If you are planning to demolish an old house and build new in BC, or to replace aging utility lines as part of a renovation, there is something you need to confirm before you even look at drawings: which utility lines run under your property, and where they connect.
Electrical, gas, water, sanitary and storm sewer, and communication (data) lines are mostly buried underground, and the older the house, the less likely accurate records exist. If an excavator goes in without knowing where those lines are, the result can be a gas leak, a power outage, or a water shutdown — and the repair costs and liability come back to the person who ordered the work.
This is where BC 1 Call comes in. I deal with this process professionally while managing large residential and civil projects in BC, and homeowners can use the exact same service for free.
What Is BC 1 Call?
BC 1 Call is a free service that connects anyone planning to dig with the organizations that own underground infrastructure — electricity, gas, water, sewer, and communications. It has been operating since 1994 and tells you which member organizations have buried facilities on or near your property.
- Website: bc1c.ca
- Phone: 1-800-474-6886
- Cost: Free
- Turnaround: minimum 3 business days after submitting (excluding weekends and holidays)
For demolition and new construction specifically, it is useful for two reasons:
- You get a list of which utilities actually enter your property — so it becomes clear which organizations you need to contact for disconnects.
- You secure contacts before anything goes wrong — if an unexpected line turns up mid-construction or something gets hit, you know exactly who to call.
How to Submit a Locate Request (Online)
- Start a locate request at bc1c.ca
- Enter your contact details and excavation information — type of work (demolition, new build, line replacement, etc.), planned start date, and digging method
- Map your dig site by drawing the area on the map, then submit
- Receive a same-day confirmation email listing which member organizations were notified
- Each organization responds within 3 business days
What You Get
Each organization with facilities on your site (electricity / gas / water / sewer / communications) will mark the approximate location on the ground or provide a drawing. Organizations whose facilities are far enough from your work area will simply give you a "clear" (okay to dig) response.
⚠️ Important: these markings are not as-built accuracy. They show approximate locations only, so when you actually dig near a marking, the line must first be hand exposed — dug out by hand, not with equipment — to visually confirm its position. On real sites, it is not unusual for the actual line to sit some distance from the paint.
How to Read the Marking Colours
| Colour | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Red | Electricity |
| Yellow | Gas / petroleum |
| Orange | Communications (phone, internet, cable) |
| Blue | Water |
| Green | Sewer / drainage |
| White | Proposed excavation area |
What BC 1 Call Does NOT Do (This Is Where Accidents Happen)
1. It does not arrange disconnects for you
BC 1 Call only tells you which utilities are there. Before demolition, you must apply for a service disconnect with each organization directly. Most municipalities require disconnect confirmations before issuing a demolition permit.
| Utility | Who to contact | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gas | FortisBC | Separate demolition service disconnect — long lead time |
| Electricity | BC Hydro (FortisBC in some areas) | Meter removal + service removal |
| Water & sewer | Your municipality | Often handled together with the demolition permit |
| Communications | Telus / Shaw (Rogers), etc. | Line removal is separate from cancelling your plan |
Tip: disconnects can take weeks per organization. Once your demolition date firms up, start the disconnect applications at the same time as your BC 1 Call request.
A Site-Management View: Whose Scope Is This?
Managing construction projects, this is the part homeowners miss most often. Demolition contractors do not verify utilities or hand expose lines. Confirming existing utilities and handling disconnects is the civil contractor’s scope.
So if you are demolishing and rebuilding:
- Do not stop at a demolition quote — check whether the civil contractor’s quote includes existing utility verification and disconnects. (If you are still choosing contractors, see what a general contractor does and how to hire one.)
- The most dangerous moment is when the demolition contractor and the civil contractor each assume the other one checked. Put whose scope it is in writing before you sign — see the types of construction contracts used in BC.
- If you submit a BC 1 Call request yourself as the homeowner, you can cross-check whether your contractors are actually doing their homework.
2. Private Lines on Your Property Are Not Marked
BC 1 Call members only manage lines up to the meter or connection point. Anything past the meter — the power line from the house to a detached garage, yard lighting wiring, irrigation piping, a septic connection — will not appear in the markings. Older properties often have these private lines buried with no records at all. If you suspect them, hire a private utility locator separately.
Pre-Demolition Utility Checklist
- Submit a BC 1 Call request (free, at least 3 business days before breaking ground)
- Check the confirmation email for the list of notified organizations
- Collect markings/drawings from each organization and confirm any "clear" responses
- If demolishing: confirm the civil contractor’s quote covers utility verification + disconnects
- Apply for gas, electricity, water/sewer, and communications disconnects (or confirm they are in the civil scope)
- If private lines are suspected, hire a private utility locator
- Near any marking, hand expose the line before using equipment
You never know what is underground until you open it up. Three business days for a free service is far cheaper than the repair bill and work stoppage from hitting a single gas line.
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