Comparison

GPR vs Electromagnetic Locating for Utility Detection

When to use GPR vs EM locating — and why we use both on every utility-locate job.

GPR and EM locating are complementary technologies for finding buried utilities. Here's how they compare and why we use both.

Factor	Leak.ca	Electromagnetic Locators
Detects plastic pipes?	Yes — GPR sees density contrast	No — EM only detects metallic pipes/cables
Depth range	Up to 6m depending on frequency	Up to 6m depending on soil conductivity
Accuracy	5-10cm horizontal, +/-10% depth	+/-5% depth in ideal conditions
Soil limitations	Reduced in wet clay	Reduced in high-EMI environments
Best for	Concrete scanning, rebar mapping, plastic pipes, voids	Live electrical lines, metallic pipes, telecom cables

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Free phone consult. We'll recommend the best approach for your situation.