PAS128 Utility & GPR Surveys across West Sussex
Buried services detected with EML and GPR, drawn to PAS128 quality levels and marked out on site – from our head office in Horsham, West Sussex.
Call Us For A Free Quote 0345 548 5451- Head office in Horsham, West Sussex
- PAS128 quality levels QL-D to QL-A
- EML + GPR detection, CAD drawings
PAS128 Utility & GPR Surveys in West Sussex
Ambler Group is a specialist utility surveying company with its head office in Horsham, in the middle of West Sussex. That puts Horsham, Crawley and Gatwick, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill on our doorstep, with Worthing, Chichester and the rest of the county a straightforward drive away.
A PAS128 utility survey tells you what is in the ground, where it is, how deep it is and how confident we are in each line. That is what designers need to avoid diversions and what groundworkers need before they dig. We combine electromagnetic location with ground penetrating radar, because one without the other misses services.
Contact usPAS128 Utility & GPR Surveys – areas we cover in West Sussex
Dedicated local pages for each of our main West Sussex areas.
Utility & GPR survey Horsham
PAS128 utility surveys and GPR surveys across Horsham town and district, from our head office in Horsham itself.
View areaUtility & GPR survey Crawley & Gatwick
PAS128 utility surveys and GPR surveys across Crawley, Manor Royal and the Gatwick area, a short drive from our Horsham head office.
View areaUtility & GPR survey Haywards Heath & Burgess Hill
PAS128 utility surveys and GPR surveys across Haywards Heath, Burgess Hill and Mid Sussex, a short drive from our Horsham head office.
View areaUtility & GPR survey Worthing
PAS128 utility surveys and GPR surveys across Worthing, Shoreham, Lancing and the Adur and Arun coast, straight down the A24 from Horsham.
View areaUtility & GPR survey Chichester
PAS128 utility surveys and GPR surveys across Chichester city, the coastal plain and the Manhood Peninsula, from our Horsham head office.
View areaUtility & GPR surveys Surrey
PAS128 utility and GPR surveys across Surrey, with local pages for each of the main towns.
View countyUtility and GPR survey services
For contractors, developers, architects, engineers, consultants and facilities teams.
Desktop utility searches
Records from the water, gas, electricity, telecoms and fibre operators compiled before site work (Survey Type D).
Find out morePAS128 detection surveys
Services located with EML and GPR and drawn to PAS128 quality levels QL-B1 to QL-B4 (Survey Type B).
Find out moreGPR surveys
Ground penetrating radar for plastic pipes, ducts, chambers, voids and old foundations that cable locators miss.
Find out moreUtility verification (QL-A)
Services verified at chambers and exposed in trial holes at critical crossings and clash points.
Find out moreBorehole & trial pit clearance
Service clearance of borehole, trial pit, piling and post positions before drilling or digging.
Find out moreConcrete scanning (ferroscanning)
GPR scanning of slabs and walls for rebar, tendons and conduits before coring, drilling or cutting.
Find out moreWhy West Sussex sites need a proper utility survey
Utility records in West Sussex come from many asset owners – Southern Water, South East Water or Portsmouth Water for water and sewers, SGN for gas, UK Power Networks or SSEN for electricity, Openreach, Virgin Media and a growing list of fibre operators, plus pipeline, airport and private site networks. They are rarely complete: depths are seldom recorded, abandoned services are often missing, and new estates can be months ahead of the plans.
The National Underground Asset Register (NUAR) covers England, but access is currently limited to asset owners and their authorised contractors, and it is designed to complement existing safe-digging practice rather than replace it. HSE guidance HSG47 expects records to be used together with detection. A PAS128 survey does exactly that, and labels each service with a quality level so everyone on the project can see how much it can be relied on.
Read our guide to utility records in England and NUAR.
Contact usPAS128 survey types and quality levels
PAS128:2022 sets out four survey types. Each produces a quality level that is shown against every service on the drawing.
| Survey type | What it involves | Quality level |
|---|---|---|
| Type D | Desktop search of utility records | QL-D |
| Type C | Site reconnaissance – records matched to visible evidence | QL-C |
| Type B | Detection with EML and GPR, positioned by survey | QL-B1 to QL-B4 |
| Type A | Verification – services seen in chambers or excavations | QL-A |
Read our guide to PAS128 quality levels to see which level your project needs.
Utility surveys for construction projects in West Sussex
Contractors, developers and consultants use our utility surveys at every stage of a project – from early design to clearing the exact positions of boreholes, piles and excavations.
Design and feasibility
Desktop records and a detection survey early on show where services run and how deep they are, so the design avoids costly diversions.
Before you dig
A PAS128 survey with GPR, marked out on site, gives groundworkers a reliable picture before excavation, piling or ducting starts, in line with HSE guidance HSG47.
Borehole and trial pit clearance
Positions for site investigation, piling and fence posts checked and cleared before drilling or digging.
Records and handover
Utility drawings in CAD for the design team, the health and safety file and future works on the site.
What your utility survey includes
- Desktop utility records search from the asset owners (Type D)
- Site reconnaissance matching records to covers, markers and street furniture (Type C)
- Detection with electromagnetic location (EML) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) (Type B)
- Verification at chambers and exposed services where required (Type A)
- Every service labelled with its PAS128 quality level, including QL-B1 to QL-B4
- CAD drawings (DWG/DXF) tied to OS National Grid, with depths where detected
- Services marked out on site in paint or pegs on request
- Survey report setting out the methods used and any limitations
We locate services with Radiodetection RD8200 and RD8100 cable and pipe locators with signal transmitters, and Proceq GS8000 ground penetrating radar, positioned with GNSS and total stations on OS National Grid.
How it works
- 1
Send us the site
Email a site plan or marked-up aerial showing the area, plus what you need it for and any access notes.
- 2
Fixed quote and RAMS
We confirm the survey type, quality level and days on site, and issue site-specific RAMS for your induction.
- 3
Survey on site
Our surveyors attend from our Horsham head office, set out any traffic management, and survey with EML and GPR.
- 4
Drawings and mark-out
You receive the CAD drawing and report, and services can be marked on the ground for your excavation team.
PAS128 Utility & GPR Surveys in West Sussex | Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Which areas of West Sussex do you cover?
A: We cover the whole of West Sussex, with local pages for Horsham, Crawley and Gatwick, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, Worthing and Chichester. Our head office is in Horsham, and our southern teams also work across the rest of Sussex, Surrey and the South East.
Q2: What is a PAS128 utility survey?
A: PAS128 is the British Standards Institution specification for detecting, verifying and locating underground utilities. It sets out four survey types (desktop records search, site reconnaissance, detection and verification) and labels every service on the drawing with a quality level, so designers and contractors know how reliable each line is.
Q3: What is the difference between a GPR survey and a utility survey?
A: Many people call a utility survey a GPR survey. In practice we use both electromagnetic location (EML) and ground penetrating radar (GPR) together: EML traces metallic cables and pipes, and GPR picks up plastic pipes, ducts, chambers and other features that a cable locator cannot see.
Q4: How much does a PAS128 utility survey cost?
A: Utility surveys are priced on the size of the site, the survey type and quality level needed, access and traffic management, and the drawing format. Send us a site plan or marked-up aerial and we will come back with a fixed quote, usually the same or next working day.
Q5: Can I use NUAR instead of a utility survey?
A: No. NUAR brings asset owners’ records together, but access is currently limited to asset owners and their authorised contractors, and like any records source it shows where services are recorded, not where they actually are or how deep. HSE guidance HSG47 expects records to be used together with detection on site.
Need a service & ready to book? Call us 0345 548 5451
Email usWhy choose Ambler Group for PAS128 utility and GPR surveys in West Sussex?
Head office in Horsham
Our head office is in Horsham, West Sussex, so your site in West Sussex is covered by our southern survey teams – a local firm that knows the area.
Utility surveyors first
Detecting buried services is our core work, using EML and GPR together and reporting to PAS128 quality levels so you know how far to rely on each line.
Everything in one visit
PAS128 utility, GPR, topographical and CCTV drainage surveys from one team, with one set of RAMS and one coordinated set of drawings.
If you’re looking for reliable, professional PAS128 utility and GPR surveys in West Sussex, contact us today!
Clients Reviews
“Ambler Group have been our number one go to for all of our topographical, UGS & GPR Surveys.”
Ryan, Director – Topographical, Utility and GPR
Helpful survey guides
PAS128 Quality Levels Explained: QL-D to QL-A
What QL-D, QL-C, QL-B1 to B4 and QL-A mean on a utility drawing, and which one your project needs.
Read the guide GuideWhat Does a PAS128 Utility Survey Cost?
The factors that set the price of a PAS128 or GPR utility survey, and what to send for a fast, fixed quote.
Read the guide GuideUtility Records in England: STATs Searches, LSBUD and NUAR
Where utility records come from in England, what NUAR does and does not give you, and why records alone are not enough.
Read the guideContact Us
Book a survey in Sussex & Surrey
For a fast, fixed quote, send us:
- The site address or postcode
- A site plan or marked-up aerial image showing the survey area
- What the survey is for – design, planning, excavation, piling or records
- Access notes – working hours, permits, inductions
We usually come back with a fixed quote the same or next working day.
Head office:
Ambler Group Limited
Springfield House, Springfield Road,
Horsham RH12 2RGCompany registration number: 12568344
Areas we cover:
Horsham, Crawley and Gatwick, Haywards Heath and Burgess Hill, Worthing, Chichester, Guildford, Woking, Reigate and Redhill, Epsom and Leatherhead, Camberley and Farnham – and the rest of Sussex, Surrey and the South East.