Who requests the locate, me or the fence installer, in Ottawa?

The short answer: whoever digs is the excavator under Ontario's Underground Infrastructure Notification System Act, 2012, and the excavator is the one who must submit the locate request before any digging starts.

On a hired job, that is the fence installer. On a do-it-yourself job, that is you.

A few practical points worth knowing before the post holes go in:

• Locate requests are free, and Ontario Dig Authority asks for them at least 5 business days before digging starts.
• A standard request can be made no more than 30 days before the dig date.
• Ontario Dig Authority does not mark the lines itself; each utility sends its own locator.
• If you have private lines on your property, such as a line running to a garage or shed, ask about those separately, as we found no Ontario Dig Authority statement confirming they will be marked.

When you are getting quotes, it is worth asking each installer directly whether requesting the locate is included in their process and who they expect to coordinate with the locators on site. A written contract should be clear on this point. Under the Consumer Protection Act, 2002, any direct agreement over $50 must be in writing and delivered to you, and you have 10 days after receiving that written copy to cancel without reason.

If you are ready to get quotes from local Ottawa fence installers, the request form on this site sends your project details to installers listed in the Ottawa Construction Network directory.