Who makes the request
If you're digging yourself, you make it. If you've hired a fence installer, landscaper or patio contractor, they make it. Pennsylvania 811 specifically tells homeowners not to call on their contractor's behalf, because the notification won't protect the excavator if something goes wrong.
Instead, ask the contractor for the PA One Call serial number before work begins. It's an 11-digit number that proves they contacted 811 ahead of time. Pennsylvania 811 says a missing number means the excavator may not have met its obligations under the law. Put that question on your list when you compare bids; our contractor hiring checklist covers the other things to confirm.
How to count the days
A business day is any day except Saturday, Sunday or a legal holiday, and it runs from midnight to 11:59:59 p.m. State holidays include the day after Thanksgiving, Columbus Day and Veterans Day, so a request placed the week of Thanksgiving can take longer than it looks. If you want to dig on a weekend, Pennsylvania 811 suggests contacting it on Monday or Tuesday so the lines can be marked in time.
The ten-day limit means you can't request marks a month ahead. Schedule the request around the actual dig date. Starting before the lawful start date can cost the excavator the protections the law provides.
What to have ready
Pennsylvania 811 says the best way to show locators where you'll dig is to mark the spot with white paint, flags or chalk. You have to mark it unless you can give exact site information. For a fence, mark the whole run, not just the corners. For a patio, mark the full area that will be excavated, including any base or drainage work beyond the finished edge.
You'll also need your contact information and email, your county and municipality (plus the ward number in Philadelphia), the street address, the nearest intersection and a second nearby road, the type of work, how much ground you will disturb and what you will dig with, and the planned date and time. You can submit the request online or by dialing 811. It's free for homeowners digging on their own residential property.
Read the marks, and know what they skip
Utilities that have lines near your dig site respond to the request. If you gave an email, you'll get a message the morning of the dig saying what each one did. "Marked" means you should see colored paint, flags or chalk. "Clear" means that company has no lines near the site. Once the locator leaves, you're responsible for keeping the marks intact, and mowing, kids or rain can wipe them out. If that happens, contact 811 again to have them re-marked.
The utilities mark only lines they own or maintain. Pennsylvania 811 lists common private lines they may not mark: the service line from the meter to the house, electric or gas lines to a pool or outdoor grill, invisible pet fences, septic systems, sprinkler or drainage pipes, and propane tanks and lines. If you have any of these near the dig, hire a private line-locating company first. Pennsylvania 811 keeps a list of them on its website.
If anyone digging hits or exposes something that wasn't marked, stop and call the utility, and leave it to them and a qualified pro. Don't uncover or move it yourself.
Check permits separately
Calling 811 isn't a permit. In Philadelphia, L&I says a building permit is always required for a fence on a property listed on the Philadelphia Historic Registry or in the 100-year floodplain, and historic properties also need Historical Commission approval before L&I will accept the application. Otherwise, a wood, metal or vinyl fence up to 4 feet usually needs no permit, a 4- to 6-foot front-yard fence needs a zoning permit, and anything over 6 feet needs zoning and building permits. Masonry fences need permits at lower heights. Check your zoning on Atlas and apply through eCLIPSE. When a Philadelphia project needs zoning as well as building approval explains that split.
In Bucks and Montgomery counties, each township or borough sets its own fence and patio rules, so call yours with the height, material and location before you order materials. Why permit rules differ between Bucks County townships explains why the answer changes across town lines. If you're having a fence installed, what a fence gate quote should say about posts is worth a look before you sign.