Locate Services

The sewer lateral is one of the most frequently damaged — and least documented — underground utilities on private property. Knowing exactly where your lateral runs before any excavation begins can mean the difference between a smooth project and an unexpected, costly repair. Who needs this: Homeowners, plumbers, contractors, real estate buyers, and municipalities planning work near sewer infrastructure. Why it matters: If a plumber is already scheduled to dig and replace your lateral, a pre-locate can pinpoint the approximate path and depth — reducing excavation time, limiting service disruptions, and avoiding damage to surrounding utilities. It also helps identify potential problem areas before the first shovel hits the ground. How we do it: Our sewer camera is equipped with an integrated 512 Hz sonde transmitter that broadcasts a detectable signal from inside the pipe as it travels through the line. This allows the camera head position to be traced from the surface — delivering a live interior view of pipe condition and a confirmed surface location simultaneously. In a single visit, you get both a full interior condition assessment and an accurate surface map of the line's routing and depth. Deployment is adapted to the conditions and scope of each job. The camera is advanced through the line with surface markings made at key intervals, at observed defects, or at any point of obstruction. When full line tracing is needed or beneficial, a traceable rodder can be deployed alongside the camera — giving both the technician and the client the ability to mark the entire lateral path from access point to connection, regardless of what the camera encounters along the way. All findings are documented with surface markings, approximate depth readings, photographs, video, and a detailed written report.

Not every underground line is documented, marked, or even remembered. Abandoned conduit, undocumented installations, legacy systems, and lines installed without as-built drawings are a reality on properties of all types — residential, commercial, and industrial. Our conduit and piping investigation service is designed for exactly these situations. Using electromagnetic locating equipment combined with traceable rodder systems deployed through accessible entry points, we introduce a detectable signal into unknown conduit or piping to trace its path, estimate depth, identify termination points, and in some cases detect breaks, separations, or discontinuities within the line. Where pipe camera access is available, the camera and traceable rodder can be deployed simultaneously — the rodder establishing the signal path from the surface while the camera documents interior conditions from within. This dual deployment approach maximizes the information gathered in a single service visit and provides the most complete picture of an unknown underground system available without excavation. This service is ideal for pre-construction conflict investigations, renovation planning, insurance or legal documentation, and any situation where the routing or condition of an underground system needs to be established before work begins.

Underground gas lines running from the main meter to exterior appliances, generators, pool heaters, outdoor kitchens, grills, or accessory structures present a serious safety risk when their path is unknown or assumed. We locate and mark underground gas line routing using electromagnetic locating equipment, tracing the line from the meter or last known access point to its destination. Tracer wire condition is assessed and documented at every gas service locate — broken or absent tracer wire is one of the most common limitations encountered on private gas line locates and can significantly affect the extent of coverage achievable. Where a full trace cannot be established, partial locate coverage is clearly noted in the report with appropriate hand-dig advisories for all unconfirmed areas. This service is recommended any time excavation, landscaping, hardscaping, or construction is planned in proximity to known or suspected gas line routing.

Underground electrical subfeeds running from a main service panel or meter to detached garages, outbuildings, pool equipment, or secondary structures are often undocumented and easily overlooked — until a shovel finds them. We trace and mark underground electrical lines using precision electromagnetic locating equipment, identifying the approximate routing and depth of the subfeed path between two known points. Where a direct electromagnetic signal cannot be established due to conduit material, depth, or access limitations, a traceable rodder can be introduced through accessible conduit to independently map the run. In situations where both methods benefit from combined deployment, the traceable rodder and locating equipment work in tandem to maximize coverage and confidence in the results. This service is particularly valuable during fence installations, landscaping projects, additions, or any excavation occurring between a main structure and an accessory building where underground electrical routing is unknown or unverified. All findings are documented with surface markings, approximate depth readings, and a detailed written report.