Water Line Installation
New water service lines, main replacements, and irrigation installs for homes and businesses.
- Residential & commercial
- Same-day service available
- No yard damage
Trenchless Underground Boring
Horizontal Directional Drilling Across South Carolina
Trenchless HDD boring for water, gas, electric, fiber & conduit — under roads, driveways, and landscaping with zero excavation. Family-owned since 1965.
Sloan Underground Construction is a licensed South Carolina trenchless contractor based in Greenville, serving the Upstate since 1965. We specialize in horizontal directional drilling (HDD) — the no-dig method of installing underground utilities beneath roads, driveways, landscaping, and waterways without surface excavation. If you're searching for "horizontal direction drill near me," our Ditch Witch JT-5, JT-520, and JT-2020 fleet handles water, gas, electric, fiber, and conduit bores across 15 Carolina cities. For work inside the city, start with our directional drilling Greenville SC page.
What Is Horizontal Directional Drilling?
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is a trenchless construction method that installs underground pipes, cables, and conduit without digging a traditional open trench. A specialized drill rig bores a steerable pilot hole underground along a planned path — under driveways, roads, sidewalks, creek beds, or landscaping — then reams the hole to the required diameter and pulls the new utility line back through the completed bore. The only surface disturbance is a small entry pit (where the drill starts) and a small exit pit (where it emerges). Lawns, hardscape, and daily operations remain intact throughout the project.
Why Directional Drilling
No trench, no damage, no delay
Install Underground Utilities Without Tearing Up Your Property
Traditional open-cut trenching means a long excavated trench across your entire property — through lawns, flower beds, driveways, sidewalks, and patios. That's weeks of disruption, thousands in surface restoration costs, and a visible scar that takes years to fully heal.
Horizontal directional drilling bores a small-diameter underground path and pulls the new pipe or cable through, leaving everything above ground exactly where it was. No trenching equipment. No excavation. No backfill. No surface repair.
We handle new construction utility taps, waterline replacements, gas line extensions, fiber optic installations, electric conduit runs, and drainage bores for residential, commercial, and municipal clients across the Carolinas.
Everything that needs to go underground
What We Install With Directional Drilling
Water Lines
New service lines, main replacements, irrigation runs — HDPE and PEX for residential; HDPE and PVC for commercial mains.
Gas Lines
Natural gas service bores for homes, businesses, and new construction developments. Code-compliant, pressure-tested installations.
Electric & Conduit
Underground electrical conduit and direct-bury cable replacing or supplementing overhead power service.
Fiber Optic Cable
High-speed fiber infrastructure for ISPs, telecom providers, and commercial data networks.
Utility Conduit
Empty conduit runs for future utility installation, telecom pathways, and multi-use underground corridors.
Sewer & Drainage
Trenchless sewer and stormwater drainage installation without destroying hardscape or landscaping.
Every bore, every time
How We Run a Directional Drilling Project
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01
Free Site Survey & Written Estimate
We walk the property, identify the connection points, discuss the bore path, and provide a written no-obligation estimate — typically within 24 hours.
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02
811 Utility Locate & Path Planning
Call Before You Dig. All existing underground utilities are marked by 811. We finalize the bore path, entry pit location, and exit pit location to avoid conflicts.
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03
Pilot Bore & Tracking
A Ditch Witch JT-series rig drills a small-diameter steerable pilot hole underground along the planned path. Real-time tracking ensures accuracy and obstacle avoidance.
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04
Reaming & Product Pullback
The bore is enlarged to the required diameter using a reamer. The new pipe or cable is attached to the reamer and pulled back through the completed bore from exit to entry.
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05
Connection, Testing & Restoration
We connect the utility at both ends, pressure-test for leaks (water/gas) or continuity (electric/fiber), restore the entry and exit pits, and clean the site.
Why Choose Sloan
60 years, 4 generations, zero shortcuts
Why Choose Sloan Underground for Directional Boring?
- Family-owned since 1965 — four generations of underground utility expertise across the Carolinas.
- Ditch Witch JT-5/JT-520/JT-2020 fleet — matched to your project size, from single-family bores to large commercial runs.
- Licensed, bonded & insured — full South Carolina contractor licensing for residential and commercial work.
- Owner-supervised jobs — every project is overseen by a Sloan family member, not subcontracted out.
- All Piedmont soil types — clay, rock, sand, wet conditions — we bore through it all without surface disruption.
- Free written estimates within 24 hours — no guessing, no surprise charges.
Where We Drill
Upstate SC, the Midlands & Western NC
Horizontal Directional Drilling Across the Carolinas
Based in Greenville, SC — we run horizontal directional drilling projects across 28 cities including Greenville, Spartanburg, Anderson, Pickens, Oconee, Laurens, Newberry, Saluda, Abbeville, Greenwood, Union, Aiken, Lexington, Richland County, and Asheville, NC. From downtown Upstate neighborhoods to rural foothills sites and coastal barrier islands, we get there with the right Ditch Witch rig for your project.
View All Service Areas →You asked, we answered
Common Questions About Horizontal Directional Drilling
What is horizontal directional drilling?
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) is a trenchless method of installing underground utilities 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 completed bore. Only small entry and exit pits are needed — driveways, landscaping, and hardscape remain intact.
How deep can you drill with HDD?
Our Ditch Witch JT-5, JT-520, and JT-2020 fleet drills from 3 feet to 30+ feet deep depending on project requirements and soil conditions. Most residential utility runs are 3–8 feet deep; commercial and road-crossing bores often run 10–25 feet. Depth is determined by code requirements, obstacle clearance, and soil type.
Do I need a permit for directional boring?
Permit requirements vary by city and utility type. Road crossings, DOT right-of-way work, and municipal utility connections typically require permits. Private property residential utility bores under driveways or landscaping often do not. We handle permit research and filing for commercial and municipal projects.
Can you bore under roads, driveways, and sidewalks?
Yes — boring under roads, driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, and other hardscape is exactly what HDD is designed for. We cross under asphalt, concrete, pavers, and landscaping without cutting or damaging the surface. Our Ditch Witch fleet handles all Piedmont soil types including clay, rock, sand, and mixed conditions.
How long does a directional drilling project take?
Most residential horizontal directional drilling projects finish in a single day — often 4–8 hours from setup to restoration. Longer commercial runs, multiple bores, or difficult soil conditions may take 1–3 days. We provide a project timeline with every written estimate.
What utilities can be installed with directional drilling?
We install water lines, gas lines, electric conduit and direct-bury cable, fiber optic cable, telecommunications conduit, sewer and drainage pipe, and irrigation lines using HDD. Pipe diameters from 1 inch to 12+ inches are routinely bored with our fleet.
Other underground services we provide
Other Underground Construction Services
Gas Line Installation
Safe, code-compliant underground gas lines for new runs, replacements, and extensions.
- Code-compliant work
- Licensed & insured
- Full pressure testing
Fiber Optic Installation
Precision bores for ISPs and telecoms connecting neighborhoods to high-speed internet.
- Precision bore paths
- Telecom contractor work
- Minimal site disruption