Drilling & boring
Electrical conduit drilling contractors
Power has to get from the transformer to the building, the pole to the pad, or the switchgear to the far side of the parking lot. Boring the conduit is how that happens without cutting the pavement.
Electrical work that gets bored
Primary feeders from the utility to a pad-mounted transformer, secondary service from the transformer to a building, parking-lot and street lighting circuits, EV charging feeds, pump-station and irrigation power, and duct banks for data centers and industrial sites are all routine directional-drilling jobs. Utilities bore their own distribution in many areas; developers and electrical contractors hire a drilling contractor for the site side.
Conduit and sweeps
Schedule 40 or Schedule 80 PVC conduit is the usual product for electrical, pulled in as a fused or coupled string, or as HDPE conduit where the engineer allows it. Bends are what make electrical bores different from fiber: the pull path for the conductors has limits on total bends, and the bore's natural curve counts. The drilling contractor and the electrician agree on where the sweeps land and where pull boxes go before the pilot bore starts. Multiple conduits for a duct bank are pulled as a bundle with spacers or set in a larger casing.
Clearances and depth
The National Electrical Code and the utility's standards set minimum cover for the conduit, commonly 18 to 36 inches depending on voltage and location, and the bore is planned below that plus the clearance from other utilities. Crossing an existing power line is where potholing earns its cost: the record drawing is often wrong by a few feet, and a bore head that touches an energized cable is a bad day for everyone.
Coordination with the utility
For primary service the utility usually specifies conduit size, depth, bend limits and the location of the transformer pad; the drilling contractor builds to that and the utility pulls its own cable. Getting that specification before the bore plan is drawn avoids a second bore. For secondary and site power the electrical contractor's drawings govern.
Contractors by area
Electrical conduit drilling contractors are listed here by state and city. In the Southeast the listed contractor is Davis Underground Solutions, which bores power and duct banks for developers, utilities and data-center sites across the region. Elsewhere, the national line routes your job to a contractor working your area. Estimates are free.
Estimates are free. Call now: (855) 804-1434 — or pick your state below to reach the contractor covering your area.
Find a electrical conduit drilling contractor by state
Other drilling and boring services
Directional Drilling
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for new underground utilities: steered bores under roads, driveways, parking lots, creeks and landscaping with no open trench.
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.
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 electrical conduit drilling
Can electrical conduit be installed by directional drilling?+
Yes. PVC and HDPE conduit for primary, secondary, lighting and site power is bored every day. The bore plan accounts for the conduit's bend limits so the conductors can be pulled afterward.
How deep is electrical conduit bored?+
Below the code or utility minimum cover, often 18 to 36 inches depending on voltage, and deeper under roads and where other utilities must be cleared. Utility primary is usually deeper than secondary.
Can a bore handle a duct bank with several conduits?+
Yes. Multiple conduits are pulled as a bundle with spacers or inside a larger casing, with the reamed hole sized to the bundle. Large data-center duct banks are often done this way under roads and parking areas.
Who installs the wire after the conduit is bored?+
The electrical contractor or the utility pulls the conductors. The drilling contractor installs the conduit and usually a pull string, and proves it with a mandrel or test pull if the specification requires it.
Will the bore crossing an existing power line be safe?+
Yes when it is located, potholed where the record is uncertain, and tracked rod by rod against a bore plan with the required clearance. Ask how the contractor handles existing electric crossings before work starts.