Tool 1 of 7 · BC & Alberta
Does this count?
Fence posts, a culvert, a hydrovac hole, a bore under a lease road — some count as ground disturbance and some don’t. It depends on the depth, the tools, the province and whose line is down there. Answer a few questions and see every rule that applies, with the law behind it.
Checked against BC, Alberta and federal law on September 25, 2026. See every source
Pipeline law starts at 30 cm (45 cm for cultivation). BC's OHS locate rule applies to any powered excavating or drilling. Include post holes, anchors, bores and probes.
“Don’t know yet” is the honest answer before a locate — we’ll assume the strictest case.
Lines that cross a provincial border — including most of TC Energy’s NGTL system in the Peace country — are federal. The operator named on the marker sign or the one-call response can tell you.
How close is the work to it?Yes — BC's locate and ground disturbance rules apply
Items marked Law must be done before the first bucket; Guidance items are strongly recommended.
This date assumes consents and approvals come back as late as the law allows. Apply for them first, then time the one-call request with the Dig planner — a BC 1 Call ticket must be used within 14 days.
- Locate every underground utility before you dig
Before excavating or drilling with powered tools and equipment, the location of every underground utility must be accurately determined, and work near them must follow each owner's requirements. Request locates through BC 1 Call and contact any owner who isn't a member (private lines are never located by BC 1 Call).
- BC pipeline: this is a ground activity within 30 m
Before disturbing the earth, advise BC One Call (BC 1 Call) of the site. If a pipeline is reported within 30 m, confirm with each permit holder that it's at least 10 m away — or get their written permission.
- Within 10 m (or not confirmed): you need the operator's written permission
The self-serve route only works when the permit holder confirms the pipeline is at least 10 m away. Closer than that, you need the permit holder's written agreement (or a BCER order), and the permission sets the rules — hand-expose distance, supervision, crossings. Fines reach $100,000 a day.
- Federal pipeline: written consent + a locate request 3 working days ahead
Inside the 30 m prescribed area you need the pipeline company's written consent (it has 10 working days to decide), a locate request at least 3 working days before you start, and the company's locate information. Follow the consent's conditions — including any for drilling or explosives — and tell everyone working for you what the regulations require of them.
- No machine within 3 m of the pipe until it's hand-exposed
Mechanical excavation within 3 m of the pipe needs the pipe exposed by hand first (or its exact position confirmed by the company — and for a crossing, confirmed at least 60 cm deeper than the dig). Report any contact with the pipe or its coating to the company immediately, and give 24 hours' notice before backfilling over it.
- Gas line: request at least 2 business days ahead, and hand-expose
Ask the gas company for line locations at least 2 business days before excavating; they answer within 2 business days. The information must have been supplied within 10 days before you dig. The line is taken to lie anywhere within its diameter plus 1 m either side of the marks — expose it by hand before any machine goes deeper than the surface cover. No pointed probes.
- Hand-expose zone: 1 m each side of the marks
1 m each side of the locate marks (WSBC / BC 1 Call guidance). The Regulation itself requires the location to be accurately determined and the owner's requirements followed — an owner can set a wider zone. The 1 m figure is WSBC's and BC 1 Call's guidance, not a number in the Regulation. The owner's instructions on the locate sheet are binding under s. 20.79(2) and may be wider.
- If you find artifacts or bones, stop
Sites showing human use before 1846 are protected whether they're known or not. Stop in the area and call the Archaeology Branch (250-953-3334); for possible human remains, call the police too.
Hand-expose zones that apply: BC — provincial pipeline (BCER) — set by the written permission · BC — federal pipeline (CER) — 3 m from the pipe · BC — natural gas lines (FortisBC and other gas companies) — 1 m each side of the marks · BC — power, telecom, water, sewer and other lines — 1 m each side of the marks. These are legal minimums; where they overlap, the widest applies. The owner can require more. See them to scale →
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These materials contain information that has been derived from information originally made available by the Province of British Columbia at: http://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca and this information is being used in accordance with the King's Printer Licence – British Columbia available at: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/standards/Licence.html. They have not, however, been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of, the Province of British Columbia and THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL VERSION.
These materials contain information that has been derived from information originally made available by the Province of British Columbia at: http://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca and this information is being used in accordance with the King's Printer Licence – British Columbia available at: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/standards/Licence.html. They have not, however, been produced in affiliation with, or with the endorsement of, the Province of British Columbia and THESE MATERIALS ARE NOT AN OFFICIAL VERSION.
Alberta legislation © Alberta King's Printer (OHS Code 2021, OHS Act 2020, Pipeline Rules 2023, Pipeline Act and Historical Resources Act 2000), reproduced from the consolidations at kings-printer.alberta.ca. Not the official version.
Federal law reproduced from the Justice Laws Website (laws-lois.justice.gc.ca), current to September 3, 2026. This is not an official version.