Late summer and early fall are prime times to get home projects done, but you should remember to call 811 before doing any project requiring digging.

811 is the national toll-free telephone number that you must call to have all buried utility lines located and marked before you dig. Not only is it the law that you must call, but doing so reduces the risk of damaged utility lines by 99 percent.

Once you call 811, professional utility line locators are sent to the dig site to mark the locations of the lines with flags and spray paint, free of charge.

Projects that require you to call 811 at least three business days before digging include:

• Planting trees

• Building fences

• Installing mailboxes

• Installing sprinkler systems

• Any other project that requires you to dig in your yard