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Jim Redelfs

In article
,
wrote:

Yes, its on their side, BUT I hadn't called first. That's the catch.

Even if you HAD called first, but still cut the line, you'd be liable - unless
the locating marks were "off" by more than 18-inches. In that case, the
locating company pays.

And I don't feel like rolling the dice assumming that they will fix it
for free. I'd almost rather fix it myself than pay who knows how much.

Aw, if it's that close to the house, dig a nice, LARGE splice pit for the
telco technician and even open up a nice, deep trench to the house. The
repair guy might then be inclined to use only ONE splice - to a NEW length of
5-pair - and run it to the house. If you don't have an official "SNI", he
might even install one.

Still, you pay for the repair. It won't be THAT bad.

I dug up some of the line as it ran away from the house to try and get
some slack and after about 10 feet distance it was still just 5-6 inches
deep. I would use the reasoning that it wasn't run deep enough if
I thought I had a chance

No dice. Depth is NOT static.

Only amateurs inquire about depth when a locator is doing their work.
Locating devices can give a (very) ROUGH estimate of depth, but it is never
divulged officially. One must HAND DIG within the "hand dig zone" which is
usually 18-inches on EITHER SIDE of the locating mark.

Think about it: Short of 6.5 on the Richter scale, that line won't move left
or right over the years. Depth is another matter entirely. Erosion,
construction, landscaping all have the the effect of "raising" a buried line.

If you bury a line 36-inches deep, then scrape off 30-inches, what you do have?

There is not alot of money floating around right now

Is there ever? sigh

to waste on them doing a repair that I could do,
although not nearly as quickly.

....or as good. (It wouldn't be "wasted" money.)

Just wondering if anyone else had them fix it for free after such an
obvious violation of the standard procedure of calling first and then
digging carefully.

The days are LONG GONE (many years, now) that such repair was done for "free".

If a buried line is damaged, SOMEONE screwed-up. Either the locator or the
digger. Regardless, one of them pays. The telco virtually never "eats" such
repair work anymore.

Do it now and avoid what might otherwise lay ahead: When your DIY splice
fails, they may come out, discover your DIY fix, and bill you at that time for
an "official" repair. (Pay 'em now or pay 'em later, yadda, yadda...)
--

JR