# Directional Boring in Denver

Directional boring drills a steerable path underground and pulls new pipe back through it. It installs a line on a new route beneath driveways, streets, and landscaping without opening a trench between the two end points.

- Installs a new line on a new path.
- Passes under driveways, streets, and trees.
- Entry and exit pits only.
- Tracked and steered for depth and alignment.

## What Directional Boring Is

A drill rig launches a steerable head at a shallow angle, drills a pilot bore along a planned path, and is tracked electronically from the surface so depth and alignment stay correct the whole way. The bore is then enlarged and new pipe is pulled back through it.

The distinguishing feature is that it creates a new corridor. Bursting and lining follow the pipe you already have. Boring goes where you decide the pipe should be, which makes it the method for reroutes and new installations.

It is used for water service lines, conduit, and sewer where the required slope can be held, since a gravity sewer must maintain consistent fall along the whole bore.

- New water service lines under a driveway or street.
- Rerouting a line away from a failed corridor.
- Crossings under hardscape and mature landscaping.
- Conduit installation for utilities.
- Runs where trenching would be prohibited or impractical.

## When Directional Boring Is the Right Method

Directional boring is the right method when a new line has to be installed on a new path and the ground between the endpoints is something you cannot or should not open, such as a street, a driveway, a patio, or a stand of mature trees.

It is also right when the existing corridor is the problem. If a line keeps failing because of what surrounds it, moving the line is a better answer than rebuilding it in the same place.

It is the wrong method when a gravity sewer needs a precise consistent slope that the bore cannot reliably hold over the distance, when the ground is cobble or rock that deflects the head, or when utility congestion leaves no safe bore corridor.

- Gravity sewer runs needing tight, consistent fall.
- Cobble, boulders, or rock that deflect the bore head.
- Congested utility corridors with no safe path.
- No room for entry and exit pits or rig staging.
- Unstable soils prone to bore collapse or frac-out.
- Short shallow runs where trenching is simply cheaper.

## How a Directional Bore Runs

1. **Design the Bore Path** Locates, potholing, and depth planning establish a corridor that clears every existing utility with margin.
2. **Drill the Pilot Bore** The steerable head is launched and tracked from the surface, with depth and alignment corrected continuously as it advances.
3. **Ream and Pull** The bore is enlarged to the diameter the new pipe needs, then the pipe is pulled back through from the exit pit.
4. **Tie In and Test** Connections are made at both ends, the new line is tested, pits are backfilled, and the surface is restored.

## Disruption, Timeline, and Cost Drivers

Most residential bores are a one day operation. Disruption is limited to the entry and exit pits and the rig footprint, with everything between them untouched.

Cost drivers are bore length and depth, soil conditions, pipe diameter, how many utilities the path must clear and how much potholing that requires, permitting and traffic control for right of way crossings, and restoration at the pits.

Rock and cobble are the risk item. A bore that starts deflecting costs more than the same footage in cooperative soil, which is why we assess ground conditions before committing to the method.

## Frequently asked questions

**When is directional boring the right method?**

When a new line must be installed on a new path and the ground between the endpoints, such as a street or driveway, cannot be trenched.

**What rules directional boring out?**

Gravity sewer runs needing precise consistent fall, rock or cobble, congested utility corridors, unstable soils, or no space for pits and rig staging.

**Can a sewer line be directionally bored?**

Sometimes, but only when the required slope can be held reliably across the bore. Water service and conduit are more common uses.

**How do you avoid hitting other utilities?**

Locates first, potholing to visually confirm the critical crossings, then electronic tracking of the head throughout the bore.

**Is boring better than pipe bursting?**

They solve different problems. Bursting replaces a line on its existing path. Boring installs a line on a new one.

## Related Methods and Services

- [Hydro Excavation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/hydro-excavation) Water and vacuum digging for safe exposure around live utilities.
- [Open Cut Excavation](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/open-cut-excavation) Traditional trenching when the line has to be exposed and physically replaced.
- [Pipe Bursting](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/pipe-bursting) Full line replacement pulled through the old pipe path without a long trench.
- [Method Comparison and Cost Guide](https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/sewer-repair-method-comparison) Side by side comparison of every method, what drives cost, and what rules each out.

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Denver Sewer and Water is a privately owned, licensed and insured plumbing contractor. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to Denver Water, the municipal water utility, or any government entity. To pay a municipal water bill or reach the public utility, visit denverwater.org.

Source: https://www.denversewerandwater.com/methods/directional-boring