What color paint should be used to mark an excavation area?

What color paint should be used to mark an excavation area?

• A. Blue
• B. Yellow
• C. Green
• D. White

Answer: (D)

Color-coding marks on a job site follow a standard so everyone quickly understands what’s in the ground. White is used to mark proposed excavation areas—the spots where digging will take place. This helps crews, inspectors, and utility owners see the planned work area without implying there’s an existing utility line there. Other colors are reserved for actual utilities (blue for potable water, red for electric, green for sewer/drain, yellow for gas, etc.), so using white for proposed excavation avoids confusion and communicates the scope of the dig clearly.

Color-coding marks on a job site follow a standard so everyone quickly understands what’s in the ground. White is used to mark proposed excavation areas—the spots where digging will take place. This helps crews, inspectors, and utility owners see the planned work area without implying there’s an existing utility line there. Other colors are reserved for actual utilities (blue for potable water, red for electric, green for sewer/drain, yellow for gas, etc.), so using white for proposed excavation avoids confusion and communicates the scope of the dig clearly.