Non-destructive digging exposes underground services without the risk that comes with a mechanical excavator or a shovel swung in the wrong spot. Pulse Locating provides NDD across Perth and regional Western Australia for civil contractors, utility providers and infrastructure teams who need buried assets exposed safely, accurately and without damage.
We’re a Western Australian owned locating partner combining subsurface utility detection, accredited safety systems and practical site support, so you get one accountable team managing underground risk from investigation through to excavation.
ISO 9001
ISO 45001
AS 5488-2013
Quality Level A
Non-destructive digging, also called NDD, vacuum excavation or hydro excavation, combines high pressure water to loosen soil with a powerful vacuum system that removes the resulting slurry into a sealed tank. There are no buckets tearing through the ground, no blind digging and no guesswork about what sits beneath the surface.
The process safely exposes gas lines, water mains, electrical conduits, fibre optic cables, telecommunication lines and other underground infrastructure in a controlled way, so you can visually confirm exact depth, alignment and condition before progressing.
How the NDD Process Works on Site
Every job begins with planning. We review existing utility plans, Before You Dig Australia data and site conditions, and factor in ground type, access constraints and project requirements before anyone breaks ground.
On site, a powerful jet of pressurised water carefully breaks up the soil in a targeted area while the vacuum unit simultaneously removes the wet slurry, keeping the excavation clean and controlled. Operators maintain constant visual control throughout, and once the work is complete the area is reinstated safely and efficiently. One machine handles both the excavation and the spoil removal, which is part of why NDD moves faster on site than the hand digging it replaces.
To confirm the exact location and depth of a buried service before design or trenching.
Safely exposing underground utilities ahead of civil works, in congested urban environments where multiple assets share a corridor.
In service-congested areas where a mechanical auger carries too much risk.
Where an excavator bucket would destroy the root system.
Tight spaces and sensitive areas, including heritage sites and locations where surface disruption has to stay minimal.
Using the same equipment under the access conditions those sites demand.
A traditional excavator works blind. It relies on markings, plans and operator judgement, and even careful operators can strike a service that was mismarked, mislaid or simply missed. NDD removes that guesswork by exposing services with precision, without mechanical impact.
NDD can look more expensive than traditional digging methods when you compare hourly rates alone. But projects aren’t measured by hourly rate, they’re measured by total outcome, and avoiding one utility strike can offset the cost difference immediately. Factor in the repair costs, the reinstatement, the asset owner’s involvement and the programme delay that follow a strike, and NDD is the more cost effective approach.
NDD is widely recognised as the safest excavation method around existing underground infrastructure. It reduces the risk of accidents and injuries, removes much of the manual handling that comes with hand digging, and protects the crew from the consequences of striking a live service.
It also disturbs less ground than a traditional excavator, which means less dust and noise, a smaller excavation area, lower environmental impact on the surrounding area, and less restoration work afterwards.
We work to AS 5488-2013, the Standards Australia classification for subsurface utility information, which divides underground service data into four quality levels. To avoid potential incidents, injuries, property damage or worse, we always recommend clients choose Quality Level A, the safest and most accurate locate available.
Good information prevents problems. Time spent locating and mapping services correctly at the start saves far more time, money and stress once machines arrive on site, which is why complete subsurface utility detection sits at the centre of every job we run.
Safety is non-negotiable. We behave as if every locate is protecting lives, communities and critical assets, and we invest in formal health and safety systems rather than treating safety as a tick box exercise.
Health and safety. First accredited as AS/NZS 4801 in 2016 and upgraded to ISO 45001 in 2021.
Quality management, accredited in 2016.
Continual training for our operators, regularly revised Safe Work Method Statements and hazard reports, and analysis of every project for its individual safety concerns before work begins.
Final pricing depends on ground conditions, depth, the number of exposure points, access limitations and whether the work is planned or urgent. Minimum hire periods apply depending on location and scope.
We scope jobs accurately before mobilisation, so you understand cost and timeframe upfront.
NDD rarely stands alone on a project. One accountable team covers underground risk from investigation through to excavation.
NDD is a method of excavation that uses high pressure water and a powerful vacuum system to expose underground services without the mechanical impact of a traditional excavator or shovel. It’s also known as vacuum excavation, hydro excavation or hydrovac.
Vacuum truck rates start from $220.00 per hour, though final cost depends on ground conditions, depth, the number of exposure points and whether the work is planned or urgent. We scope jobs accurately before mobilisation so you know cost and timeframe upfront.
Gas lines, water mains and water networks, electrical conduits, fibre optic and telecommunication cables, buried pipes and other underground assets, confirming depth, alignment and condition before further works proceed.
A traditional excavator works blind, relying on markings, plans and operator judgement, and even careful operators can strike a service that was mismarked or missed. NDD removes that guesswork, and avoiding a single strike can offset any difference in hourly rate.
Yes. Before You Dig Australia gives you plans from asset owners, but plans show intent rather than as-built reality. Services get relaid, redirected and recorded imprecisely. NDD is how you visually confirm the exact location and depth before you commit machinery to the ground.
Yes. Because the excavation area is small and controlled, NDD works in congested urban streets, around tree roots, on heritage sites and anywhere surface disruption needs to stay minimal.
We work to AS 5488-2013, the Standards Australia classification for subsurface utility information, which sets out four quality levels for underground service data. We always recommend Quality Level A, the safest and most accurate locate available.
Yes, we hold ISO 45001 for health and safety and ISO 9001 for quality management, which means continual staff training, regularly revised Safe Work Method Statements and hazard reports, and analysis of every project before work begins.
Yes. While most of our work is in Perth, we also provide non-destructive digging and underground locating across regional Western Australia for civil contractors, utility providers and infrastructure teams working further afield.