Lost a full day on a job in Phoenix because I didn't check for a gas line first

Terry Jones · 2026-04-01T11:05:06.345566+00:00

I was setting posts for a vinyl fence and hit an unmarked gas line about 18 inches down. The utility locate only marked the main, not this old branch line. It cost me $500 for the emergency call out and shut down the site for 8 hours. Always call for a locate, but also probe carefully yourself before you dig. Has anyone else run into unmarked lines like that?

owens.cameron6mo ago

Tell me about it. I was putting in a sprinkler system years back and my shovel went right through a phone line that wasn't on any map. The utility company swore it wasn't theirs because it was so old. I ended up eating the repair cost and losing half a day. You can do everything right with the call and still get burned by those old forgotten lines.

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kim6936mo ago

Cheap lesson" is a pretty wild take. That's a huge hit for a small crew.

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grace_allen6mo ago

Sounds like a cheap lesson tbh.

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thea_wood866mo ago

Wow, I used to think that too.

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