You’re standing in your backyard in Orlando or maybe a quiet street in Pensacola, shovel in hand. You’re just planting a few hibiscus bushes or finally putting up that privacy fence the neighbors have been hinting about. It feels like a simple Saturday project. But beneath your feet is a chaotic, invisible web of high-voltage power lines, fiber optic cables carrying the internet for your entire block, and pressurized natural gas mains.
Honestly, most people think Sunshine One Call Florida—now officially known as Sunshine 811—is just for big construction crews with backhoes and hard hats.
That’s a mistake that could cost you thousands of dollars or, in the worst-case scenario, your life. Florida law is pretty clear: if you’re moving dirt, you’ve got to call. It doesn't matter if you're a DIYer or a licensed contractor.
The Reality of Sunshine One Call Florida
The organization formerly known as Sunshine State One Call of Florida, Inc. is the massive communication hub that sits between you and the utility companies. They don't actually come out and mark the lines themselves. Instead, they take your "ticket"—the description of where you plan to dig—and blast it out to every member utility that has stuff buried in your area.
Think of them as the air traffic controllers for the dirt.
Florida Statute Chapter 556 is the "Dig Law." It’s the rulebook. It mandates that anyone "excavating"—which is a fancy legal term for basically any man-made cut or cavity in the earth—must notify the system.
Why the Name Changed
You might still hear people call it "Sunshine One Call Florida," but they rebranded to Sunshine 811 a while back to align with the national 811 "Call Before You Dig" number. It’s easier to remember, but the mission is identical: damage prevention.
How the Process Actually Works (Wait Times and Logic)
You can’t just call and immediately start digging. The law requires a two-full-business-day waiting period.
If you call on a Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are the waiting days. You can start digging on Thursday.
Weekends and holidays don't count. If you’re planning a big project for Saturday morning, you better have that ticket in by Wednesday at the latest. If you wait until Friday, those utility locators aren't coming out until the following Tuesday or Wednesday.
The "White Lining" Secret
Expert excavators do something called "white lining." Basically, you take a can of white spray paint and mark the exact perimeter of where you're going to dig. Why? Because it tells the locator exactly where to focus. If you tell them "the whole backyard," they might be less precise. If you show them a 10x10 square in white, they’ll be surgical.
Decoding the Rainbow in Your Yard
Once the locators show up, your yard is going to look like a pack of Skittles exploded. These colors aren't random. They follow the APWA Uniform Color Code, and knowing them can save you a lot of headache.
- Red: Electric power lines, cables, conduit, and lighting cables. (High danger).
- Yellow: Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials. (Explosive danger).
- Orange: Communication, alarm or signal lines, cables, or conduit (Fiber optics, cable TV).
- Blue: Potable (drinking) water.
- Green: Sewers and drain lines.
- Purple: Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines.
- Pink: Temporary survey markings.
- White: Proposed excavation limits (That's your part).
The 24-Inch "Tolerance Zone"
Here is where most homeowners and even some pros get into trouble. Just because there is a yellow line on the ground doesn't mean the gas pipe is exactly under that paint.
Florida law defines a tolerance zone as 24 inches from the outer edge of either side of the marked facility.
If there’s a red line for power, you should assume that live wire could be anywhere in a four-foot-wide path (2 feet left, 2 feet right). If you have to dig inside that zone, you can’t use a backhoe or even a heavy-duty power auger. You’ve got to "soft dig" or use hand tools.
Soft digging usually means using a shovel carefully or using vacuum excavation. You’re looking for the "pothole"—visually confirming the pipe or wire before you go full-tilt with the heavy machinery.
What Happens if You Don't Call?
Let's talk about the consequences because they're bigger than a fine.
- Safety: Striking a gas line can level a house. Striking a power line can be fatal.
- Repair Costs: If you don't have a valid Sunshine 811 ticket and you hit a fiber optic trunk, the service provider (like AT&T or Comcast) will send you the bill. These bills often reach $5,000 to $20,000 depending on how many people lost service.
- Fines: Under Florida law, you can face civil penalties. For a non-criminal infraction, you’re looking at around $500 plus court costs. If it involves a "hazardous" line (like high-pressure gas), that fine can jump to $2,500 per incident.
- The State Fire Marshal: In Florida, the State Fire Marshal and local fire chiefs have the authority to issue these citations. They take it seriously because an accidental gas leak pulls emergency resources away from other fires.
The Misconception About Private Lines
Sunshine One Call Florida only covers member utilities. This is a huge trap.
The water company will mark the line from the street to your meter. But the line from the meter to your house? That’s yours. They won't mark it. Same goes for the power line running to your shed, your backyard sprinkler system, or the propane line to your pool heater.
If you have those, you might need to hire a private locating service. Sunshine 811 won't help you find your own private "stuff."
Using the Exactix System
Most people think they have to wait on hold on the phone. You don't. Sunshine 811 uses a portal called Exactix.
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As a homeowner, you can use the "Single Address Ticket." It’s a simplified web form where you map out your property. You get your ticket number instantly via email, and you can track "Positive Response."
Positive Response is the best part. It’s an online dashboard where you can see which utilities have finished marking.
- Code 4 means "Clear"—they don't have anything in your way.
- Code 1 means "Marked"—they’ve been there and painted the grass.
- Code 3F means there's a delay.
Do not put a shovel in the dirt until every single utility listed on your ticket has provided a positive response code.
Practical Steps for Your Project
If you’re planning on digging in Florida anytime soon, here is the sequence you should follow to stay legal and safe:
- Pre-mark your site: Use white paint or flags to show exactly where the work is happening. This is technically required if the description of your site isn't "crystal clear" to the locators.
- Submit the ticket: Go to the Sunshine 811 website or dial 811 at least two full business days before you start.
- Wait: Respect the two-day window. If you submit on Wednesday, don't touch the ground until Monday (to be safe with the 48-hour business rule).
- Check Positive Response: Log into the Exactix portal. Ensure every utility company (Power, Water, Gas, Telecom) has closed out their status.
- Compare the Marks: Look at your yard. If the portal says "Marked" for gas, but you don't see any yellow paint, something is wrong. Call 811 back or contact the utility directly before proceeding.
- Dig by Hand: Within 24 inches of any mark, use a shovel. Don't "jump" on the shovel. Dig gently until you find the line.
- Protect the Marks: If it rains and the paint washes away, or if your kids pull up the flags, your ticket is no longer valid for safe digging. You have to call for a "remark."
Tickets are generally valid for 30 calendar days in Florida. If your project drags on longer than a month, you need to renew that ticket to stay covered under the law.
At the end of the day, Sunshine One Call Florida exists to keep you from being the person who knocks out the internet for the whole neighborhood or, worse, ends up in the hospital because they hit a 13,000-volt line while installing a mailbox. The service is free. The repairs are definitely not.