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Florida buyer's guide

Concrete Scanning: A Florida Buyer’s Guide

Concrete scanning is an investigation of an existing slab, wall or other element. It can inform drilling, cutting or assessment, but its value depends on a clear question, usable access and a report that explains uncertainty. A request to scan the floor is less useful than a plan showing proposed penetrations and the features the project needs to identify. Before choosing a provider, agree the survey boundary, method, markings and deliverables. This guide helps you buy interpretable information and coordinate it with the engineer or trade that decides what work can proceed, without treating scanning as structural approval.

Published by Tom Barnsley · Sources reviewed 2026-10-30

State the decision the scan must support

Describe the planned holes, sawcut, fastening points or broader assessment. Provide drawings showing the intended work and identify known reinforcement, post-tensioning, embedded conduit or other features. Ask the provider which parts of that request it can address and what information another method or professional must supply.

A small scan around several approved penetrations and a detailed survey of an entire slab are different assignments. Define the area and level of detail rather than asking for the cheapest site visit. If the scan is meant to answer a designer’s question, involve that designer in specifying what the report should contain.

Ask about methods and their limits

Ground-penetrating radar is one investigation method; providers may also use other locating tools or complementary methods. The EPA describes GPR as a way to investigate subsurface conditions using reflected electromagnetic energy, with interpretation affected by site conditions. Ask the provider to explain its proposed approach for this concrete element rather than promising that one machine will identify everything.

Discuss access, thickness, reinforcement congestion, surface conditions and the features you need to distinguish. Ask how the report will identify uncertain responses or areas where interpretation is limited. The absence of a marked feature is not the same as a guarantee that the area contains nothing.

Prepare access without concealing useful information

Provide a clear route to the work and tell the provider about floor coverings, equipment, stored materials and areas that cannot be reached. Ask what needs to be moved or exposed and who is responsible for that preparation. If both sides of the element are accessible, share that information without assuming it is always required.

For occupied buildings, coordinate work hours, tenant access and the location of sensitive equipment. Give the provider drawings and previous scan records, but identify whether they reflect the current building. New services or alterations may have occurred since older documents were prepared, so the operator should know their limitations.

Define the marking system

Ask how features and proposed work areas will be marked, what the colors or symbols mean and whether a legend will be supplied. A photograph of lines without an explanation may become difficult to interpret after the crew leaves. Identify any restrictions on marking finished surfaces and whether removable markings or another record is needed.

Have the provider distinguish an observed feature, an interpreted feature, an uncertain response and a proposed clear location. Ask who explains the markings to the cutting or drilling crew. If the work will happen later, plan how the marks are protected or reproduced and when changed conditions require another review.

Keep approval responsibilities separate

Scanning can provide information for a proposed penetration, but approval to cut reinforcement or alter a structural element belongs to the responsible project professional. Ask the contractor and designer who reviews the findings and who authorizes any relocation. A locator should not be assumed to redesign a pipe route or certify the structure simply because it marked a surface.

Record what happens when scanning finds a conflict. The next step may involve moving the proposed hole, changing the installation or investigating further. Keep the revised decision on the drawing, and ensure the drilling crew receives that version rather than an earlier set of marks.

Choose a report that fits the project

A small coring task may need annotated photographs and a clear field sketch; a larger project may require scaled drawings, digital files or a formal report. Ask the receiving engineer or contractor what is necessary before buying a reporting package. Specify the units, reference points and format that make the information usable.

Require the report to identify the surveyed area, method, date, accessible surfaces and limitations. If depths or positions are estimated, ask how uncertainty is communicated. Do not pay for elaborate graphics that omit the practical question of where the team looked and what it could not confidently interpret.

Compare pricing against survey scope

Ask whether pricing is per visit, area, hour, penetration or a defined combination. Identify mobilization, access equipment, reporting, repeat visits and restricted-hour charges. A low price for paint marks may not include the documentation another bidder has priced. Likewise, a comprehensive survey may be unnecessary if the approved task is narrowly defined.

Discuss what happens if access is incomplete or the proposed method cannot answer the question. Ask whether the provider recommends another investigation, charges for further work or delivers a limited report. A useful quote makes these outcomes understandable before the operator is on site.

Hand over findings before cutting or drilling

Arrange for the receiving trade to review the findings and legend, not merely look at the markings. Confirm the approved work locations and any restrictions. If the concrete surface has changed, marks have disappeared or the proposed opening has moved, ask whether the original scan still covers the work.

Keep the report with the final penetration or cutting records. Record actual work performed and deviations approved after scanning. This creates a useful history for future projects and avoids treating an old survey as timeless clearance for unrelated work elsewhere on the slab or at a different depth.

Sources and scope

Official sources support the regulatory and technical points identified below. General comparison advice is editorial guidance. Local examples apply only to their stated jurisdiction; a site assessment determines which conditions apply to your property.

Concrete scanning: buyer questions

Is concrete scanning the same as underground utility locating?

No. Concrete scanning focuses on features within a slab, wall or similar element. Underground utility locating addresses buried facilities in the ground. Some companies offer both, but the equipment, access, reporting and interpretation for one assignment should not be assumed to cover the other.

Can GPR identify every embedded object?

Ask the provider to state what its method can resolve under the actual conditions. Interpretation has limitations, and different features can be difficult to distinguish. A credible report records uncertainty and inaccessible areas rather than presenting a universal all-clear promise.

Do I need a written report for a small job?

Ask the receiving trade what documentation it needs. Even a small assignment benefits from a clear record of the scanned area, mark meanings and limitations. A large formal report may not be necessary, but undocumented lines on a floor can be hard to use correctly later.

Can I drill anywhere that is not marked?

Do not interpret blank space as permission. Confirm that the exact location and depth were within the investigation and that the responsible person has approved the work. The scan’s limits and the structural or installation requirements must be considered together.

What if the contractor finds a tendon or conduit in the proposed opening?

Stop to resolve the conflict with the party responsible for the installation and structural design. Ask whether a new location needs further scanning and update the approved drawing. The scanning provider’s finding is information for that decision, not a reason to improvise a route around it.

How long do scan results remain useful?

They describe the investigated area and conditions at the recorded time. Alterations, changed openings, lost marks or new uncertainty can affect their usefulness. Ask the provider and receiving trade whether a repeat visit is needed rather than assuming an old report covers any future work.