If you own property on which you are planning to start construction work or you need to remedy some sort of fault of the underground lines connecting to an already existing building on your property, San Diego utility locating services can help locate lines using state-of-the-art equipment, extensive professional knowledge and experience using advanced technologies. With their services, you can map your property for buried lines if you are planning to start a large-scale building project, but they are just as useful if you just want a new sprinkler system installed. If you think you can use such specialized services, but you don’t know how to identify the best partner, here are a few tips.
Look for Experience and Licenses
You definitely need an experienced technician to carry out the location work 
on your property. Using utility locator devices and interpreting the results returned by the devices is not something that you can learn overnight, so make sure the locator you hire has at least 5 years of experience in the business. Underground utility locators in California also need to have licenses and insurances to be allowed to work, so make sure you look for a company that is willing to show you these documents.
Look for a Company that Uses Multiple Locating Devices
It is very important to hire a utility locator firm that uses multiple devices to locate utilities – you can never know what is buried down there and not all devices are suitable for locating all types of utility lines. Here are some of the most frequently used types of equipment:
- Manhole locators – special devices used for locating metal utility covers,
- Cable locators – used for identifying telecommunication and electricity cables, these devices can locate even the thinnest cable from relatively long distances,
- Frequency locators – also used for phone cables, electricity lines and fiber optic cables, these units work by amplifying and reading the frequency of the signal emitted by lines,
- Magnetometers – these tools are used for locating utilities made from iron and ferrous alloys located close to the surface and very deep as well,
- Ground penetrating radar (GPR) – one of the most advanced technologies used in utility location, a GPR unit can detect utility lines that other devices cannot see,
- Machines that use electromagnetic conductivity – these sensitive instruments are also used for metal or other conductive utilities and they are able to penetrate to depth unavailable for other devices.
Utility locator companies can detect water pipes, sewer lines, any kind of buried cables including electrical and communication lines and gas pipes and the results returned by the detection process are fast and reliable without being invasive. With help from utility locators, you will be able to mark the area where you want to dig or excavate, thus avoiding costly and dangerous mistakes. Add the convenient pricing charged by these firms for their services and it will become obvious to you how great and useful it is for you to hire a utility locator.