From locating a utility line 30 feet underground to reducing unnecessary excavation and tracing gas services with confidence, these customer stories highlight how crews across different industries are using Pipehorn to solve real-world locating challenges.
No two utility locates are exactly alike.
A contract locator tracing a deep duct bank faces different challenges than a municipal crew trying to narrow down the location of a water main before excavation. Gas crews rely on tracer wire to locate and verify services in challenging field conditions, while inspectors and supervisors need confidence that the equipment their teams use will perform when it matters most.
But despite the differences, the feedback we hear from customers is remarkably consistent.
They want equipment they can trust. Training that prepares crews for the field. And support that doesn’t disappear after the sale.
Here are three stories from the people putting Pipehorn to work every day.
Benchmark Subsurface Utility Services
Industry: Contract Locating
Contract locators play a critical role in damage prevention, responding to 811 tickets and helping utility owners identify and mark underground infrastructure every day. While some of that work is routine, many challenging locates still happen—and that’s when experience, training, and reliable equipment matter most.
For Cedric Bothwell of Benchmark Subsurface Utility Services, one locate has stayed with him for years.
Working near a guard rail on an isolated roadway, Cedric’s team was tracing what turned out to be a duct bank—a network of underground conduits that often carries critical utility infrastructure—located approximately 30 feet below the surface. Damaging a facility like this can result in costly repairs, service disruptions, and significant project delays.
Instead, Cedric relied on something he remembered from Pipehorn training: slow down, pinpoint the signal, and trust the process.
His team marked the location.
Others on site weren’t convinced.
The excavation crew continued digging.
Four hours later, they reached the duct bank.
"Lo and behold, it was dead on."
For Cedric, the experience reinforced that reliable equipment is only part of the equation. The training behind it matters just as much.
After nearly 17 years of using Pipehorn, Cedric says the combination of effective training and responsive support gave him confidence recommending the equipment to Benchmark.
“I’ve got some new people who have never used Pipehorn and they’ve done a great job.”
He credits Pipehorn’s hands-on approach to training for helping crews understand not only what they’re doing right, but also how to recognize and correct mistakes before they’re in the field on their own.
That support doesn’t stop after the purchase.
Cedric says when equipment needs repairs, Pipehorn has consistently stood behind its products and customers.
After nearly two decades of experience, his conclusion is simple:
"When you use other equipment, when that won't do it, the Pipehorn will guarantee you get it done."
Continue exploring training, support, and field resources related to Cedric’s story.
Contract Locator Resources
Explore solutions designed for contract locating applications.
Pipehorn Training
Hands-on factory training that prepares crews for real-world locating.
Repairs & Service
Responsive support from the team that stands behind its products.
For water and municipal crews, efficiency matters just as much as accuracy.
When the location of an existing utility isn’t clear, every unnecessary pothole, vacuum excavation, or mobilized crew adds time and cost to the project.
Steve Bahena of the City of Alabaster Water Department explained how his team uses Pipehorn’s high-frequency capabilities to narrow down the search area before bringing in excavation equipment.
"If there's some confusion as to the location, we'll go out and use the high frequency mode to try to pinpoint in the ground before we bring in digging equipment, excavators, and even vacuum excavation equipment."
The goal isn’t simply to find the utility.
It’s to gain confidence before excavation begins.
By narrowing the search area first, crews can pinpoint the utility line and focus their efforts where they’re needed most.
"It takes a lot less time to go out and use the Pipehorn than it does to mobilize to a site and dig up holes and try to pothole throughout the site without knowing really where things are."
For municipal and water departments, that means:
Continue exploring field resources related to Steve’s story.
Water Locating Resources
Explore solutions designed for water utility locating applications.
Municipal Locating Resources
See how municipal crews use Pipehorn to locate undocumented utilities and reduce unnecessary excavation.
Locating Tips
Tips for congested areas, broken tracer wire, difficult locates, and more.
Watch the Full Field Video
See how the City of Alabaster uses high frequency locating to narrow the search area before excavation.
Enbridge Gas
Industry: Gas Utilities
We caught up with Kyle from Enbridge Gas during the Spring Gas Conference.
Now an inspector, Kyle previously spent three years working as a field locator. When asked about his experience with Pipehorn, his response was straightforward.
"The tools work."
He also highlighted one of the most common challenges gas crews face in the field.
"It's exactly what you need to locate these broken tracer wires."
While the conversation lasted only a few moments, it reflects something we hear often from gas professionals.
Gas locating conditions aren’t always ideal.
Short services, challenging underground conditions, damaged tracer wire, and the need to verify existing facilities require crews to adapt quickly and work with confidence.
Having equipment you trust makes all the difference.
Continue exploring field resources related to Kyle’s story.
Gas Locating Resources
Explore solutions designed for gas utility locating applications.
Gas Locating Video
See how gas crews use the Pipehorn 800-HL to locate and verify services.
CGA Case Study
Learn how Peoples Gas reduced damages using Pipehorn Safety Sweeps.
Find solutions, videos, and field-proven techniques tailored to the work you do every day.
