Traditional pre-construction utility locating methods leave dangerous gaps during actual excavation work. Contractors need effective sensing systems that work actively during the dig, detecting utilities and alerting in real-time before the bucket strikes. This comprehensive comparison examines the 9 leading companies offering solutions and services designed specifically for construction applications, helping you choose the technology that best protects your crews, budgets, and project timelines.

Choosing Utility Detection for Construction Sites

Before diving into detailed comparisons, here are the key factors general contractors should evaluate:

• Real-Time detection capability: Systems that alert during excavation, preventing strikes more effectively than pre-dig locating and surveying
• Integrated into excavator: Systems which are integrated into the excavator – and specifically the digging bucket – the element hitting the utilities.
• Soil versatility: Detection performance across clay, sand, rocky terrain, and varying moisture conditions.
• Detection depth range: Capability to identify utilities within the ‘next digging bite, including shallow ones.
• Operator ease-of-use: Automatic alerts requiring minimal training reduce human error and speed adoption

The Best Underground Utility Detection Providers for Construction Sites

1. RodRadar: Best for Real-Time Utility Strike Prevention During Excavation

RodRadar delivers the construction industry’s first ground-penetrating radar (GPR) system fully integrated into excavator buckets, providing automatic real-time alerts of utilities while digging is actively taking place, not as part of a pre-project or pre-excavation survey. The system is designed to operate continuously during live excavation, detecting underground utilities in the “next bite” before physical contact occurs.

Unlike traditional GPR systems that require scanning and interpretation before excavation begins, and have inherent limitations in detecting underground utilities from the surface, RodRadar’s patented Live Dig RadarⓇ (LDR) technology functions only as the excavator is digging, turning each bucket pass into a real-time safety scan. This ensures operators receive immediate alerts at the exact moment risk is introduced, rather than relying on missing and unreliable pre-dig utility data.

Construction contractors benefit from RodRadar’s end-to-end, during-excavation safety ecosystem. LDR Excavate buckets with embedded GPR sensors scan the ground in real time before soil is removed, while LDR Visualise tablets provide instant, in-cab alerts to operators. LDR Insights adds cloud-based visibility into live excavation activity, and the LDR Capture mobile app enables field teams to document utilities as they are exposed. Together, these tools shift utility strike prevention from one-time, pre-project checks to continuous, in-operation protection throughout the excavation process.

RodRadar’s Best Features for Construction Site Safety

Bucket-Integrated GPR Technology: RodRadar embeds patented GPR sensor directly into excavator buckets (available for 1-40 ton machines). The system scans for utilities with each pass, creating fresh data continuously as excavation progresses.

Automatic Real-Time Alerts: Advanced automatic algorithms analyse radar echoes instantly, providing visual and audible cab alerts showing utility position and depth without requiring off-site expert analysis. Operators with minimal training can easily and effectively use the system to get immediate visual and audio alerts and adjust digging approach to avoid strikes.

Universal Utility Detection: The system identifies all utility types, in any soil: gas lines, electrical cables, fiber optics, water pipes, sewage systems, and chemical conduits across any soil condition. At any point in time, before and during excavation, detection depth reaches up to 40 inches, depending on utility type and soil characteristics.

Installation Versatility: LDR Excavate buckets easily install on any excavator, new or existing, just like any other attachment. The system can move between compatible machines when platform kits are installed, maximising equipment utilisation across multiple jobsites and excavator fleets.

Comprehensive Data Management: LDR Insights portal gives construction managers centralised visibility into all excavation activity, scan results, and exposed utilities across their project portfolio. Real-time access to underground utility information supports better decision-making and creates valuable as-built documentation.

2. GPRS: Pre-Dig surveying services

GPRS operates as a nationwide subsurface damage prevention service provider, deploying technicians with GPR equipment to construction sites for utility locating services. The company emphasises their extensive network of local technicians who can respond to jobsite requests across the United States.

General contractors working with GPRS schedule on-site visits where technicians scan areas before excavation begins, marking underground utilities with paint or flags. This pre-excavation approach provides initial utility mapping but does not offer protection during active digging when conditions change or unmarked utilities appear.

GPRS’s Key Features

The company provides utility locating services using technician-operated GPR equipment, concrete scanning for embedded rebar and post-tension cables, and vacuum excavation for visual confirmation of utility locations. Their service model relies on scheduling appointments with local technicians rather than contractors owning detection equipment.

3. Blood Hound: Pre-Dig locating

Blood Hound offers private utility locating services through trained technicians who visit construction sites to identify underground infrastructure before excavation begins. The company operates as a service provider rather than a technology platform, positioning itself as an alternative to public 811 services for commercial and industrial projects.

Their approach relies on scheduled site visits where technicians use electromagnetic locators and ground-penetrating radar to map utilities prior to digging. Findings are marked on-site with paint and flags, providing contractors with static, pre-dig utility information rather than continuous detection during active excavation.

Blood Hound’s Key Features

Blood Hound provides electromagnetic locating, GPR scanning services, and vacuum excavation through technician visits. They emphasise accuracy in pre-excavation utility mapping and documentation for construction planning purposes, however….(indicate the problem).

4. Leica Geosystems: Pre-Dig Locating systems

Leica Geosystems provides professional-grade utility detection and ground-penetrating radar systems used primarily during the pre-construction and planning phases of construction projects. The company focuses on delivering subsurface data for surveying, engineering, and infrastructure teams that require reliable utility mapping before excavation begins.

Leica’s approach centers on technician- or surveyor-operated GPR and detection equipment used to scan sites prior to digging. Results are typically captured as georeferenced data and integrated into surveying, CAD, or BIM workflows, supporting design validation and excavation planning, rather than real-time protection during active digging – I think we should add the resulting issues…

Underground Leica Geosystems ‘s Key Features

Leica Geosystems offers cart-mounted and portable GPR systems, electromagnetic utility detection tools, and surveying-grade data capture designed for pre-excavation utility mapping. Their solutions emphasise accuracy, documentation, and integration with broader surveying and geospatial workflows, making them well suited for construction planning, engineering validation, and large infrastructure projects, but not for continuous detection during active excavation.

5. Geophysical Survey Systems (GSSI): Pre-Dig GPR Equipment

GSSI manufactures ground-penetrating radar equipment for various applications including construction, archaeology, and infrastructure inspection. The company offers handheld and cart-mounted GPR systems that contractors can purchase and operate themselves.

Their equipment requires operators to scan areas manually before excavation, with results displayed on screen for interpretation. GSSI systems serve multiple industries beyond construction, offering versatile equipment for different subsurface investigation needs.

GSSI’s Key Features

GSSI provides cart-based and handheld GPR equipment with various antenna frequencies for different depth ranges and resolution requirements. Their systems capture subsurface data for operator review and interpretation, with some models offering data logging for later analysis.

6. IDS GeoRadar : Pre-Dig Multi-Application GPR Systems

IDS GeoRadar manufactures ground-penetrating radar equipment for construction, mining, and geotechnical applications. Their product line includes various GPR configurations for different subsurface investigation needs beyond utility detection alone.

The company offers both portable and vehicle-mounted GPR systems that contractors operate to scan areas before excavation. Equipment is designed for multiple survey types, making it suitable for contractors who need GPR for various applications.

IDS GeoRadar’s Key Features

IDS provides multi-frequency GPR equipment with real-time data display, allowing operators to conduct subsurface surveys for utility detection, pavement analysis, and geological investigation. Their systems emphasise versatility across different subsurface scanning applications.

7. USIC: Underground Utility Locating & Damage Prevention Services

USIC LLC is a nationwide leader in underground utility locating services and damage prevention, performing tens of millions of locates each year across the United States to identify and mark buried utilities before excavation. The company focuses on protecting critical infrastructure and public safety by ensuring excavators and construction crews have accurate underground utility information before digging.

USIC’s core operations involve coordinating with 811 call-before-you-dig requests and dispatching trained technicians to sites where they locate and mark underground electric, gas, water, telecommunications, and other utility lines. These services are performed as part of pre-excavation planning and damage prevention, rather than as live, in-operation detection technology.

USIC’s Key Features

USIC offers comprehensive utility locating services that include public utility marking, private utility locating, managed services, and geospatial support to help contractors and utilities mitigate risks before excavation begins. Their technicians use industry-standard locating equipment and techniques to mark underground infrastructure, support compliance with regulations, and minimise the risk of utility strikes during construction planning.

8. ImpulseRadar: GPR Equipment – Pre-Dig only

ImpulseRadar produces compact handheld ground-penetrating radar equipment designed for utility detection and concrete inspection. Their lightweight systems appeal to contractors seeking portable GPR technology for manual site surveys.

The company’s equipment emphasises portability and ease of transport, with handheld units that operators carry during pre-excavation surveys. Results display on integrated screens for immediate operator viewing during scanning operations.

ImpulseRadar’s Key Features

ImpulseRadar offers lightweight handheld GPR units with real-time display screens, designed for walking surveys of construction sites. Equipment includes various antenna options for different depth ranges and resolution requirements.

9. Radiodetection: Cable and Pipe Locators – Pre-Dig only

Radiodetection specialises in cable and pipe locating equipment using electromagnetic detection technology. While they offer some GPR products, the company’s primary focus centers on electromagnetic locators for identifying metallic utilities.

Their equipment helps contractors locate metallic utilities like electrical cables and metal pipes before digging. Electromagnetic technology works well for conductive utilities but has limitations with non-metallic infrastructure like PVC pipes or fiber optic cables.

Radiodetection’s Key Features

Radiodetection offers electromagnetic cable and pipe locators with varying depth capabilities and frequency options. Their equipment excels at detecting metallic utilities when proper conditions exist for electromagnetic signal transmission.

Comparison Table: Best Underground Utility Detection for Construction Sites

Which Underground Utility Detection Should You Choose for Construction Sites?

Selecting the right underground utility detection solution and services depends on whether you want to keep relying only on pre-excavation planning tools, or also on active utility strike prevention during digging operations. For general contractors prioritising excavation safety and efficiency, RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar provides the construction industry’s first-ever bucket-integrated GPR system that detects utilities in real-time during excavation, preventing strikes at the moment when contact would otherwise occur.

RodRadar’s Live Dig Radar technology delivers automatic alerts that require no expert analysis, detects all utility types across any soil condition, and integrates seamlessly with excavation workflows through bucket installation. The complete ecosystem including LDR Visualise tablets, LDR Insights management platform, and LDR Capture mobile app provides construction managers with comprehensive visibility into excavation safety across their project portfolio.

While pre-excavation utility locating services and equipment serve valuable purposes for project planning, RodRadar addresses the critical gap where most utility strikes actually happen: during active digging when operators need immediate alerts to prevent contact. For contractors serious about eliminating utility strikes, combining thorough pre-dig surveying with RodRadar’s real-time detection provides the most comprehensive protection available.