Commercial and industrial HDD for conduit, fiber, water, sewer and gas in Houston, Pasadena, Baytown, Katy and across the county, planned around Gulf Coast clay, flood-control channels and pipeline corridors.
Texas Hawk is headquartered in Southlake and our crews are based in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex. Houston is a long haul south, so for Harris County projects we plan the rig and crew mobilization into the schedule and price from the start. When a program outgrows one crew, our 300+ crew network can mobilize nationwide.
Harris County sits on the Gulf Coast plain, with sand, silt and clay laid down by rivers and the sea, and no rock at the surface. The USGS state geologic map shows a short list of mostly Pleistocene units. Site soil borings set the final tooling and fluid program; this is the general picture.
The Lissie Formation is at the surface across about 36 percent of the county. It is a mix of sand, silt and clay, so conditions can change within one bore and the soil boring decides the fluid program.
Beaumont Formation ground that is mostly clay covers about 36 percent of the county. These clays are expansive and sticky, and groundwater is commonly found 10 to 20 feet down, so fluid control and bore depth matter under pavement.
Sandier Beaumont ground covers about 17 percent of the county. Sand can cave and lose drilling fluid, which calls for the right mud and careful reaming.
The Willis Formation covers about 7 percent of the county, mostly in the north. It is coarser than the clays to the south, so tooling and fluid are matched to what the boring shows.
River and bayou alluvium covers about 2 percent of the county and the Deweyville Formation about 1 percent. Low ground near bayous means soft soil, a high water table and flood risk, so we plan crossings deep and contain fluid first.
Soil data drives the bore profile, tooling, drilling fluid and vacuum capture. Wet clay and sand change the schedule, so we price and plan for it up front.
In Harris County the county, the flood control district, the City of Houston, pipeline owners and TxDOT can all be in play on the same project. Each has its own written rules, and we line them up early so they do not hold up mobilization.
Utilities crossing an improved county road must be jacked, tunneled, bored or driven under the full improved width. Underground utilities go at the greater of four feet below the road crown, two feet below the ditch bottoms, or five feet below the ultimate channel depth of a Harris County Flood Control District right-of-way. High-pressure pipelines need six feet below the crown and other conditions.
Utility work in county right-of-way is filed as a Right-of-Way Notification through the county’s online E-Permits system, which we prepare with the alignment and depth information.
Houston’s Scheduled Excavation Permit covers cutting, tunneling, jacking and boring in the public way. It requires owner or contractor registration, proof of liability insurance, a Notice to Commence Work at least 48 hours ahead, and a lane closure permit before excavation begins. Drawings and specifications are required for new facilities more than 10 feet long or crossing more than one travel lane, and for any excavation in a public way less than five years old.
Houston’s 2026 Infrastructure Design Manual took effect March 2, 2026, and is fully required for new reviews after June 1, 2026. We use the current edition when preparing bore drawings.
CenterPoint Energy provides natural gas in Houston and the Greater Houston area and runs electric delivery there, and the San Bernard Electric Cooperative serves part of the county. The Ship Channel industrial corridor is crowded with pipelines, and the Texas Railroad Commission publishes a pipeline map that we check before a bore is designed.
Harris County is in TxDOT’s Houston District with Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston, Montgomery and Waller counties. Work in state right-of-way is permitted through TxDOT’s utility process.
Harris County work runs from the Houston Ship Channel industrial corridor to commercial development around Katy, Cypress and Baytown, with plenty of bayou, county road and pipeline crossings in between.
Plans, utility records and soil data reviewed up front, with the bore set to the county depth rules and every channel and pipeline crossing.
Texas811 notice at least two working days ahead, utilities and pipelines verified where the bore crosses them, and county and Houston paperwork started early.
Bore the path, track it, and capture drilling fluid so it stays out of bayous, storm drains and ditches.
Daily production reports and as-builts for close-out.
Yes. Utilities crossing an improved county road must be jacked, tunneled, bored or driven under the full improved width.
At the greater of four feet below the road crown, two feet below the ditch bottoms, or five feet below the ultimate channel depth of a flood-control right-of-way. High-pressure pipelines need six feet below the crown and other conditions.
Yes. The City’s Scheduled Excavation Permit covers cutting, tunneling, jacking and boring in the public way, with registration, proof of insurance and 48 hours’ notice before work starts.
For new facilities more than 10 feet long or crossing more than one travel lane, and for any excavation in a public way less than five years old.
It can. Beaumont Formation clay is expansive and sticky, and groundwater is commonly 10 to 20 feet down, so fluid control and bore depth get extra attention.
Commercial and industrial projects only: developers, general contractors, utilities and electrical, telecom and mechanical contractors.
Commercial projects only. Fill out the quick form or call us — we’ll take it from there.