Underground Utility Locating with GPR Across BC
Map buried gas, water, electrical and communication lines before excavation
About This Service
Underground utility locating with GPR images non-metallic pipes and conduits that electromagnetic locating cannot find. Gas lines, water mains, PVC drainage and fibre-optic conduits are all visible to GPR — giving excavators a complete picture of what lies beneath before any shovel enters the ground. BC's complex buried-service environment, from heritage gas mains to new fibre runs, makes GPR an essential pre-dig tool.
How GPR Works for This Application
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We combine GPR with electromagnetic (EM) pipe and cable locating for comprehensive coverage.
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EM locating traces conductive lines (gas, metallic water main, electrical); GPR finds everything else.
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We grid the excavation zone, sweeping in two directions for a complete subsurface map.
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Buried features are marked on the surface with paint or flags following BC One Call colour codes.
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A sketch or digital plan records the located utilities, depths and confidence levels.
Common Use Cases
What You Receive
- Surface marking of all located utilities (paint/flags)
- Depth and route estimates for each service
- Combined GPR and EM locate plan
- Sketch or digital CAD deliverable (on request)
- Advisory for safe dig depth and exclusion zones
Underground Utility Locating with GPR — BC Locations
Available across all of British Columbia.
GPR Scanning by BC City
Frequently asked questions
Why not just call BC One Call?
BC One Call covers public utilities to the property line. Private services inside the property — owner-installed gas branches, buried electrical, irrigation mains — are invisible to that system. GPR and EM locating cover the whole property.
Can GPR find PVC drainage pipes?
Yes — PVC and other non-conductive pipes show up in GPR data, unlike EM methods which require a conductive path.
What if utilities are deeper than GPR can reach?
We advise when depth or soil conditions limit confidence and recommend alternative approaches such as potholing for critical areas.
Book Underground Utility Locating with GPR
Non-destructive GPR scanning across British Columbia — Anyleak.ca since 1999.