EM + GPR Locating · For HDD & trenchless crews
EM + GPR utility locating for directional drilling & boring.
Trenchless installation lives or dies on the accuracy of what's already underground. A bore path planned around bad locate data is a strike waiting to happen — and a strike on a bore is worse than on an open dig, because you find it the hard way, blind, at depth. Clearing the path and knowing the depths of every crossing before the drill turns is non-negotiable.
Standing arrangements available · Free phone consult · Mon–Sat 8am–6pm PT
We deliver bore-grade clearance: dual-method EM + GPR location of every crossing, depth estimates at the conflicts that matter, sonde tracing of non-metallic lines, and documentation that feeds your bore plan — so the drill head goes under, over, or around with margin, not by luck.
What directional drilling & boring hit
- Crossings at bore depth that surface locates miss
- Non-conductive lines invisible to EM-only clearance
- Depth uncertainty turning a planned clearance into a strike
- Unmarked private services along the bore corridor
- Frac-out and strike consequences amplified at depth
How we fit your workflow
- Full-corridor EM + GPR location, not just spot checks
- Depth estimates at every crossing on the bore path
- Sonde tracing of plastic and clay lines in the corridor
- Documentation and potholing coordination at the conflicts
The right services for directional drilling & boring
Depth Estimation & Mapping
Depths at every crossing — the number a bore plan needs.
ViewEM + GPR Clearance Survey
Full-corridor dual-method clearance for the bore path.
ViewSubsurface Utility Engineering
SUE quality levels for high-consequence bores.
ViewPotholing / Vacuum Excavation
Confirm the critical crossings at depth before drilling.
ViewDirectional Drilling & Boring ask
Why is locating more critical for a bore than an open trench?
Because a bore is blind and at depth — you can't see what you're approaching, and a strike on a directional drill is discovered by the consequence (a frac-out, an outage, a damaged drill head) rather than by eye. Open-trench digging gives you a chance to spot a line as you go; a bore doesn't. So the clearance has to be more thorough, depth-aware, and confirmed by potholing at the crossings that matter — which is exactly the bore-grade survey we run.
Can you give us depths at every crossing on the bore path?
Yes — depth at crossings is the whole point for a bore, and we estimate it at each conflict along the corridor, confirm the critical ones with GPR, and recommend potholing where the margin is tight. The output feeds your bore plan directly. For the highest-consequence bores, our subsurface utility engineering service formalises the data to defined SUE quality levels.
Do you locate non-metallic lines in the bore corridor?
Yes — and it's essential, because EM-only clearance is blind to plastic and clay, which are common in exactly the water and sewer crossings a bore has to avoid. GPR images them and sonde tracing follows non-metallic drains, so the corridor clearance covers conductive and non-conductive lines together. A bore cleared by EM alone is a bore cleared halfway.
Other trades we locate for
← EM + GPR for pros hub·EM line locating hub·Clearance survey
Serving directional drilling & boring across BC
Set up locating that keeps your crews moving.
Free phone consult — your typical jobs, your schedule, and a standing arrangement that fits.