Spot On Locate and Detect, home

Underground service locating · NSW and ACT

Find it.
Mark it.
Then dig.

Spot On Locate and Detect traces and marks buried services before excavation or drilling starts. Book a locate on its own. You do not need a Spot On drilling crew to use us.

Request a locate Call 0414 468 616
  • RD8200 calibrated to Feb 2027
  • 3 ticketed locators (RIICCM202E)
  • $20m public liability
  • Booked without a drilling crew

Base: North Richmond NSWCoverage: NSW and ACTSister company of Spot On Excavations

Cross-section of a locate A locator above the ground traces four buried services: electricity, communications, gas and water. Each is marked on the surface in its conventional colour. 0.0 M0.5 M1.0 M1.5 M ELECCOMMSGASWATER LOCATOR SURFACE MARK-OUT
Illustrative cross-section, not to scale

Standalone service. No HDD booking required.

Civil contractors, builders, asset owners and other drilling contractors can book locating directly. When a job does involve Spot On drilling, the same locating work supports the bore.
01What locating involves

From plans to paint on the ground.

  1. Plan review

    We read the Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) plans for the site and note what the records show, and what they leave out.

    You getA note of what the plans show and where they are silent.

  2. Detect

    Electromagnetic locating traces conductive services and cables. Ground-penetrating radar, subject to operational confirmation, adds a method for non-metallic services.

    You getConductive services traced across the area, with GPR only where confirmed.

  3. Mark out

    Positions are marked on the surface in the colour for each service type, so the crew that follows can read the ground.

    You getSurface marks in the service colours, with the AS 5488 quality level noted for each mark.

  4. Prove

    Where a service must be confirmed by sight, potholing by vacuum excavation is arranged with Spot On Excavations.

    You getA service exposed and seen, where the job needs it.Arranged with sister company

  5. Record

    The mark-out is photographed and sketched so the result can be referred to after the paint has gone.

    You getA photo and sketch record, available on request.To confirm

See each service

02Instruments

Instruments on every job.

Locator

RD8200

Radiodetection electromagnetic cable and pipe locator. Calibrated 11 February 2026, next due 11 February 2027.

Radar

MALA GPR

GuidelineGeo ground-penetrating radar is held. Offered subject to operational confirmation.

Bore tracking

Falcon F5

Two DigiTrak walkover steering systems, used for bore tracking on directional drilling jobs.

Atmosphere

SST4 gas detectors

Three WatchGas four-gas detectors (LEL, O2, CO, H2S), bump tested and calibrated 9 February 2026. Used where pit work needs atmosphere checks.

All equipment

03Who books it

Booked by the people who dig.

Civil contractors

Locating ahead of trenching, pits and road works, so excavation starts from marked ground rather than plans alone.

Drilling contractors

Services identified along a bore path before the pilot hole goes in. No Spot On drilling crew required.

Builders

Site checks before footings, service connections and trenches.

Asset owners

Locating and mark-outs to understand what sits under a site before planned works.

04Reading a mark-out

Colour tells the crew what is below.

A mark-out uses a colour for each service type, so every crew on site reads the ground the same way. These are the common Australian service colours.

Confirm the colour set required by the asset owner or principal contractor for your job. How much weight a mark-out carries is described by its AS 5488 quality level, explained on the services page.

  • ElectricityPower cables and conduits
  • CommunicationsTelecommunications and data
  • GasGas mains and services
  • WaterDrinking water mains and services
  • SewerSewer mains and connections
  • Recycled waterNon-drinking recycled water
Crew member operating a handheld DigiTrak Falcon F5+ bore tracking receiver above the ground.
Walkover bore tracking on a Spot On drilling job.Photo: Spot On
05On the drill line

Also behind every Spot On bore.

On a drilling crew, the person on the locator holds a safety-critical role: the bore path depends on it. Walkover tracking with DigiTrak equipment follows the drill head's position and depth during horizontal directional drilling.

Spot On Locate and Detect takes that locating work to jobs with no drilling at all.

Bore tracking

06The yard

Locating from a working yard.

  • A crew member in high-visibility clothing kneels on grass beside traffic cones, with a vacuum truck behind.
    Spot On Excavations crew on site; the same yard supports Locate and Detect.
  • A white vacuum excavation truck parked on a gravel yard under a cloudy sky.
    Spot On Excavations vacuum truck. Potholing is arranged with them.
  • A black horizontal directional drilling rig with yellow rod loader on a cleared work site.
    Spot On Excavations directional drilling rig, which Locate and Detect supports with bore tracking.
  • Aerial view of a vacuum truck, drilling rig and small excavator working on grass beside a racecourse rail.
    Spot On Excavations crews at work on a turf site.

These are Spot On Excavations photographs. Locate and Detect works from the same yard.

07Preparation

Before we arrive.

  1. BYDA plans orderedSend them if you already have them, or tell us and we will talk through what the job needs.
  2. Site access and contactGate details, hours and a person on site we can reach.
  3. Asset owner permits or conditionsAny permit, induction or condition set by the asset owner or principal contractor.
  4. Scope and boundaries marked on a planThe area to locate, drawn on a site plan or aerial image.
  5. Known hazardsLive traffic, overhead lines, contaminated ground, confined areas.
  6. Preferred dateAnd whether the date is fixed or flexible.
08Questions

Common questions.

Do I need to book Spot On drilling?

No. Locating is booked on its own, and you do not need a Spot On drilling crew. When a job does involve Spot On drilling, the same locating work supports the bore.

How far ahead should I book?

Call or send the job details with your preferred dates and we will confirm what is possible. The earlier we have the site address and BYDA plans, the sooner the plan review can start.

What do the colours mean?

Marks are made in the Australian service colours: electricity orange, communications white, gas yellow, water blue, sewer cream and recycled water purple. Confirm the colour set your asset owner or principal contractor requires.

What is a quality level?

AS 5488 grades subsurface utility information from D (records only) to A (exposed and measured). We note the quality level for each mark so your crew knows how much weight to put on it.

Can you confirm depth?

Depth is confirmed only by potholing, where the service is exposed and measured. Potholing is arranged with Spot On Excavations.

Do you do GPR?

A GuidelineGeo MALA ground-penetrating radar system is held, and GPR is offered subject to operational confirmation. Ask when you enquire whether it is available for your job and dates. To confirm

Base
836 Kurmond Road, North Richmond NSW 2754, in the Hawkesbury
Coverage
NSW and ACT
Travel
Travel outside the Hawkesbury is quoted per job. To confirm
09Coverage

Where we work.

Locating is run from the North Richmond yard and covers New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory. Tell us the site address when you enquire and we will confirm the job.

Book a locate

Tell us where and when.

Request a locate Call 0414 468 616

Send with your enquiry

  • 01Site address and the area to locate
  • 02BYDA plans, if you already have them
  • 03What is being dug or drilled, and how deep
  • 04Preferred dates