Johnson City, TN guide
Before you dig anywhere in Johnson City — a fence post, a landscaping project, a new footing — Tennessee law points to one specific service. Here's what Tennessee 811 actually requires.
Tennessee 811 is the state's official statewide not-for-profit one-call notification center for locating buried utility lines, covering Johnson City and every corner of Washington County. Established in 1983, it acts as the communications link between member utilities and excavators — it does not mark lines itself, but dispatches every locate request to the utility companies whose lines run underground near your project, who are then responsible for marking them or providing what's called a "positive response." It's the only call-before-you-dig service to point to for a Tennessee project — there isn't a separate Washington County or Johnson City-specific program running alongside it.
Tennessee 811 operates under the Tennessee Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, codified generally around Tenn. Code Ann. Sec.65-31-101 et seq. On the excavator side, anyone planning to dig — homeowners doing something as simple as setting a mailbox post or planting a tree, not just professional contractors — is expected to give at least three full business days' advance notice before breaking ground, so member utility owners can come mark gas, electric, water, sewer and telecom lines in the work area. "Digging" under the Act is defined broadly, covering hand digging, grading, demolition, cultivating, augering, blasting and boring, not just heavy excavation equipment.
Member utilities are expected to provide what's called a "positive response" confirming either that they've marked their facilities in the work area or that no underground infrastructure of theirs exists there. That requirement is commonly cited as sitting around Tenn. Code Ann. Sec.65-31-108(b) — worth flagging that this specific subsection number comes from a single secondary summary rather than an independently cross-checked read of the current Tennessee Code, so treat it as a reasonable reference point rather than a precise pinpoint citation if you need to quote the statute directly.
It's a common misconception that call-before-you-dig rules only apply to contractors and big excavation crews. In practice, Tennessee 811 covers homeowner-scale digging as well — a new fence line, a deck footing, a landscaping bed dug deeper than a few inches, trenching for a sprinkler system. If your project involves breaking ground anywhere on the property, it's worth starting with the Tennessee 811 call rather than assuming a small job doesn't need one.
Setting a roll-off dumpster on the surface of a driveway or yard generally doesn't itself require a locate call — but plenty of the projects that pair with a dumpster rental do involve digging somewhere on the same job site, whether that's a fence replacement, a landscaping overhaul, or a new footing. We're not a utility-locating service and always point customers straight to Tennessee 811 for that part of a project, but if your job involves both digging and debris removal, it's worth handling the 811 call early, well ahead of either the digging or the delivery.
Most fence, landscaping and small footing projects generate enough debris for a 10 or 15 yard container. Larger excavation-adjacent construction work more often calls for a 20 yard or bigger.
| Size | Dimensions | Capacity | Weight included | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Yard Dumpster | 14 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 3.5 ft high | 50–70 bags | 1–2 tons | Small cleanouts, roofing shingles, tight driveways. |
| 15 Yard Dumpster | 16 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 4.5 ft high | 80–100 bags | 2–3 tons | Flooring, bathroom or kitchen updates, multi-room cleanouts. |
| 20 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 4.5 ft high | 110–130 bags | 3–4 tons | Medium remodels, roofing jobs, light construction. |
| 30 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 6 ft high | 170–190 bags | 4–5 tons | Whole-home projects, office cleanouts. |
| 40 Yard Dumpster | 22 ft long × 7.5 ft wide × 8 ft high | 230–250 bags | 5–6 tons | Large builds, commercial or industrial jobs. |
Call (423) 740-6063 and describe the job. We'll help you size and schedule the dumpster side of your Johnson City project while you handle the Tennessee 811 call on your own timeline.
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Call and describe the job. Flat-rate pricing, a sized container, and a delivery time on the same call.
Mon–Sat 7:00am – 7:00pm
From this guide
Tennessee 811 is the state's official statewide call-before-you-dig utility-notification service, covering Johnson City, Washington County and the entire state. Dial 811, call (800) 351-1111, or submit a request through tenn811.com.
Yes — Tennessee 811 covers homeowner-scale digging, not just professional excavation. A fence post, a deck footing or a deep landscaping bed is still a dig worth starting with a Tennessee 811 request.
At least three full business days, per the Tennessee Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act, before hand digging, grading, demolition or other ground-breaking work begins.
Placing a container on the surface of a driveway or yard generally doesn't require a locate call, but any digging elsewhere on the same project does — worth planning both together.
Keep reading
Tennessee's landfill rules are narrower and more specific than people expect. Here's what's actually banned from a dumpster load in Johnson City and Washington County, regulated by TDEC, with exact statute citations.
ReadShingles are dense, and weight — not volume — is what actually limits a roofing dumpster. Here's how to size a tear-off correctly the first time.
ReadThe Tweetsie Trail follows one of Johnson City's real old rail corridors, and the neighborhoods along it carry some of the city's older housing stock. Here's what renovation and cleanup looks like in the area.
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