Serving Fresno and all of California

Directional drilling contractors in Fresno, CA

Horizontal directional drilling, auger boring and pipe boring in Fresno: conduit, fiber, water, sewer and gas lines put under roads, driveways and landscaping without an open trench.

Call (855) 804-1434Estimates are free. Call now. Request a free estimate

Most of the underground lines being installed in Fresno today never see an open trench. Directional drilling runs a steered pilot bore between two pits, reams it to size and pulls the pipe or conduit back through in one pass. For a crossing under a California highway, a railroad or a river, it is usually the only method the permit will allow.

Open territory · Fresno, CA

Drilling contractors covering Fresno

No single contractor is listed for California yet. Call the national line or use the form and the request is routed to a directional drilling contractor working the Fresno area. Estimates are free.

(855) 804-1434

What is in the ground in Fresno

Coastal Southern California is alluvial sand and gravel with cobbles in the river channels; the Central Valley is deep clay and silt with a high water table in places; the Bay Area mixes bay mud, serpentine and fractured bedrock, and seismic design governs every crossing.

Fiber to the home, undergrounding of overhead power in fire-threat districts, recycled-water mains and freeway crossings are the big drivers, all under tight Caltrans and city encroachment permitting. Locate requests in California go through USA North 811 (northern and central California) or DigAlert (southern California); crossings of state routes are permitted by Caltrans.

How a bore in Fresno is done

On a typical Fresno job the crew sets up an entry pit on one side of the obstruction and an exit pit on the other, calls in the USA North 811 (northern and central California) or DigAlert (southern California) ticket, and drills a pilot hole that is tracked by a walkover locator above ground. Drilling fluid, usually a bentonite and water mix, carries cuttings out, lubricates the pipe and holds the hole open in sand or soft soil. The hole is reamed to size and the product is pulled in.

Hiring a drilling contractor in Fresno

A good Fresno drilling contractor is easy to pick out from a quote. The length, pipe size and material are stated, the crossing permits are listed, locates and traffic control are either included or called out, and the mobilization fee, if there is one, is written down. A quote with only a price and a date leaves every one of those as a surprise.

Estimates are free. Call now: (855) 804-1434.

Drilling and boring services in Fresno

Each page explains one method or utility type: what gets installed, how deep, what the permit requires and what moves the price.

Directional Drilling

Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) for new underground utilities: steered bores under roads, driveways, parking lots, creeks and landscaping with no open trench.

Directional Drilling explained →

Horizontal Boring

Horizontal boring for conduit, casing and carrier pipe where digging across a surface is not an option.

Horizontal Boring explained →

Auger Boring

Steel-cased auger bores for road, rail and railroad crossings that need a straight, on-grade casing.

Auger Boring explained →

Pipe Boring

Boring and pulling in HDPE or steel product pipe from a few inches up to large-diameter casings.

Pipe Boring explained →

Fiber Optic Drilling

Directional drilling for fiber and communications duct: long bores, multiple ducts in one pull, tight easements.

Fiber Optic Drilling explained →

Electrical Conduit Drilling

Bores for primary and secondary power conduit, lighting circuits and site electrical feeds.

Electrical Conduit Drilling explained →

Utility Drilling

Multi-utility installs for developers and utilities: power, gas, water, sewer and telecom on one site plan.

Utility Drilling explained →

Sewer Line Drilling

Directional drilling and boring for new gravity-adjusted force mains, laterals and sewer crossings.

Sewer Line Drilling explained →

Water Main Drilling

HDD installation of new water mains and service lines, including creek and road crossings.

Water Main Drilling explained →

Gas Line Drilling

Bores for new natural gas mains and services, coordinated with the utility and its operator-qualification rules.

Gas Line Drilling explained →

Questions we hear in Fresno

Does the drilling fluid harm my yard or the creek in Fresno?+

Standard drilling fluid is bentonite clay and water, the same material used in pond liners. It is contained in the pits and hauled away or recycled. Crews watch for inadvertent returns, where fluid finds a path to the surface, and stop and contain them; near waterways in California that is a permit condition.

Who calls 811 before a bore in Fresno?+

The contractor files the locate request with USA North 811 (northern and central California) or DigAlert (southern California) a few business days before drilling, and the public utilities mark their lines on the ground. Private lines on your property, such as irrigation, septic, propane or lighting, are not marked by 811 and need a private locator or your own knowledge of the site.

What happens if the drill hits rock in Fresno?+

An experienced crew plans for the ground they expect from local experience and any borings or utility records, and brings rock tooling if the area is known for it. If rock shows up unexpectedly, the bore may be slowed, redesigned deeper or shallower, or switched to a rock-capable head. Ask how rock is handled in the quote before work starts.

How do I get a directional drilling estimate in Fresno?+

Call (855) 804-1434 or use the form on this page and the request is routed to a drilling contractor covering Fresno; estimates are free. Have the length of the run, what is going in the ground and what it crosses ready, and a site walk will usually confirm the price.

More California cities

Every listed city in California has its own page; the California page covers the state's ground, permits and contractor.