How to protect your underground utilities during tree and stump removal

There are three threats to protect your utilities from with tree and stump removal:

There are three threats to protect your utilities from with tree and stump removal:

• During tree removal, the impact of a heavy tree falling can damage underground utilities.
• During stump grinding, the grinding blade penetrates into the soil and can damage any underground utilities that are too close.
• Large heavy equipment that’s needed for a job can damage utilities when driving over them.

Luckily, a tree removal company can work around your utilities. For stump grinding, only a small swath around the stump is needed. For tree felling, there are techniques and tools for dropping trees in almost any situation into drop zones of almost any shape and size.
All that’s really needed is to mark your underground utilities so the removal crew knows what areas to avoid.

Locating your utilities

Electric, gas, phone and cable lines are owned by the installer all the way to the meter, which is typically installed at or near the home.
That means you can have all of these utilities located by simply calling 811. In Washington State, you’ll need to place your request at least three days before your tree or stump removal. The WA 811 site says give two day’s notice, and you’ll need it marked the day before the removal crew shows up.
Other underground utilities are not covered by 811, such as:

• The lines for sprinkler systems
• Septic pipes and tanks
  
• Buried chemical lines
  
• Alarm wires
  

The two biggest of these things for most homeowners to worry about will be your septic system (sewer pipes and septic tank), and your sprinkler system.
If you don’t know where your sprinkler lines are, you can follow this guide to finding them.
If you don’t know where your septic is, you have three options for locating it:

• You can find it yourself
• Look at your as-built records
  
• Call a utility locator
  

To find it yourself, you can follow this guide.
In Snohomish County, you can request as-built records for your septic system at the Snohomish Health District site, found here
If you live in another county, a Google search for “septic as-built records” + the name of your county should get you where you need to go.
If you’re unable to find any of your underground utilities on your own, you can call a utility locating service near you

Mark clearly and communicate

Marking clearly with bright colors will ensure that the removal crew doesn’t overlook your markings. Also, make sure that your tree removal crew won’t have to make any guesses about what the markings mean. Explain to the project lead what each marking represents, and provide any relevant details about the utilities underneath.