Drilling & boring
Directional drilling companies
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is the method behind most new underground utility installations in the United States. Here is what the companies that do it actually do, and how to hire one.
What a directional drilling company does
A directional drilling company installs pipe, conduit and cable underground without digging a trench along the route. The crew sets up a drill rig at an entry point, bores a steerable pilot hole along a planned path to an exit point, enlarges that hole with one or more reaming passes, and pulls the product back through it. The surface between the two points is untouched. That is why HDD is the default for crossing roads, railroads, rivers, parking lots, slabs and landscaping, and increasingly for whole runs of fiber and conduit through built-up neighborhoods.
The rigs and the work they fit
Companies are usually described by rig class. Small and mid-size rigs, roughly 10,000 to 40,000 pounds of pullback, do the bulk of utility work: fiber duct, electrical conduit, gas services and mains, water services and small mains, and irrigation and sewer crossings of a few hundred to a thousand feet. Large rigs, with 100,000 pounds of pullback and up, handle river crossings, transmission pipelines and large-diameter casings that run thousands of feet. Most local drilling companies run one or two mid-size rigs and subcontract or partner for maxi-rig work.
How a bore is planned
Before anything is drilled the company files a locate request with the state one-call center, walks the alignment, and designs the bore: entry angle, depth under each obstacle, the curve the product pipe can tolerate, and the exit angle. Depth is set by the permit for a road or rail crossing and by what the crew must stay clear of. Soil determines tooling and drilling fluid. The pilot bore is tracked from the surface rod by rod, so the operator always knows where the head is relative to the plan and the marked utilities.
What drives the price
Length, diameter, depth and ground are the four big variables. Rock, cobbles and cemented soils such as caliche slow production and consume tooling. Permits, traffic control and restoration are either included or itemized. Far jobs carry a mobilization fee. A quote that lists all of these is a quote you can compare; one that gives only a price per foot is not.
Finding a company near you
This site lists directional drilling contractors by state and city. In the Southeast, from Virginia and West Virginia through the Carolinas, Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas, the listed contractor is Davis Underground Solutions, which travels the region and quotes mobilization up front. Elsewhere, the national line routes your request to a drilling contractor covering your area. Estimates are free either way.
Estimates are free. Call now: (855) 804-1434 — or pick your state below to reach the contractor covering your area.
Find a directional drilling contractor by state
Other drilling and boring services
Horizontal Boring
Horizontal boring for conduit, casing and carrier pipe where digging across a surface is not an option.
Auger Boring
Steel-cased auger bores for road, rail and railroad crossings that need a straight, on-grade casing.
Pipe Boring
Boring and pulling in HDPE or steel product pipe from a few inches up to large-diameter casings.
Fiber Optic Drilling
Directional drilling for fiber and communications duct: long bores, multiple ducts in one pull, tight easements.
Electrical Conduit Drilling
Bores for primary and secondary power conduit, lighting circuits and site electrical feeds.
Utility Drilling
Multi-utility installs for developers and utilities: power, gas, water, sewer and telecom on one site plan.
Sewer Line Drilling
Directional drilling and boring for new gravity-adjusted force mains, laterals and sewer crossings.
Water Main Drilling
HDD installation of new water mains and service lines, including creek and road crossings.
Gas Line Drilling
Bores for new natural gas mains and services, coordinated with the utility and its operator-qualification rules.
Questions about directional drilling
What is the difference between a directional drilling company and a boring contractor?+
In practice the terms overlap. Directional drilling means steered horizontal boring with a fluid-assisted rig. Boring contractor can also mean auger boring, which pushes a steel casing on a straight, graded line with an auger inside it. Many companies do both; ask which method they propose for your crossing.
How far can a directional drilling company bore in one shot?+
Mid-size utility rigs routinely bore 300 to 1,500 feet. Large rigs cross rivers and highways at 3,000 to 6,000 feet and beyond. Soil, product diameter and the tracking method set the practical limit on any given job.
Do directional drilling companies pull the permits?+
Most do, and the quote should say so. Public right-of-way permits, state DOT utility permits and railroad crossing agreements are routine for an established company; the owner or utility is usually the applicant of record and the contractor does the paperwork.
How do I check a directional drilling company?+
Ask for the state contractor license where required, proof of insurance, three recent crossings similar to yours with references, and the bore plan for your job. Ask whether the crew and rig on your job belong to the company or a subcontractor.
Are estimates from directional drilling companies free?+
On this network, yes. Call the number shown for your city or use the form, describe the run and what it crosses, and a site walk usually confirms the price.