Drilling & boring
Pipe boring contractors
The product pipe is the point of the whole exercise. Here is how boring contractors choose, join and pull the pipe that ends up carrying your water, sewer, gas or conduit.
Pipe that can be bored
Directional drilling pulls the pipe through a curved hole under tension, so the pipe has to bend and take the pull. High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is the workhorse: it is fused into one continuous length, bends to a radius of about 25 times its diameter, and shrugs off the abrasion of a pullback. Fusible PVC is stiffer, bends less, and is used where a utility standardizes on PVC. Steel is pulled for gas transmission and large casings. Restrained-joint ductile iron is bored for water mains where the utility requires it. Ordinary gasketed PVC and bell-and-spigot pipe are not pulled; they go inside a bored casing or are installed by auger boring.
Sizing the bore to the pipe
The reamed hole is normally 1.3 to 1.5 times the pipe's outside diameter so the pipe moves freely and the drilling fluid can flow around it. Pullback force is estimated from pipe weight, hole friction and the curve, and compared to the pipe's allowable tensile load with a safety factor. On long or large bores the contractor may ballast the pipe with water to reduce buoyancy, which lowers friction against the top of the hole.
Fusion and joints
HDPE is butt-fused on site by a certified operator; each joint is logged. The fused string is laid out on rollers behind the exit pit so the pullback is continuous. Fusible PVC is joined the same way with its own equipment. Steel is welded and often coated at the joints before pullback. A contractor who fuses their own pipe controls schedule and quality; ask who does it.
What pipe boring jobs look like
Water services and mains from 1 inch to 24 inches, sewer force mains and pressure sewer, gas services and distribution mains, irrigation mains, reclaimed-water lines, and casings for later use are the everyday work. Gravity sewer is bored with careful grade control on short runs or installed inside an auger-bored casing where the slope must be exact.
Hiring a pipe boring contractor
Look for fusion certification, a bore plan that shows the pullback calculation for your pipe, and experience with your soil. Pipe boring contractors are listed here by state and city; in the Southeast the listed contractor is Davis Underground Solutions, and 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 pipe boring 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.
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 pipe boring
What pipe is best for directional drilling?+
HDPE for most water, sewer, gas and conduit work because it fuses into one piece and bends easily. Fusible PVC where the utility specifies PVC. Steel for gas transmission and casings. Your contractor will match pipe to the bore length and curve.
Can PVC pipe be bored?+
Fusible PVC can be pulled. Standard gasketed PVC cannot be pulled through a bore; it is installed inside a bored casing or by auger boring with a casing.
How long can a pipe pull be?+
Mid-size rigs pull HDPE and PVC 500 to 1,500 feet routinely. Large rigs pull steel and large HDPE several thousand feet under rivers. Pullback force, not distance, is the real limit.
Does the pipe get damaged during pullback?+
Properly reamed and lubricated bores leave the pipe with light surface scuffing well inside the allowable wall loss. Pulling through an under-reamed hole or a rock bore without a sacrificial casing is what damages pipe; the bore plan prevents both.
Will a pipe boring contractor fuse the pipe too?+
Most do, with their own fusion machine and certified operator, and include it in the quote. Confirm it; fusion done by a third party adds a scheduling link.