HDD & directional drilling consulting in the USA

Directional drilling consulting in the USA

Fiber, power, water and pipeline work keeps directional drilling busy in every part of the country, and the questions are mostly the same: will this profile work, what's this ground going to do, is the bid realistic, why is this bore fighting us.

A team of consultants answers those from field experience. 406 Underground's own crews have worked in Montana, Wyoming, Idaho, North and South Dakota, Colorado and New Mexico; anywhere else in the country, we'll come to your job site or work it remotely by phone and video.

What we can help with

The same consulting we offer everywhere, with the local conditions in mind:

Ground conditions

• Texas & the Gulf Coast. Fat clays, high groundwater, bayous and soft river bottoms near the coast; limestone and caliche inland.
• The Southeast. Red clay over weathered rock in the Piedmont, sand and high water toward the coast.
• The Midwest. Glacial till with cobble and boulders in the north, soft clays and long river crossings along the big rivers.
• The Mountain West. Gravels, cobble and shallow rock, deep frost and mountain rivers — the ground our own crews know best.
• The Pacific Northwest. Glacial outwash and till, wet ground, and fish-bearing streams with strict in-water rules.
• Alaska. Permafrost and frozen ground in places, short construction seasons and long mobilizations.

General conditions only. Every site is different — send what you know about yours.

Permits & approvals

Every state has its own one-call (811) rules, state DOT utility-accommodation permits and environmental reviews for water crossings. We don't pull permits for you; we help you plan a bore that fits the permit you have or are applying for.

Typical crossings

• Interstate and state highway right-of-way
• Rivers, bayous, creeks and wetlands
• Railroads (under the railroad's crossing requirements)
• Pipeline and utility corridors
• Urban streets with crowded utilities

Time zones & remote consults

Helena is on Mountain Time — two hours behind Eastern, one behind Central, one ahead of Pacific — so a normal workday overlaps every time zone in the lower 48, and Alaska and Hawaii get afternoon calls. Video from the rig, the pit or the returns works well for troubleshooting; plans, profiles and bid documents can be reviewed between calls, with written recommendations after each session.

Units & documents

US customary units — feet, inches, PSI, gallons per minute.

On your job site

We're glad to travel. A consultant can come to your site for planning, troubleshooting or training, working alongside the local engineer and contractor of record — scope and travel costs agreed up front. Consulting is field-experience based and doesn't replace a licensed engineer's stamped design.

Questions

Can you consult on a job in a state you haven't worked in?

Yes. We'll come to your job site or work it remotely, alongside your engineer and contractor of record.

Will you travel to our job?

Yes, gladly — anywhere in the country. Travel costs are agreed up front, before anything is booked.