Leak detection, directional drilling, and unblocked drains
Serving the Greater Auckland Area

Underground service detection to locate buried utilities before you dig

Planning excavation, landscaping, a renovation or a new underground installation? Leak Solutions provides underground service detection across Auckland to help identify what is below the surface before work begins.
Using specialist locating equipment, we can trace underground services including electrical cables, gas lines, water pipes, telecommunications and fibre. Knowing where these services run helps homeowners, builders and contractors plan excavation more safely and avoid unnecessary damage, delays and repair costs.
Our service can be useful before building a deck, installing fencing, excavating foundations, landscaping, trenching or carrying out other work where buried utilities may be present.
If you also need a new service installed, our directional drilling service provides a trenchless option for many underground installations.
Contact Leak Solutions to arrange underground service detection.

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Know what is underground before excavation begins


  • Locate underground electrical cables, gas lines, water pipes, fibre and other buried services
  • Reduce the risk of damaging essential utilities during excavation or landscaping
  • Clearly identify service routes so you can plan where and how to dig
Glendowie based, servicing Auckland from Orewa to Manukau

Locate buried utilities before they become a problem

Underground services are not always where you expect them to be. Existing plans can be incomplete, older services may have been altered, and private services within a property may not always be clearly documented.

Our underground service detection helps identify and trace buried utilities including:

  • Electrical and power cables
  • Gas services
  • Water pipes and mains
  • Telecommunications and fibre
  • Other detectable underground services

We use specialist locating equipment to trace the likely route of these services and mark their position on site, helping you make better informed decisions before excavation begins.

This can be useful before building, landscaping, fencing, drainage work, installing new services or any other project involving digging into the ground.

Leak Solutions is also a member of NULCA, the National Utility Locating Contractors Association, supporting recognised industry practices around underground service locating.

Locate underground cables before you dig


Buried electrical, telecommunications and fibre cables can cross driveways, gardens, paths and construction areas without any obvious indication at the surface.

Our cable location service helps identify and trace underground cables before excavation begins, allowing the proposed work area to be planned with greater confidence.

Depending on the service and site conditions, electromagnetic locating equipment can be used to trace conductive cables and services from an accessible connection or signal. Ground penetrating radar may also assist with identifying subsurface features where appropriate.

Once detected, the service route can be marked on site so you or your contractor can see where the identified underground infrastructure is located.

Locating buried cables before excavation can help reduce the risk of service outages, damage, delays and potentially dangerous cable strikes.

Get expert underground service detection today


Before you break ground on your next project, let Leak Solutions help you locate underground utilities with precision and efficiency. Our expertise in underground service detection ensures your project runs smoothly, safely, and without costly surprises.

We also offer additional services, including water leak detection for identifying hidden leaks, directional drilling for precise underground installations, and drain unblocking for efficient water flow solutions. Contact us to get started today. 

Locating gas services, water pipes and other buried utilities


Different underground services can require different locating methods, which is why knowing what you are looking for is an important part of the investigation.
  • Gas service locating - Locating an underground gas service before excavation is particularly important because accidentally damaging a gas line can create a serious safety risk. Where the service can be traced using the available locating equipment, we can identify and mark its route so the proposed excavation can be planned around it.
  • Water pipe locating - We can trace underground water pipes to help determine where they run through the property. This can be useful before excavation, renovations or installation work, as well as when investigating a suspected underground water problem. If the issue is specifically a suspected water leak rather than simply locating the pipe route, see our water leak detection service.


  • Electrical, fibre and telecommunications - Buried electrical and communications services can be difficult to identify from the surface alone. Specialist locating equipment helps trace detectable services and mark their route before digging begins.

What happens during underground service detection?

The exact process depends on the property and the services being located, but an underground service investigation generally includes:
  1. Understanding the proposed work, including where you intend to excavate and which services may be present.
  2. Reviewing available information, including known service routes and accessible connection points where relevant.
  3. Scanning and tracing, using the appropriate locating equipment to identify detectable underground services.
  4. Marking the services, showing the detected routes on the ground so they can be considered when planning excavation.
  5. Explaining the findings, including any areas where the location cannot be confirmed or further investigation may be required.
Underground locating helps reduce uncertainty, but ground conditions, service materials, depth and accessibility can affect what can be detected. We will explain what has been identified and any limitations found during the investigation.

Frequently asked questions

The duration of the underground service detection process varies depending on the project's complexity and size. However, our team at Leak Solutions works efficiently to provide accurate results as quickly as possible.

While it's possible to attempt underground service detection yourself, it's not recommended. Our team at Leak Solutions uses specialised equipment and expertise to ensure accurate and reliable results, minimising the risk of damage or safety hazards.

Yes, Leak Solutions is fully trained, using the latest tech to provide underground service detection services. Our team adheres to industry standards and best practices to ensure your project is completed safely and efficiently.
Leak detection, directional drilling, and drain unblocking; servicing Auckland and surrounding areas