2005 North Carolina Code - General Statutes § 87-104. Requirements of person doing excavation.

§ 87‑104.  Requirements of person doing excavation.

(a)       Except as provided in G.S. 87‑106, no person may excavate in a highway, a public space, or a private easement of a utility owner without first having given the notice required in G.S. 87‑102 to the utility owners.

(b)       In addition to the notification requirements, each person excavating shall:

(1)       Plan the excavation to avoid damage and to minimize interference with underground utilities in and near the construction area, to the best of his abilities;

(2)       Maintain a clearance between an underground utility and the cutting edge or point of any mechanized equipment, taking into account the known limit of control of that cutting edge or point, as is reasonably required to avoid damage; and

(3)       Provide support for the underground utilities in or near the  construction area, including backfill, as may be reasonably required by the utility owner for the protection of the underground utilities. (1985, c. 785, s. 1.)