Construction FAQ
Yes. West Virginia law requires you to contact WV811 at least 48 hours in advance (excluding weekends and holidays) before beginning any digging or excavation work. You can dial 811 or visit WV811.com.
Contacting 811 helps you avoid serious injury, utility service disruptions, and legal penalties. Underground utility lines—including natural gas, electric, water, sewer, and more—can be just inches below the surface. Accidental damage can cause outages, safety hazards, or even explosions.
Trained technicians will come to your property and mark the location of all public utility lines at no cost to you. Once the area is marked, you may dig safely while respecting the tolerance zone (24 inches from either side of the marked line).
WV811 does not mark private utility lines, such as gas lines between the meter and your house, electric lines to garages or sheds, satellite lines, pet fences, septic systems, or propane lines. You will need to hire a private locator for those.
Stop digging immediately, move to a safe distance, and call 911, then call the Hope Gas 24/7 Emergency Hotline at 1-800-934-3187. Even small nicks in the pipeline can lead to leaks and serious hazards.
Failing to contact 811 before excavation is a violation of state law and may result in fines and liability for any damages caused.
A right-of-way is a strip of land where Hope Gas is legally permitted to operate, maintain, and inspect gas pipelines. These are protected by easement agreements filed with property deeds.
No. You must not build structures, plant trees, excavate, or change the land’s grade on a ROW without Hope Gas’s permission. Doing so can endanger pipeline integrity and violate legal agreements.
Report it immediately. Contact the Hope Gas 24/7 Emergency Hotline at 1-800-934-3187. If it’s an emergency, always call 911 first.
Yes. It is a federal crime to willfully deface, damage, or remove a pipeline marker.
Always hire a qualified technician who is trained in NFPA 54 and ANSI Z223.1 safety standards for gas systems. These standards ensure the safe design and installation of gas piping in buildings.
- Proposed excavation
- Temporary survey markings
- Electrical power lines, cables, and conduits
- Gas, oil, steam, petroleum, or gaseous materials
- Communication, alarm, or signal lines, cables, or conduits
- Potable water
- Reclaimed water, irrigation, and slurry lines
- Sewer and drain lines
Visit West Virginia 811 to learn more.
Hope Gas is doing construction work as part of our Distribution Integrity Management Program (DIMP) or Transmission Integrity Management Program (TIMP) to ensure the safety and reliability of the natural gas system. This work helps us inspect, repair, or replace pipelines as needed.