Service
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD) contractors, Sydney and NSW
Spot On Excavations is a horizontal directional drilling contractor based in North Richmond, NSW, running four Vermeer directional drills for water main, electrical conduit and telecommunications conduit installation across Sydney, the Hawkesbury, Canberra and regional NSW. Our own vacuum trucks prove the route first, so it is proved, bored and piped by one contractor.
What is horizontal directional drilling, and when does it beat trenching?
Horizontal directional drilling (HDD), also called directional boring, installs pipe and conduit along a steered underground path without digging a continuous trench. A pilot bore runs from an entry pit to an exit pit, a reamer enlarges it, and the pipe or conduit is pulled back through.
It is the better choice when the route crosses something you cannot or would rather not dig up: a sealed road, a driveway, a footpath, a creek bank, established trees, a rail corridor or a car park. That also makes it a practical way to do under boring beneath existing services, once those services have been located and exposed. Where the route is long, open and clear, an open trench can still be quicker, and we will say so. Our comparison of HDD and open trenching sets out how to choose.
What we install by directional boring
- PE and HDPE pipe for water mains and rising mains.
- Electrical conduit for cable supply.
- Telecommunications and NBN conduit, including multi-conduit bundles pulled in a single bore.
Pit, pipe and conduit work around the bore is covered on our pipe and conduit installation page.
Four Vermeer rigs, matched to the job
We run four Vermeer Navigator machines so the drill fits the bore, rather than forcing every job onto one rig. See the full list on the equipment page.
- Vermeer D6x6The smallest rig in the fleet. Short shots, tight access and smaller conduit where a large rig will not fit.
- Vermeer D23x30 S3Mid-size rig, rated at 75 kW. Everyday conduit and pipe installations in suburban and rural settings.
- Vermeer D40x55 S3Larger rig, rated at 104 kW. Larger-diameter pipe and longer shots.
- Vermeer D40x55DR S3Dual-rod rig, rated at 104 kW. Built for rock.
- DigiTrak F5 (two systems)Walkover tracking and steering, so the bore is followed from the surface and adjusted as it goes.
Ground conditions: sand, clay and rock
Sand, clay and rock each call for a different rig and approach. Sand and clay suit the conventional rigs, with drilling fluid used to keep the bore open and carry cuttings out. For rock, we send the D40x55DR S3 dual-rod rig, and we have completed rock shots in Canberra and at Pambula Beach on the NSW South Coast.
We do not quote a rock strength rating or promise a result from a desktop review. Geotechnical information from the client is welcome and helps us choose the rig.
How an HDD job runs
- Enquiry and Before You Dig Australia (BYDA) plans. We confirm the route, product and constraints, and request asset plans before anything is marked.
- Locate and pothole. Services near the line are located, then exposed by vacuum excavation so the bore passes them at a known clearance. See potholing and vacuum excavation.
- Plan the bore. We choose entry and exit points, the profile, the rig and the drilling fluid arrangements.
- Pilot bore. The head is steered along the planned path and tracked from the surface.
- Ream and pull back. The hole is enlarged to suit the product, then the pipe or conduit is pulled through.
- Reinstate and hand over. Pits are backfilled, surfaces reinstated, spoil and fluid removed, and the client gets the installed result.
Who does horizontal directional drilling in Sydney, Canberra and NSW?
Spot On Excavations, based in North Richmond, NSW, does horizontal directional drilling across Sydney, the Hawkesbury, Canberra and regional NSW for civil head contractors, electrical and telecommunications contractors, utilities, councils, developers and rural property owners who need a service run under something.
We are based at North Richmond and serve Sydney, the Hawkesbury, Western Sydney, Canberra and the ACT, the NSW South Coast and regional NSW. We have also completed works in Victoria and Queensland.
Work we have done
- NBN conduit installation in the ACT, shown in the company’s own project posts.
- A 355 mm SDR11 PN16 PE100 water main installed in 2026 to Sydney Water specification, supplied with the manufacturer’s Certificates of Compliance.
- 63 mm SDR13.6 PE100 conduit in the ACT in 2026.
- Water and irrigation work at Hawkesbury Racecourse.
- Plant attendance on the Pitt Town Bypass.
More detail is on the projects page.
Safety and compliance
Every job starts with a BYDA enquiry. We use QR-coded digital pre-starts, plant risk assessments, a SWMS and an Emergency Management Plan. Where the asset owner has a specification, such as Sydney Water for a water main or a council conduit specification, we install to it. Road crossings, permits and traffic arrangements are covered on road and creek crossings.
Questions
Directional drilling questions, answered
How deep can you drill?
Depth is set by the route, the product and what is already in the ground, so we plan it for each job rather than quote a single figure. Tell us what you are crossing and the clearance the asset owner requires.
How long a bore can you do?
Bore length depends on pipe size, ground and which rig suits the job, so we assess it per site. Longer shots usually go to the larger rigs. Send the route and we will advise.
What pipe and conduit sizes can you install?
We pull PE and HDPE water pipe, electrical conduit and telecommunications conduit, including multi-conduit bundles. Recent work includes 355 mm PE100 water main and 63 mm PE100 conduit.
Can you drill through rock?
Yes. Our Vermeer D40x55DR S3 dual-rod rig is built for rock, and we have completed rock shots in Canberra and at Pambula Beach. We do not publish rock strength ratings, so send any geotechnical report you have and we will say how we would approach it.
What do you need from us to quote?
The route or site address, the product and size, the start and end points, any known services or geotechnical information, and access details. Our guide to how directional drilling is priced has a full quote checklist.
Do you work in the ACT?
Yes. We have installed NBN conduit and PE conduit in the ACT and travel from North Richmond for Canberra work. See our Canberra and ACT page for how mobilisation and local requirements are handled.
Related
Next step
Planning a bore?
Send us the route, the product and the start date. We will tell you what the ground and the services in it mean for the job.