Digrules

What the rules require before you break ground

Describe a planned excavation — depth, method, surface, proximity to known facilities, ticket status, and the utilities marked — and get back the factors that raise risk and the damage-prevention steps the rules require, each cited to the practice or regulation that creates it.

Assess a dig See plans

How Digrules works

Transparent, not a black box

Every requirement is named with the practice or regulation that creates it — CGA Best Practices, OSHA 29 CFR 1926, state one-call laws. You know where the rule came from, not just that the tool says so.

Ticket expiry computed, not guessed

Enter your locate ticket date and excavation date. The tool computes the 14-day validity period and tells you, in days, whether your ticket will still be valid — with the arithmetic shown so you can verify it.

Honest about what it cannot do

Digrules does not file locate tickets. It does not call 811. It does not produce a risk score or tell you it is safe to dig. It names the applicable practices and cites their sources — the decision is yours.

No account, no storage, no surprises

Your dig details are not stored. No account needed, no saved history, no email follow-ups. Every assessment is a fresh request — what you see is what applies today.

What it checks

  1. Tolerance zone hand-digging — Mechanical excavation within 24 in of a marked facility triggers hand-digging requirements (CGA Best Practice 1-4).

  2. Deep excavation shoring — Excavations deeper than 5 ft require a protective system against cave-ins (OSHA 29 CFR 1926.652).

  3. Ticket validity — The tool computes the 14-day validity window from your ticket date and compares it to the planned excavation date.

  4. No marks means no dig — Excavation without facility marks on-site is a violation of the Common Ground Alliance Best Practice.

  5. Potholing for paved surfaces — Test holes are needed before mechanical excavation through pavement over marked utilities (CGA BP 2-1).

  6. Markings maintenance — Once marks are placed, they must be maintained throughout the excavation (CGA BP 7-1).

  7. Basic site safety — OSHA excavation safety requirements apply to every dig (29 CFR 1926.651).

  8. State-specific notes — State requirements vary. The tool includes specific notes for CA, TX, and NY, and advises consulting your state's one-call commission for others.