Utility Locating Services in Central Vancouver Island
Know what's underground before you break ground. GPR and radio detection utility locating for contractors, homeowners, and developers across Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanaimo, and surrounding areas.
Professional Utility Locating — Before Any Ground Is Broken.
Hitting a buried utility line isn't just expensive — it can be deadly. Gas lines, high-voltage cables, water mains, and telecom conduits run through virtually every developed property on Vancouver Island, and they're not always where the records say they are.
Our utility locating service uses Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) combined with radio detection to create an accurate picture of what's underground before any machinery moves. We mark depths, positions, and material types so your operators and contractors can work safely.
Book a Utility Scan
Required before any excavation. We'll confirm coverage and mobilize quickly.
Request a Quote Call 778-909-9874Utility Locating Capabilities
Gas Lines
Locate buried gas mains and service lines — the highest-consequence utility to accidentally strike on any job site.
Electrical Conduit
Detect buried electrical runs, including high-voltage distribution lines and low-voltage service wiring.
Water & Sewer
Map water mains, service connections, and sewer lines including non-metallic plastic pipe using GPR.
Telecom & Fibre
Identify telecommunications conduits, fibre optic runs, and data cables before trenching or excavating.
Storm Drainage
Locate storm drain lines, culverts, and drainage infrastructure that can collapse or flood if struck.
Unknown Obstructions
GPR detects voids, old foundations, buried debris, and undocumented infrastructure — not just registered utilities.
How Utility Locating Works
Two complementary technologies. One complete underground picture.
Ground Penetrating Radar
GPR sends radar pulses into the ground and reads the reflected signals to create a cross-section profile of subsurface conditions. It detects both metallic and non-metallic objects — including plastic pipe, concrete, voids, and buried debris. Our equipment can scan to depths of several meters depending on soil conditions.
GPR is the only method that detects plastic utilities like PE gas lines and PVC water mains that radio detection cannot find.
Radio Detection
Radio detection (electromagnetic locating) applies a signal to conductive utilities and traces the path of that signal above ground. This is the industry standard for precisely locating metallic pipes, conduit, and cables — including live electrical lines.
Combined with GPR, radio detection fills in the gaps on metallic utilities with high positional accuracy, giving operators the confidence to work within safe distances.
Compliant Locating — Every Time
BC One Call
BC One Call (1-800-474-6886) is the provincial notification system that contractors are legally required to contact before any ground disturbance. We coordinate with BC One Call on your behalf and ensure all required notifications are in place before scanning begins.
WorkSafe BC
WorkSafe BC regulations require that all workers involved in ground disturbance understand the location of buried utilities. Our scans produce documentation you can retain as part of your site safety records, demonstrating due diligence before excavation.
On-Site Marking
After scanning, we physically mark utility positions on the ground surface using standardized paint and flags. Markings follow APWA (American Public Works Association) colour codes so every worker on site can interpret them correctly.
What Sets Us Apart
Dual Technology
GPR + radio detection together. Neither technology alone gives you the full picture.
Scan Before We Dig
We include utility locating in our own excavation work — it's how we operate every project.
Documented Results
Scan results documented and marked on-site. You have a record before any ground moves.
BC One Call Ready
Full compliance with provincial ground disturbance requirements, every time.
Utility Locating FAQs
BC 1 Call is a free service that marks public utilities (gas, electric, telecom, water, sewer) up to the property line. It does NOT cover private-side infrastructure — irrigation, geothermal, buried propane lines, undocumented electrical, or laterals from your meter into the house. That's what a private utility locate finds. Read more in our BC One Call guide.
Before any planned excavation deeper than about 30 cm, especially on older properties, rural acreages, homes with multiple additions or previous owners, and anywhere you don't have a current utility map. In BC, a locate is legally required before most digging under the Underground Utility Damage Prevention Act.
We use ground penetrating radar (GPR) and electromagnetic (EM) detection. GPR sees below the surface for objects of many materials (metal, plastic, clay, concrete). EM detection traces live utilities by their signals. Together they cover most buried infrastructure you're likely to encounter.
Cost depends on the scan area size, complexity, and depth of scan required. Small residential scans (a fence line, a deck footing area) are typically affordable and often paid back many times over by avoiding a single hit. Call 778-909-9874 for a specific quote.
Yes — we provide utility locating throughout Central Vancouver Island including Parksville, Qualicum Beach, Nanoose Bay, Fairwinds, Nanaimo, and Bowser. Fast mobilization for most jobs.
Yes — we regularly pair utility locating with mini excavation. Scan, mark, dig — one team, one site visit, one bill. Common for deck footings, fence installations, trenching, and small excavation jobs.
Need a Utility Scan?
Don't break ground without knowing what's underneath. We mobilize quickly across Central Vancouver Island.