DBYD (Dial Before You Dig)
DBYD (Dial Before You Dig) is a free referral service (phone 1100) to locate underground services before any excavation. Legal obligation on most Australian sites.
Ask Chalkline about this →DBYD stands for Dial Before You Dig, now operated as Before You Dig Australia (BYDA). It is a free referral service that alerts registered underground asset owners (electricity, gas, water, telecommunications) when you plan to excavate in their vicinity. Call 1100 (free on landlines) or submit online at byda.com.au before any ground-breaking; asset owners respond with plans showing underground infrastructure in the area, typically within 3 business days.
In most Australian jurisdictions, running a DBYD enquiry before excavation is a legal obligation under utility protection provisions, not just good practice. DBYD plans do not cover privately-owned assets (septic systems, old fuel lines, decommissioned services); a reasonable site investigation is required beyond what DBYD returns. Striking a live service during excavation is a notifiable incident under WHS law.
Also known as: Dial Before You Dig, Before You Dig Australia, BYDA, 1100.
Category: Site safety / excavation.
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Last updated: 2026-05-08. Verified: 2026-05-08. Quarterly review for currency.