FIELD NOTES // PLANNING
Before We Dig: Four Checks That Belong Before the First Post
Before a fence is installed, four separate questions need answers: where the property boundary is, where excavation can occur safely, what the local rules allow, and what the agreed fence will include. A utility mark answers a different question from a survey pin. A permit answers a different question from either.
By Get Your Fence On · JULY 31, 2026 · Updated OCTOBER 20, 2026 · 6 MIN READ
Locate marks on the ground. Yellow is gas, orange is communications, white is the dig area itself - the free 811 request is what puts them there. Illustration only.
Getting those decisions onto one layout helps prevent a familiar problem: everyone agrees that a fence should be built, but nobody has agreed on exactly where or under what conditions .
Four checks before digging
Table 1. Four checks before digging
Check
Why it matters
What to confirm
Boundary
A fence, mowing edge or row of trees is not, by itself, proof of ownership.
Survey information sufficient to place the proposed fence
Public utilities
The ticket, marks and proposed digging area must describe the same work.
Current ticket, responses and marked excavation area
Private lines
Public utility responses do not necessarily identify private facilities.
Irrigation, outbuilding feeds and other facilities identified or separately located
Approvals
A building-permit exemption is not blanket permission for any fence.
Fence position, height and material reviewed for the actual address
If needed, scroll sideways or focus the table and use the arrow keys.
1. Establish the boundary before choosing the fence position
An existing fence, mowing edge or row of trees can be a useful landmark. It is not, by itself, proof of ownership. Likewise, a county parcel map helps you understand a lot but should not be used as a construction layout.
Find the survey information you already have. If corners or lines are uncertain, ask a licensed land surveyor what work is needed for the proposed fence. Explain whether the issue is a missing marker, an unclear document or a disagreement about the boundary. Those situations may need different work.
A neighbor's agreement can make the conversation easier, but it should not be treated as a substitute for establishing the line or reviewing recorded restrictions. Resolve a dispute before a permanent installation makes it more expensive.
A drawing is not a boundary. Survey pins, or a licensed survey where the pins are gone, are what settle where a fence may stand. Illustration only.
2. Arrange utility locating for the actual excavation
Missouri 811's homeowner guidance calls for at least three full working days of advance notice and confirmation of utility responses. It also tells homeowners hiring a contractor to make sure that contractor has contacted Missouri 811. Agree who is handling the request; do not assume that someone else's ticket automatically covers the crew's work. Missouri 811 homeowner process .
The ticket, marks and proposed digging area must describe the same work. If the fence route changes, resolve the locating implications before moving the excavation. Follow the ticket's start and expiration information and the current state instructions; advance notice and ticket life are different measurements.
For a Kansas property, use the separate Kansas 811 process . The state line matters even when two properties are in the same metropolitan area.
3. Identify private lines and protect the marked area
Public utility responses do not necessarily identify a homeowner's irrigation, outbuilding supply, pool equipment lines or other private facilities. Tell the installer what is known and arrange separate locating where necessary. An uncertain buried line is a planning item to resolve, not a reason to guess a safer post position.
Photograph the marks and keep them visible. Paint indicates an approximate route; it does not establish exact depth. Use the state's current tolerance-zone and excavation instructions rather than a casual rule such as dig carefully within a foot or two. Avoid placing posts where the required safe excavation method or access cannot be maintained.
4. Check approvals by address and by fence run
Ask the responsible city or county about the material, height and position proposed for each run. Include streets, corner-lot conditions, easements and any pool enclosure. A building-permit exemption is not blanket permission for any fence.
Review applicable association requirements separately. If an approval changes the location or material, update the same drawing used for the estimate and utility planning. Keeping different versions of the layout is an easy way to build the wrong fence correctly.
What to do when a post location conflicts with a utility
Suppose an owner plans a rear fence with a gate near one corner. During locating, the intended post position conflicts with a marked facility. Moving that post can change panel lengths, gate position and the agreed line. It is not simply a matter of shifting the auger to the side.
First, keep the excavation out of the unresolved area. Identify the locating and design requirements that apply. Then review an alternative layout with the installer and any relevant authority or professional. Confirm that the revised position remains on the permitted line, works with the selected fence system and preserves the intended opening.
Update the estimate and installation drawing if the scope changes. Resolve whether a new or updated locate is required for the revised excavation area. Only then turn the change into a mark for the crew. The important point is the sequence: a physical conflict becomes an approved layout decision before it becomes a new hole.
This example does not prescribe how close a post can be to a particular utility. That answer depends on the facility, state process, operator requirements and the actual excavation.
Find the private lines too
A homeowner may know that a cable runs to a shed but not know its route. Write both facts down. Telling a crew that the cable is probably near the patio is useful context, but it is not a locate or confirmation that another route is clear.
Gather available records from prior work and ask the appropriate locator or facility owner what is needed. Identify irrigation, landscape power, outbuilding feeds, pool equipment and other private systems relevant to the proposed digging area. Do not assume that every system appears on a municipal or public utility record.
The installation plan should show how the uncertainty will be resolved and who is responsible. If it remains unresolved on the proposed start day, keep it as an open condition. A schedule is a reason to organize locating early, not a reason to reinterpret missing information as an all-clear.
Explain access before equipment arrives
The route to the fence can matter as much as the fence line. Show gates , steps, narrow passages, overhead obstructions and areas to protect. Identify where materials can be placed and whether access relies on someone else's property.
Do not treat a neighbor's friendly conversation about the fence as permission for every form of equipment access or material storage. Confirm the practical arrangement separately and obtain any appropriate permission before relying on it. If access changes the installation method or work sequence, put that in the scope.
Keep the locate and protection requirements in mind along the access route too. Knowing where posts will be dug does not automatically settle every other activity associated with the work. The excavator should plan the actual operations it will perform.
Before the crew starts
Use the current fence layout and settle any boundary or approval conditions .
Check the locate ticket, responses, visible marks and any private-line questions.
Walk the openings and access route with the crew ; resolve changed conditions before digging.
Plan your fence
Kansas City fence installation
Request a free on-site estimate
KEEP READING
ESTIMATING
How to Measure Your Fence Line: A Sketch an Estimator Can Use
Measure each proposed straight run, mark gates and corners, and note what the crew will encounter along the route.
YOUR NEXT STEP
PREFER TO TALK IT THROUGH?
We can answer your questions, explain your fence options, and arrange a free on-site estimate.
BUILD AN ESTIMATE CALL (573) 355-2711 BOOK A FREE ESTIMATE