Consulting · worldwide
Underground construction & HDD consulting
Consulting is a team here. Some of our consultants have more years than founder Beau Straub (boring since 2003), some about the same — including operators who have run large boring crews and fiber production specialists. Any consulting job, anywhere in the world: remote, or on-site by arrangement.
Consulting services
What our team consults on
Hourly remote, day-rate on-site or a project retainer — tell us what you need and we'll scope it with you.
Bore Planning
Bore path, depth, entry and exit, tooling and crossing strategy — worked out before the rig shows up.
Explore 02Bids & Estimating
Footage, production rates, crew and equipment loading and the risk items that sink bids.
Explore 03Troubleshooting
Rock, cobble, lost returns, steering trouble, stuck tooling — a second set of eyes on the job.
Explore 04Crew Training & Safety
Driller, locator and flagger training; JHA and safety programs built from what we ran on our own crews.
Explore 05Equipment & Fleet
Drills, plows, trenchers, vacs and tooling — what fits your work, with Ditch Witch and Vermeer expertise.
Explore 06Fiber & Telecom Builds
Route review, method selection, constructability and production planning for fiber and telecom builds.
Explore 07Start & Scale a Contractor
Practical advice on starting and scaling an underground contractor — from operators who have done it.
Explore 08Remote / Video, Worldwide
Phone, video and plan reviews from anywhere. On-site travel by arrangement.
ExploreHow it works
How a consult works
The format and price are agreed before any work starts.
Call or send a request
Call (406) 521-0015 or send the consult form with the job details, drawings or photos.
Scope it together
A short conversation to understand the problem, match it to the right person on our team, and agree what help looks like — and what it costs.
Remote or on-site
Phone / video and document review from anywhere, or one of our consultants on your site when it's worth the trip.
Clear deliverables
Written recommendations, marked-up plans, bid notes, training — whatever was agreed up front.
Engagement formats
Remote — hourly
Phone and video calls, plan and photo reviews, bid reviews. Anywhere in the world.
On-site — day rate
A consultant from our team on your job site for planning, troubleshooting or training. Travel arranged with you.
Project retainer
Ongoing support across a project, a season or a growth plan — priority access when you need it.
Worldwide
Remote when that works.
On-site when it doesn't.
Phone and video consults, plan reviews and bid reviews work from anywhere. When a job needs someone on the ground, we send the right person from our consulting team — travel agreed up front.
Who calls us
Built for the people doing the work
- Drilling & boring contractors — planning, bidding, problem bores, crews and equipment.
- Utilities, carriers & engineers — constructability and method selection for underground routes.
- General contractors & developers — getting utilities in without surprises.
- New and growing contractors — starting and scaling an underground business.
- Property owners & municipalities — straight answers on bore vs. trench and who to hire.
Experience behind the advice
- A consulting team, not a one-man shop: consultants with more years in the field than Beau and others with about the same, operators who have run large boring crews, and fiber production hands who get footage in on everything from small bores to plows.
- Founder Beau Straub began professionally drilling in 2003 by rebuilding cable systems in the South as a contribution to hurricane relief.
- Relocated to Denver and built Rapid Wire LLC — about 80 people when he left — doing all aspects of telecommunications, underground directional drilling, traffic control, asphalt and concrete, and landscaping.
- Returned to his Montana roots and founded Four O Six Underground (406 Underground) in Helena in 2013.
- We take consulting jobs anywhere in the world. If a job isn't a fit, we can usually help find a company that is.
- Over 40 years of combined directional-drilling experience and over 1 million feet of drilling completed.*
- 700,000+ hours without a lost-time accident.*
- Boring contractor on NorthWestern Energy projects.
- Crews drilled and located through dirt, cobble and rock — under highways, creeks and rivers and in tight, confined spaces.
*From our 2017–2019 records, as published on the Four O Six Underground website.
FAQ
Consulting questions
Is it just Beau?
No. Beau founded 406 Underground and answers the phone, but consulting is a team. Some of our consultants have more years in the field than Beau and some have about the same, including operators who have run large boring crews and fiber production specialists who work everything from small bores to plows. We match the job to the right person.
Do you really consult outside Montana?
Yes. We take consulting jobs anywhere in the world. Remote consulting by phone and video works from anywhere. On-site visits outside our region — in the US or abroad — are by arrangement, with travel agreed up front.
What does consulting cost?
It depends on format and scope: hourly remote, day-rate on-site, or a project retainer. Call for rates — the price is agreed before any work starts.
What do you need from me to get started?
Location, what you're installing (product, size, footage), ground conditions, drawings or a profile if you have one, photos or video, and what's happened so far.
Do you provide stamped engineering drawings?
No. Consulting is field-experience based and works alongside your engineer of record.
Are you a Ditch Witch or Vermeer dealer?
No — that's equipment we run and consult on. Equipment advice is independent.
Do you still do field work?
Yes — underground field services in Montana and the region, and concrete work in the Helena area. See Underground and Concrete.
Request a consult
Tell us about the job
The more detail the better: location, footage, product size, ground conditions, crossings, what's gone wrong so far. Beau or someone on our consulting team will get back to you directly.