Service
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)
Horizontal directional drilling lets us install pipe and conduit underground from one small pit to another. The road, the sidewalk and the yard above stay in place. It is the clean way to cross a street, a driveway or a finished site.
What's included
How we handle it
Pilot bore
A steerable drill head makes a small first path along the planned route, tracked from the surface by a walkover locator.
Reaming
When needed, a reamer opens the path up to the size the product pipe or conduit needs.
Pullback
The conduit or pipe is attached and pulled back through the finished bore to the entry side.
Bore records
Locator records from the job are kept so the as-built shows where the line actually went.
Boring or trenching
Why trenchless, and when to trench?
Two methods, each with its place. Trenchless boring is the way under what is already built; trenching is often the way to go for new-construction development. We do both, look at your route first, and many jobs use some of each.
| Factor | HDD (trenchless) | Trenching |
|---|---|---|
| Best fit | Built-up routes: under roads, driveways, landscaping and existing utilities | New-construction development and open sites, before paving and landscaping go in |
| The surface | Stays in place; digging is mostly the entry and exit pits | Opened along the route, then backfilled and restored |
| Traffic | Roads above can often stay open | Planned with the site work; open ground often has no traffic to manage |
| Several lines | Each bore carries the conduit or pipe planned for it | One trench can take several lines side by side, where utility standards allow |
| Seeing the work | The drill head is tracked from the surface and the path is recorded | Lines are placed in the open and checked before backfill |
| Ground | Cobbles, boulders and some hard rock can make boring hard | Handles mixed ground; deeper trenches need protection |
General guide; the right method depends on the route, soil and site.
Our process
The steps of an HDD bore
Six clear steps, so you know what comes next.
- 01 Plan We review the plans and white-line the proposed project.
- 02 Locate Coordinate utility locates and perform potholing to verify existing underground utilities.
- 03 Bore Assess soil conditions and crossing requirements before working with you to establish and finalize project scope. Then the pilot bore is drilled, steered and tracked from the surface along the planned path.
- 04 Pull back The bore is opened to size and conduit or pipe is pulled back through it.
- 05 Restore Pits are closed, surfaces are put back and the work area is cleaned up.
- 06 As-built Bore records and photos become a clean as-built of where the line actually went.
Resources
Learn more
Do you have to call 811 before digging in Texas?
Yes, in most cases. Texas law requires notice at least 48 hours before digging or boring, not counting weekends and holidays. General info, not legal advice.
ReadHDD vs. open-cut trenching: which fits your utility project?
Boring or an open trench? When each method is the right call: built-up routes, new-construction sites, crossings, ground conditions and records.
ReadHow does AI help a drilling contractor keep better job records?
AI can sort plans, bore logs and photos into clean as-builts, quote drafts and progress updates, while people check the work and make every call.
ReadAnswers
Horizontal Directional Drilling: questions
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD), also called directional boring, installs pipe or conduit underground along a steered path. Only the entry and exit points are dug, so the surface in between is mostly left alone.
HDD is usually the better fit when the line has to pass under a road, driveway, waterway or finished surface. Trenching can make sense on open ground with easy access or in very rough soil.
A transmitter behind the drill head sends readings up through the ground. A crew member follows it with a walkover locator, and the operator steers from those readings.
You get the line in the ground, the surface restored, and a record of where the bore actually went, built from the locator's bore log and job site photos.
Plans or prints, the route and approximate length, pipe or conduit size, required depth, what surface the bore crosses, and anything known about soil and existing utilities.
Other services
Fiber Optic & Telecom Boring
Conduit placement, fiber pulls, handholes and boxes, and small-cell conduit for telecom and fiber builds.
Learn moreTraffic Control & Permitting
Help with traffic control and the permit paperwork, so the crew can start when the bore is ready.
Learn moreRestoration
Concrete and surface restoration after the bore, so the site is left clean and finished.
Learn moreTrenching
Open-cut utility trenching for new-construction development: conduit and pipe placed before the site is paved and finished.
Learn moreInfrastructure Builds
The underground utility package for a new development, from the first locate to the finished surface.
Learn moreReady to get underground?
Tell us about your project and we will put together a bid.