractor?
Usually the contractor doing the work pulls the permit for their part. Confirm it in writing before work starts.