What Sunshine 811 does

Sunshine 811 is a Florida non-profit organization, founded in 1993 and headquartered in DeBary, operating as the state-mandated one-call notification center under Chapter 556, Florida Statutes. Its core function is to receive excavation notice requests from homeowners and professional excavators and route them to 100+ member utility operators (gas, electric, communications, water, sewer) so underground facilities can be marked prior to digging. The organization serves all 67 Florida counties and operates a toll-free call center (811 / 800-432-4770) staffed weekdays and the Exactix web platform available 24/7, supported by standardized positive response codes that allow excavators to verify it is safe to dig.

The technology stack centers on Exactix, a web-based Internet Ticket Entry platform with mobile-optimized browser access (the native mobile app was retired in June 2022), augmented by the Coursettra learning management system that delivers mandatory ITE certification training, Atlassian Jira Service Management for technical support, and integration with the Common Ground Alliance's Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) for statewide damage and near-miss reporting under s.556.105(12)(b) F.S. Supplementary products include the Learning Center content hub, the Safety Partner free materials program, the online store for educational resources, and the Extraordinary Circumstances Declarations system for hurricane and disaster scenarios. Product launches in 2022-2023 include Exactix 3.1 with redesigned mobile interface and GPS coordinate entry.

The business model is non-commercial and mandate-driven: the service is provided free to all users, with funding derived from member utility participation fees and legislative appropriations. Customer concentration risk is structurally low because Sunshine 811 operates as a regulated monopoly with universal obligation. Sunshine 811's strategic positioning rests on the regulatory moat of Chapter 556, the network effects of statewide utility participation, and the procedural lock-in created by mandated ITE certification, positive response codes, and DIRT reporting. The organization invests in product modernization and education campaigns (Paradigm pipeline safety training, CGA "50 in 5" initiative, Damage Prevention Council regionalization) to reduce Florida's leading-in-the-nation utility damage rate of 34,652 reported incidents annually.

Name

Sunshine 811

Legal name

Sunshine 811

Website

https://sunshine811.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sunshine 811 is Florida's state-mandated non-profit one-call notification center, routing excavation requests from homeowners and contractors to 100+ member utilities via its Exactix platform and 811 call center across all 67 Florida counties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underground Utility Damage Prevention / One-Call Notification Services

NAICS

Investigation and Security Services (5616)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Damage Prevention & One-Call/811 Programs (Third-Party Excavation Risk) (EUAJADAH)

Keywords

• Underground utility damage prevention
• One-call notification service
• 811 locate ticket system
• Excavation safety coordination
• Utility marking service

Headquarters

HQ city

Debary

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Utility Notification Service (Statutory Mandate): Sunshine 811 operates as a non-profit state-mandated organization under Chapter 556, Florida Statutes. The service is provided free to all excavators and homeowners. Funding appears to come from member utility company participation fees and legislative appropriations. The organization is not profit-motivated but is funded to ensure public safety and damage prevention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sunshine 811 operates Florida's mandated one-call notification center under Chapter 556, Florida Statutes, providing a free utility damage prevention service to homeowners and professional excavators. Through the Exactix web platform and toll-free 811 call center, the organization collects locate ticket requests and routes them to more than 100 member utility operators across all 67 Florida counties, who then mark or clear their underground facilities. The service is legally required before any digging activity and is funded by member utility company participation fees and legislative appropriations.

Product overview

Sunshine 811 is Florida's mandated utility notification service operating under Chapter 556, Florida Statutes. The organization provides a unified platform combining a toll-free call center (811 / (800) 432-4770) and the Exactix web-based ticket management system, through which excavators and homeowners request that member utility operators locate and mark underground facilities before digging. The core offering spans three interconnected layers: (1) ticket creation and routing via Exactix and the call center, (2) utility response tracking through the Positive Response Codes system, and (3) compliance and reporting through Florida DIRT. Supporting this core loop are supplementary services including the ITE Training Program (delivered via Coursettra LMS), the Learning Center (educational content hub), the Safety Partner free materials program, an online store for educational resources, and an Extraordinary Circumstances Declarations system for storm/disaster scenarios. Sunshine 811 operates Monday–Friday 7am–6pm with 24/7 online Exactix access; its online ticket system remains the primary channel for creating tickets outside business hours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 34,652 reported damages annually in Florida - the highest rates in the U.S.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Paradigm (Pipeline Safety Training)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 August 2022Sunshine 811 partners with Paradigm and sponsoring Florida gas utilities to deliver free excavator pipeline safety training throughout Florida. Programs include CoRE (Coordinated Response Exercise) for emergency responders and public officials. Training covers safe excavation near pipelines, hazard awareness, leak recognition, and emergency response procedures. Programs held at 13-20 locations statewide.
• University of Florida/IFAS Florida-Friendly Landscaping ProgramcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint partnership to provide Floridians with safe digging tips combined with landscaping best practices. Co-branded content on fall/winter yard care including safe planting guidance, root awareness, and irrigation tips. FFL program provides science-based landscaping guidance while Sunshine 811 provides safe digging education.
• Common Ground Alliance (CGA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association dedicated to protecting underground utility lines. CGA manages the Damage Information Reporting Tool (DIRT) for damage data collection. Sunshine 811 participates in CGA's '50 in 5' initiative to reduce damages by 50% in five years. CGA provides survey data and annual DIRT reports that inform Sunshine 811's education initiatives.
• Florida Pipeline Companies (Paradigm Sponsors)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipating pipeline operators including Buckeye Partners LP, CITGO Petroleum Corporation, Florida Gas Transmission Company, Gainesville Regional Utilities, Gulf South Pipeline Company LLC, Gulfstream Natural Gas System, Pensacola Energy, Sabal Trail Transmission LLC, SeaCoast Gas Transmission, Southern Natural Gas Company LLC, and TECO Peoples Gas sponsor the Excavator Pipeline Safety Program.
• OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReference source for trench safety data and nationwide safety alerts. OSHA provides excavation fatality statistics and enforcement guidance that inform Sunshine 811's safety messaging and training priorities.
• Damage Prevention Council of Florida (DPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollective group of industry stakeholders from around Florida working together on damage prevention solutions. Regional councils are being established to address local issues and improve 811 process compliance. Open to excavators, utilities, and other stakeholders.
• State Fire Marshal (Florida)minorOthersUnder HB 1095, the State Fire Marshal and local fire chiefs gained authority to issue citations for Chapter 556 violations. They investigate HPSI (High Priority Subsurface Installation) incidents and can impose penalties up to $50,000. Five percent of collected penalties fund the State Fire Marshal's programs.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• Georgia 811: Georgia's designated one-call notification center; performs the same excavator–utility coordination, positive-response tracking, and damage-prevention education mandated under Georgia's Dig Law, making it the closest state-level functional peer to Sunshine 811.
• Texas 811: Texas's statewide one-call center that receives locate requests, routes them to member utilities, and runs parallel damage-prevention training and public awareness campaigns—directly comparable in mandate and operating model to Sunshine 811.
• Miss Utility of Maryland: Maryland's one-call center delivering identical call-center and online locate-request services to homeowners and professional excavators under a state statutory framework, mirroring Sunshine 811's mission and stakeholder mix.
• NC 811: North Carolina's 811 notification center providing the same excavator ticket routing, positive response, and damage-prevention education services as Sunshine 811 under North Carolina's underground damage prevention statute.
• Dig Safely New York: New York's designated one-call system operator, comparable in mandate scope, member-utility network structure, and the mix of professional-excavator and homeowner audiences served.
• Call Before You Dig (CalDig811): California's one-call notification center operated by USA North; delivers the same locate-ticket, positive-response, and damage-prevention services under California Government Code 4216, directly analogous to Sunshine 811.
• Virginia 811: Virginia's statewide one-call center with a comparable call-center-plus-digital platform and statutory mandate under the Virginia Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act.
• PA One Call (Pennsylvania 811): Pennsylvania's 811 system providing identical excavator notification and positive-response services to homeowners, contractors, and member utilities across a comparably large state footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Common Ground Alliance (CGA): National industry association that owns the DIRT damage database and Best Practices framework; comparable because Sunshine 811 participates in its '50 in 5' initiative and feeds Florida data into CGA's national pipeline, and CGA sets the de facto operating standards every 811 center follows.

Others

• Paradigm (Pipeline Safety Training): Pipeline-safety training vendor that co-delivers Sunshine 811's Excavator Pipeline Safety Program and CoRE emergency-response exercises, making it an adjacent ecosystem partner with overlapping safety-education and excavator audience.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Sunshine811
• Xx.com/Sunshine811

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sunshine 811