Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD)

When critical infrastructure needs to be installed with minimal disruption, United Utility Services is the trusted partner for Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD). Through the combined expertise of our two specialized business units – Summit Underground Services and DBE – we deliver one of the industry’s most experienced and capable HDD teams, providing safe, efficient, and technically advanced drilling solutions for utility owners, municipalities, and industrial clients across the country.

From congested urban environments to environmentally sensitive areas, our HDD specialists complete complex underground installations while protecting existing infrastructure, minimizing surface disruption, and keeping projects on schedule.

What is Horizontal Directional Drilling?
Horizontal Directional Drilling (HDD) is a trenchless construction method used to install underground utilities beneath roads, highways, railroads, waterways, wetlands, developed areas, and other obstacles without the need for open trench excavation.

Using precision-guided drilling technology, our crews create a controlled underground bore path before installing conduit, electrical duct banks, transmission cable, fiber optic cable, water lines, gas lines, and other critical infrastructure. The result is a safer, cleaner, and more efficient installation with significantly less impact on surrounding communities and the environment.

What is Large Bore Drilling?
Large Bore Drilling is a specialized trenchless construction method used to install large-diameter conduits, steel casing, duct banks, and utility pipelines beneath surface obstacles without the need for extensive open-cut excavation.

Unlike conventional directional drilling, large bore projects require specialized engineering, high-capacity drilling equipment, and experienced crews capable of managing greater bore diameters, longer crossing lengths, and more complex ground conditions. These projects often support major infrastructure initiatives where reliability, precision, and structural integrity are critical.

Comprehensive HDD & Large Bore Drilling Services
United Utility Services provides complete HDD solutions from planning through project completion, including:

• Utility and constructability assessments
• Route planning and bore path engineering
• Pilot bore installation
• Reaming and hole enlargement
• Product pipe and conduit pullback
• Installation of electrical duct banks
• Underground electric transmission and distribution infrastructure
• Fiber optic and telecommunications installations
• Water, sewer, and gas utility crossings
• Roadway, railroad, and waterway crossings
• Complex urban and environmentally sensitive installations
• Restoration and project closeout

Our experienced field personnel utilize advanced guidance systems, drilling equipment, and proven construction practices to consistently deliver accurate installations while meeting demanding project specifications.

Why Choose HDD?
Horizontal Directional Drilling has become the preferred installation method for many utility projects because it reduces environmental impact, shortens construction schedules, and minimizes disruption to surrounding communities.

Key advantages include:

• Minimal surface disturbance
• Reduced traffic interruptions
• Protection of existing infrastructure
• Preservation of environmentally sensitive areas
• Fewer restoration requirements
• Increased public safety
• Faster project completion
• Lower long-term project costs in many applications
• Ability to install utilities beneath obstacles that would otherwise require costly excavation

Why United Utility Services?
Not all HDD contractors possess the experience required for today’s increasingly complex underground utility projects. At United Utility Services, our strength comes from combining the specialized capabilities of Summit Underground Services and DBE, creating a premier HDD team with the expertise, equipment, and resources to execute projects of virtually any size or complexity.

Our clients choose us because we offer:

• Decades of trenchless construction expertise
• Specialized experience in electric utility infrastructure
• Proven success on complex HDD crossings
• Experienced project managers, engineers, and drilling crews
• Industry-leading safety performance
• Modern drilling equipment and support fleet
• Turnkey project delivery
• Commitment to quality, schedule, and environmental stewardship

Whether supporting electric transmission, distribution, telecommunications, renewable energy, municipal infrastructure, or industrial development, we deliver drilling solutions that keep critical projects moving forward.

Building Tomorrow’s Underground Infrastructure
As utilities continue to expand and modernize America’s infrastructure, Horizontal Directional Drilling has become an essential construction method for installing reliable underground systems. United Utility Services is proud to be at the forefront of this technology, delivering precision HDD solutions that safely connect communities, strengthen the electric grid, and support the nation’s growing infrastructure needs.

When precision matters, trust the HDD experts at United Utility Services.