Line Locating Services

Utility line locating technician using electromagnetic detection equipment

Turning Point Surveys truck in grass with mountain and clouds in the background

Line Locating Services

Turning Point Surveys provides professional utility line locating services to help clients understand exactly what is buried beneath their project sites before any ground disturbance begins. Our certified locators use industry-leading electromagnetic (EM) detection equipment and ground-penetrating radar (GPR) to accurately identify, trace, and mark the position of underground utilities — protecting workers, the public, and buried infrastructure.

Whether you need a simple private locate ahead of a small excavation or a comprehensive subsurface utility engineering (SUE) program for a major infrastructure corridor, TPS delivers the accuracy, documentation, and professional expertise required. When combined with our in-house hydrovac and survey capabilities, we offer a fully integrated locate-daylight-survey solution under one project team.

Line locating work in northern winter conditions

Our Line Locating Capabilities

We locate and document a full range of buried utilities and subsurface infrastructure in all project environments.

Electromagnetic (EM) utility detection
Ground-penetrating radar (GPR) scanning
Private utility locates (pre-excavation)
Pipeline and conduit tracing
Subsurface utility engineering (SUE) Level B & C
Drawing production and as-built utility mapping

EM Detection

Electromagnetic detection is the primary tool for locating metallic utilities and tracer wires. Our locators are trained on industry-leading Radiodetection and Vivax equipment, capable of tracing conductive lines at depth with high accuracy.

Ground Penetrating Radar

GPR is essential for locating non-conductive utilities such as plastic gas and water mains, fibre optic ducts, and concrete structures. Our GPR surveys detect anomalies in the subsurface regardless of material type or trace wire.

Detailed Documentation

Every locate is documented with field sketches, photographs, and GPS-referenced surface mark positions. We produce utility conflict drawings, plan-view maps, and SUE reports to support engineering design, crossing applications, and regulatory submissions.

Integrated with Hydrovac

TPS locators work directly with our hydrovac crews — coordinating pre-locate data with physical daylighting to confirm utility depths and positions. This closed-loop approach dramatically reduces crossing and strike risk on excavation projects.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a private utility locate and when do I need one?

A private utility locate identifies buried utilities on private property that are not covered by the public one-call system (Alberta One-Call / Click Before You Dig). This includes private distribution line extensions, service laterals, irrigation systems, site lighting, and other owner-installed infrastructure. You need a private locate any time you plan to excavate on private property — calling Alberta One-Call only covers public utilities running through your site.

How accurately can buried utilities be located?

EM detection can typically locate conductive utilities to within ±15–30 cm horizontally under good conditions. GPR performance depends on soil type and depth. For engineering-critical applications, we recommend combining locating with hydrovac daylighting at key crossing points to physically confirm depth and position — this is the only way to achieve centimetre-level accuracy on buried infrastructure.

Can you locate utilities in frozen or snow-covered ground?

Yes. Electromagnetic locating works year-round regardless of ground temperature or snow cover. GPR performance can be affected by frozen soil conditions, but in many cases the increased soil resistivity in frozen ground actually improves GPR signal depth. Our locators are experienced in northern winter conditions and can advise on method selection for your specific site and season.

Do you produce utility drawings from your locate work?

Yes. We can produce GPS-georeferenced utility maps, CAD drawings showing located utility positions overlaid on survey or aerial base plans, conflict drawings for crossing applications, and formatted SUE reports to ASCE CI/ASCE 38-02 or client standards. Utility mapping deliverables are often combined with our survey and drafting services for a complete subsurface infrastructure record.