Serious question, is ground penetrating radar worth the cost for small digs?

We were mapping a potential site in rural Vermont last month, a suspected 19th century farmstead. The budget was tight, so we almost skipped the GPR survey, thinking test pits would be enough. We ended up renting a unit for a day, about $500, and it clearly showed a dense rectangular anomaly just 30 centimeters down. We dug there first and found a perfectly preserved stone foundation, saving us probably two weeks of random test pits. But I've talked to crews who say for small, well-documented sites, the tech is overkill and eats funds better spent on lab work. What's your take? Have you had a clear win or a total waste with GPR on a limited budget?

2 comments

2 Comments

victor21910d ago

Sounds like your GPR paid for itself in saved digging time.

gray_schmidt810d ago

What do you mean, @victor219? The time it takes to set up and read the GPR still eats into the day.