Horizontal Directional Drilling in SC & NC
Trenchless underground boring under roads, driveways, and waterways — without tearing up your property. 60 years, 4 generations, a flawless safety record.
Sloan Underground Construction has been installing trenchless utilities across the Carolinas using horizontal directional drilling since 1965. HDD bores a steerable pilot hole underground, reams it to size, and pulls water, gas, electric, fiber, or conduit back through — without an open trench. Most residential bores complete in a single day; typical pricing runs $1,500 to $3,500 for a short driveway bore and scales with length, diameter, and soil.
How much does horizontal directional drilling cost in SC?
A short residential bore under a driveway typically runs $1,500–$3,500. Longer bores, larger-diameter pipe, rock or mixed soil, and bores crossing roads or waterways push costs to $4,000–$20,000+. We write free, on-site estimates with a clear line-item breakdown — usually within 24 hours.
What Is Horizontal Directional Drilling and How Does It Work?
Horizontal directional drilling — HDD, directional boring, or trenchless drilling — is a steerable method of installing underground pipe, conduit, or cable without an open trench. A surface-launched drill rig creates an underground bore path following a planned route. A pilot hole is drilled along the path, then enlarged (reamed) to the required diameter, and the product pipe is pulled back through the bore.
The only surface disturbance is a small entry pit at the drill end and a small exit pit at the pullback end. Everything else — the driveway, the landscaping, the road above — stays untouched. That's why HDD is the default method for crossing under obstacles where open excavation would be impractical, costly, or outright prohibited.
Our crew runs a Ditch Witch JT-5, JT-520, and JT-2020 fleet, which handles pipe diameters from 1 inch up through 12+ inches and bore lengths from a 40-foot driveway crossing to 600-foot-plus commercial runs. We steer through clay, rock, sand, and the mixed Piedmont soils common across Upstate SC.
Why HDD Beats Open-Cut Every Time
- Minimal surface disruption — no torn-up lawns, driveways, or landscaping.
- No open trenching — eliminates excavation, backfill, and expensive surface restoration.
- Works under obstacles — roads, driveways, foundations, creeks, and parking lots.
- Faster — most residential bores wrap in a day; commercial runs on accelerated timelines.
- Cost-effective — less labor, less equipment, no surface repair.
- Lower environmental impact — less soil disturbance, less erosion.
How We Run a Directional Drilling Job
Site Survey & 811 Locate
Walk the property, call 811, identify obstacles, and map the bore path.
Pilot Bore
The JT-series rig steers a small-diameter pilot along the planned underground path.
Reaming & Pullback
Enlarge the bore to the needed diameter; attach and pull the product pipe through.
Restoration
Restore the entry and exit pits; clean up; leave the site better than we found it.
What We Install With HDD
Water Lines
New service lines, main replacements, and irrigation runs for residential and commercial properties.
Gas Lines
Natural gas service for homes, businesses, and new construction developments.
Electric & Conduit
Underground electrical conduit and direct-bury cable replacing or supplementing overhead power.
Fiber Optic
High-speed fiber infrastructure for ISPs and telecom providers.
Telecom Conduit
Empty conduit runs for future utility installation and multi-use pathways.
Sewer & Drainage
Trenchless sewer and drainage installation without destroying hardscape.
Horizontal Directional Drilling Across the Carolinas
Based in Greenville, SC — we run HDD jobs across 15 cities. From downtown Upstate neighborhoods to rural foothills sites, we get there with the right Ditch Witch rig for the job.
Frequently Asked About Directional Drilling
What is horizontal directional drilling?
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is a trenchless method of installing underground utilities — water lines, gas lines, electric cables, fiber optics, and conduit — without digging an open trench. A specialized drill rig bores a steerable pilot hole underground along a planned path, then pulls the utility line back through the bore. The only surface disturbance is a small entry pit and a small exit pit. HDD has been our primary installation method since 1965.
Is directional boring better than trenching?
For most residential and commercial projects, yes. Directional boring preserves driveways, landscaping, lawns, and hardscape that open-cut trenching would destroy. It’s faster (most residential jobs finish in a single day), requires less crew, and eliminates expensive surface restoration. If there’s a driveway, road, creek, sidewalk, or landscaping in the way, HDD is the right choice.
Can Sloan bore under driveways, roads, sidewalks, and landscaping?
Yes — boring under driveways, roads, sidewalks, parking lots, creek beds, and landscaped areas is exactly what HDD is designed for. Instead of cutting through concrete or asphalt, we bore directly underneath without disturbing the surface. Our Ditch Witch JT-5, JT-520, and JT-2020 fleet handles all soil types found across Upstate SC.
What utilities can be installed with directional drilling?
Water lines, gas lines, electric service and conduit, fiber optic cable, telecommunications conduit, sewer and drainage pipe, and irrigation lines. Pipe diameters from 1 inch through 12+ inches are routinely bored with our Ditch Witch JT-5, JT-520, and JT-2020 rigs.
Do you handle water, gas, electric, fiber, and conduit?
Yes — all five. Sloan Underground installs water lines, natural gas lines, electric lines and power conduit, fiber optic cable, and utility conduit. We also handle sewer and drainage pipe and irrigation systems. One call covers every underground utility type.
What areas does Sloan Underground serve?
We serve 15 cities across the Carolinas: Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, Laurens, Newberry, Saluda, Abbeville, Greenwood, Union, Aiken, Lexington, Richland County, and Asheville, NC. Based in Greenville — our trucks are local.
How long does a directional drilling project take?
Most residential HDD jobs wrap in a single day — often 4 to 8 hours from setup to cleanup. Commercial or multi-run projects take 2 to 3 days depending on length and soil conditions. We give you a firm timeline during the free estimate.
How much does horizontal directional drilling cost in SC?
A short residential bore under a driveway typically runs $1,500–$3,500. Longer bores, larger-diameter pipe, rock or mixed soil conditions, and bores crossing roads or waterways scale the cost to $4,000–$20,000+. Every job gets a free, written estimate with a clear line-item breakdown.
Last Updated: August 2026
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