Underground Pipe Detection — No Guesswork, No Damage
Digging blind costs money. Hitting a live drain costs more. Our pipe locating service uses professional-grade electronic detection to trace the exact route and depth of underground drains, sewer lines, stormwater pipes and utilities before any excavation begins.
Reviewed and updated July 2026.
💡 Quick answer: Pipe locating traces the exact path and depth of underground drains using a transmitting sonde and surface receiver — accurate to around 100mm. It means one hole dug in the right place instead of three in the wrong ones, and it pairs perfectly with a CCTV inspection.
🗺️ When You Need Pipe Locating
| Situation | Why locating first |
|---|---|
| 🏗️ Before digging, fencing or landscaping | Know exactly what’s below before machinery finds it for you |
| 📷 A defect found on CCTV | Mark its position and depth from above before planning any repair |
| 🏠 Older homes with unknown pipe runs | Original plans rarely survive — the sonde finds the truth |
| 🕳️ Lost septic or stormwater assets | Locate tanks, pits and lines without exploratory digging |
We locate pipes on residential properties, commercial sites and new development blocks across Melbourne's South East — Ringwood, Knox, Maroondah, Yarra Valley, Boronia, Bayswater, Lilydale and surrounds.
When Do You Need Pipe Locating?
- Before excavation or landscaping: avoid hitting live drains, water mains or conduits buried below ground.
- Before drilling or boring: confirm underground clearances before any horizontal directional drilling.
- New builds and extensions: map all existing services so builders and engineers can design around them.
- Investigating blocked or damaged pipes: combine with CCTV camera to see and locate the fault in a single visit.
- Pre-purchase property inspections: know exactly what is buried under the yard before settlement.
- Easements and boundary disputes: confirm pipe positions for council submissions or legal records.
Equipment We Use
- Electronic Sonde Transmitter: inserted through the drain and pushed with a camera rod, transmitting a signal we track from the surface to map exact route and depth.
- Integrated CCTV + Locate: camera and sonde run simultaneously — live video of condition plus a marked surface position in one call-out.
What You Get After the Job
We mark the ground with spray paint or flags and can provide a written depth and location report on request. Reports are suitable for engineers, builders, and council submissions. No extras, no hidden charges — one flat fee for the job.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you locate pipes under concrete or paving?
Yes — the sonde signal transmits through concrete, paving and soil. We mark position and depth on the surface, so if cutting is ever needed it happens once, in exactly the right spot.
What’s the difference between pipe locating and CCTV inspection?
CCTV shows what’s wrong inside the pipe; locating shows where that spot sits in your yard and how deep it is. Together they turn “somewhere out the back” into a precise mark you can plan and budget around.
Need a Pipe Locating Specialist?
Call Jack directly for same-day service across Melbourne's South East. Free over-the-phone diagnosis available.
📞 Call 0425 226 636