Fisher TW-6 Pipe and Cable Locator $956 Request a quote
Finds lost or unknown pipe and cable, plus valves, tees and paved-over manholes.
$908Underground Pipe Locators
Our underground pipe locators are pipe and cable locators for water and gas utility crews. Choose a split-box locator for lines you can't connect to, or a transmitter and receiver for lines you can.
6 locators
Vivax-Metrotech VM-810 Pipe and Cable Locator $3,860 Request a quote
Made for water and gas lines. Its signal crosses insulators and rubber gaskets.
$3,667
Schonstedt Rex Pipe and Cable Locator $1,912 Request a quote
Traces water, sewer and gas pipes and electric and telecom cables on three frequencies, with a depth readout.
Receiver $1,816
Schonstedt u-Locate Pipe and Cable Locator $1,190 Request a quote
Finds buried pipes and cables. Arrows show which way the line is, and one button gives a depth reading.
Receiver from $1,130
Vivax-Metrotech vLoc3-9800 Utility Locator $5,021 Request a quote
Walk-over receiver with left/right guidance tones, depth and current readouts, and data logging.
$4,770
Vivax-Metrotech vLoc3-Pro Receiver $5,789 Request a quote
Traces buried pipe and cable with depth and current readouts, and finds sondes.
$5,500Also shop:Water Line LocatorsGas Line Locators
Split box or transmitter and receiver: which underground pipe locator?
Split-box locators
A split-box locator finds lines when you don't know where they start. The Fisher TW-6 picks up lost or unknown pipe and cable, and it also finds valves, tees and paved-over manholes.
Transmitter-and-receiver locators
When you can reach the line, put a signal on it and follow it with the receiver. Connect straight to the pipe, clamp around it, or induce the signal from above. The Vivax-Metrotech VM-810 is made for water and gas lines, the Schonstedt Rex and u-Locate give depth readings, and the vLoc3-9800 adds left and right guidance tones and data logging.
What a pipe locator finds, and what it can't
A pipe locator follows metal: steel and iron pipe, copper service lines, cable and tracer wire. Plastic pipe carries no signal on its own. To find it, you need the tracer wire buried with it, or a sonde pushed through the line.
Pro pipe and cable locators vs cheap wire tracers
A cheap wire tracer or a handheld pipe finder can find a wire or pipe inside a wall. Utility work asks for more: depth readings, more than one frequency, and a signal you can follow down a long service line. Every locator here, from Fisher, Schonstedt and Vivax-Metrotech, is built for that work, and we help after the sale.
Underground pipe locators for crews and fleets
Buying for a whole crew? Send us the models and how many you need, and we'll respond with one written quote. When a unit needs work later, call us.
Questions
How much does a pipe locator cost?
Our pipe and cable locators start at $908 for the Fisher TW-6 and run to $5,500 for the Vivax-Metrotech vLoc3-Pro. The Schonstedt Rex and u-Locate receivers start at $1,130, with the transmitter sold separately.
How do you locate underground pipes?
Put a signal on the line with a transmitter, then sweep the receiver across the ground until the signal peaks and follow it. Mark the line as you go and take a depth reading where you plan to dig. If the pipe is plastic, trace its tracer wire instead.
What is the best underground pipe locator?
It depends on the job. For lines you can't find a start point for, use a split-box locator like the Fisher TW-6. For water and gas services you can connect to, use a transmitter and receiver like the Vivax-Metrotech VM-810 or the Schonstedt Rex.
Not sure which one you need?
Call 937-657-2735 or request a quote and tell us what you're trying to find.